Morgan Lofting, a fan-favorite voice actor beloved for her iconic turn as the Baroness in animated G.I. Joe movies and TV shows, has died.
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Lofting passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday at her Burbank home, as confirmed by her agents, Nery Lemus and Christopher Arsaga of CelebWorx, via The Hollywood Reporter. “As one of the 10 founding actors at our agency, she meant the world to us and our company,” Lemus and Arsaga said in a statement.
Lofting was 84 years old.
Lofting’s portrayal of the Baroness, the ruthless Cobra chief intelligence officer, turned the character into one of the most popular figures in the G.I. Joe series.
Lofting crafted a European accent for the dark-haired Baroness, a seductive master of disguise and a skilled expert in weaponry and hand-to-hand combat. She was iconic for her sleek black leather outfit and distinctive black-rimmed glasses… a look many fans cosplay at conventions.
Lofting lent her voice to the Baroness in the G.I. Joe miniseries in 1983, 1984, and 1989. Her work continued across two series spanning four seasons, airing from 1985-86 and 1990-91. She also appeared in the 1986 TV movie G.I. Joe: Arise, Serpentor, Arise! and the 1987 direct-to-video release G.I. Joe: The Movie.
The voice actress also lent her talents to a variety of iconic roles, including Aunt May and Black Cat in the 1981-82 Spider-Man animated series, as well as Moonracer and Firestar in the 1985 Transformers series. She also contributed her voice to the 1990 sci-fi classic Total Recall, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Morgan Lofting Also Took Live Action Acting Roles
Born on February 2, 1940, in Cincinnati, Lofting also landed live-action acting roles. These included a guest appearance in four episodes of the CBS primetime soap Knots Landing from 1986 to 1987. She also starred alongside Keanu Reeves and Lori Loughlin in the 1988 film The Night Before.
In 1989, she returned to college to complete her bachelor’s degree, later pursuing and earning a master’s in history at Cal State Northridge. Over time, she discovered her passion for what she fondly referred to as “bartending with books” and thrived in her role as a librarian.
In 2013, she made her return to voice acting, taking on the role of former villain Fistina in Ben 10: Omniverse.
Meanwhile, fans took to social media to pay tribute to the beloved voice actor.
“Much love to the family of Morgan Lofting,” one fan wrote on X. “Her memorable performance inspired millions of kid’s imaginations and her kindness was made convention experiences truly legendary.”
RIP to iconic voice actress, Morgan Lofting . pic.twitter.com/xsBDV7zqCk
— Austin Kuykendall 🗨 (@Freebyrd316) November 30, 2024
“Very saddened by this news. I grew up watching GI Joe and The Baroness was one of my favorite characters. Rest in peace Ms. Morgan Lofting. Thank you for your legacy!” a second fan added.
“She WAS the Baroness. I will forever associate her voice with that character,’ a third fan chimed in.
She is survived by her brother, Tim, along with his wife, Lynn, and their son, Brian; her son, Justin, and his wife, Stacie; as well as her grandchildren, Zac and Ellie.