'Thomas the Tank Engine' Narrator Michael Angelis Dead at 76

Michael Angelis, the Liverpool-born actor who replaced Ringo Starr as the narrator for Thomas the Tank Engine, died suddenly on Saturday, his agent told the BBC News. He was 76. Angelis was a classically-trained actor best-known internationally for narrating Thomas and Friends from 1991 until 2012 and was featured on the U.K. version. The children's series launched in the U.K. in 1984 with the former Beatle Starr narrating until 1990. Angelis replaced Starr in 1991 and kept the role for more than two decades. Other narrators for the beloved series, which is still in production, include George Carlin, Alec Baldwin, Pierce Brosnan and Michael Brandon. The U.S. version is now narrated by Joseph May, while John Hasler narrates the U.K. version.