Peter Robbins, voice of Charlie Brown, dies by suicide aged 65

• The first actor to voice "Peanuts" character Charlie Brown has died by suicide, his family said.
• Peter Robbins was 65. He started voicing Charlie Brown when he was nine years old.

The voice actor Peter Robbins has died, his family said. He was 65.

Robbins was the first actor to voice the "Peanuts" character Charlie Brown, starting when he was nine years old in the 1960s and finishing in the role a few years later, Reuters reported.

His family told Fox 5 San Diego on Tuesday that he died by suicide last week.

Robbins openly discussed mental health, suffering from bipolar disorder and paranoid schizophrenia. In 2013, he pleaded guilty to stalking and making criminal threats against his girlfriend.

In 2015, Robbins was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for making criminal threats to a number of people, including a San Diego County sheriff.

"I came out of prison and I'm a better person for it. I'm much more humble and grateful and thankful that I lived through the experience," he said on release, according to The Independent.

Robbins told Fox 5 San Diego in 2019: "I would recommend to anybody that has bipolar disorder to take it seriously because your life can turn around in the span of a month like it did to me. I came out of prison and I'm a better person for it. I'm much more humble and grateful and thankful that I lived through the experience."

Robbins, born Louis Nanasi, began acting at the age of seven with guest spots on TV shows, most notably starring in an episode of the hit 1960s series "The Munster."

But he would land the role that would give him eternal fame a few years later when he was cast as the voice of Charlie Brown. He voiced the iconic character for six "Peanuts" TV specials and one movie between 1963 and 1969. Highlights include staples in the franchise like "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (1965) and "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (1966).

Through the 1960s he also starred on "Rawhide," "The Donna Reed Show," "Blondie," "F Troop," and "Get Smart."

His final acting role was a 1972 episode of "My Three Sons."