The Smurfs and Young Frankenstein actor Danny Goldman dies at 80

Danny Goldman, the actor known for voicing Brainy Smurf on the animated series The Smurfs and portraying a persistent med student in Young Frankenstein, died Sunday in Los Angeles. He was 80.

Doug Ely, Goldman's longtime agent and friend, confirmed the news in a Facebook post.

"It’s with great sadness that I must tell you that Danny Goldman has passed away," Ely wrote. "He passed peacefully at home today amongst family and friends, after having suffered a couple of strokes around New Years."

He added, "Danny was truly one of a kind. He always had strong opinions and didn't mind telling you about them. He was incredibly funny. He loved to root for the little guy and help wherever he could. He had a huge heart. We lost a good one today. He will be missed."

A New York native, Goldman got his start as an actor in the early 1970s, with one of his first credited roles in the NBC comedy The Good Life. He went on to land guest-starring roles in many popular series, including The Partridge Family, Room 222, Columbo, Baretta, and Chico and the Man.

In 1974, he appeared in Mel Brooks' horror-comedy Young Frankenstein, playing a medical student who questions Gene Wilder's title character in the film's opening scene. After years of steady work in TV and film projects, Goldman made his debut on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon The Smurfs, where he voiced Brainy Smurf until 1989. In addition to his acting career, Goldman worked as a casting director for commercials for 30 years.

Watch Goldman in Young Frankenstein below.

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