A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) is the first of the animated specials based on Charles Schultz' Peanuts, and arguably the only one that holds up for adults. I first saw it when I was so young that when Lucy says that she wants "real estate" for Christmas, I had no idea what she was talking about.
And no other voice artist comes closer to capturing his inner beauty than Christopher Shea.
Christopher (1958-2010) voiced the wise-beyond-his-years Linus in A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966), and three other Peanuts specials. He starred in the Western Shane (1966), a short-lived tv version of the iconic movie, playing the "Come back, Shane!" Joey Starrett, and did a lot of guest spots. Kids of the 1960s probably saw him in The Invaders, Green Acres, The Odd Couple, and Here Come the Bride.
Here he buddy-bonds with Kevin Tate in Firecreek (1968).
I always thought that he played Tim Matheson's little brother in Yours, Mine, and Ours (1968), but that was his brother Erik.
His last credited role is A Little Game (1971), about a teenager (Mark Gruner) who plots to kill his stepfather.
He's hard to research because of another Christopher Shea, who appeared in more recent tv series like Will and Grace and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but I found his obituary: He moved to Humbolt County, in northern California, where he died in 2010, leaving a wife and two daughters.
Eric Shea, born in 1960, did the usual tv guest spots: Batman, Here Come the Brides, Gunsmoke, The Flying Nun, Room 222 -- but he snared some more substantial movie roles, such as Lucille Ball's son in the big-family comedy Yours, Mine, and Ours (1968) (top photo, the one in the pajamas. The other one is Tim Matheson).
More after the break
Many other actors have voiced Linus over the years. Corey Padnos, in A Charlie Brown Valentine (2002), Charlie Brown's Christmas Stories (2003), and from the early 2000s. He retired from acting and became a health trainer.
Brandon Stewart, in This is America, Charlie Brown (1988-89) and Why Charlie Brown, Why? (1990). This may be a different Brandon Stewart.
Alexander Garfin, in The Peanuts Movie (2015). Most recently he played Jonathan Kent, son of Superman and Lois (2021-24); queer in the comics, but "talking about sexuality would be too intense" for tv (unless it's talking about boy-girl romance).
Plus Alex Saxon played Linus in a local production of A Charlie Brown Christmas, the musical.
His last credited role is A Little Game (1971), about a teenager (Mark Gruner) who plots to kill his stepfather.
He's hard to research because of another Christopher Shea, who appeared in more recent tv series like Will and Grace and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but I found his obituary: He moved to Humbolt County, in northern California, where he died in 2010, leaving a wife and two daughters.
Eric Shea, born in 1960, did the usual tv guest spots: Batman, Here Come the Brides, Gunsmoke, The Flying Nun, Room 222 -- but he snared some more substantial movie roles, such as Lucille Ball's son in the big-family comedy Yours, Mine, and Ours (1968) (top photo, the one in the pajamas. The other one is Tim Matheson).
More after the break
Many other actors have voiced Linus over the years. Corey Padnos, in A Charlie Brown Valentine (2002), Charlie Brown's Christmas Stories (2003), and from the early 2000s. He retired from acting and became a health trainer.
Quinn Lord (top photo), in Peanuts Motion Comics (2008). He went on to play Thomas Smith in The Man in the High Castle (2015-19) and the teenage Sean (a gay character) in Firefly Lane (2021-23)
Brandon Stewart, in This is America, Charlie Brown (1988-89) and Why Charlie Brown, Why? (1990). This may be a different Brandon Stewart.
Alexander Garfin, in The Peanuts Movie (2015). Most recently he played Jonathan Kent, son of Superman and Lois (2021-24); queer in the comics, but "talking about sexuality would be too intense" for tv (unless it's talking about boy-girl romance).
Plus Alex Saxon played Linus in a local production of A Charlie Brown Christmas, the musical.
See also: Alex Saxon: From fundamentalist Missouri to ace and trans roles to androgynous teen angst hunk .
There were also quite a few preteen boys in Japanese monster movies.
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