Where the Voices of A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING Are Today — Over 50 Years Later

Published: November 12, 2025

Charlie Brown, peanuts — Image by Juan from Pixabay

By Mallory Mattingly

Have you ever wondered where the voice actors from A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING ended up?

Well, we have, and this is what we found.

Todd Barbee, the actor who voiced Charlie Brown, went on to help “design San Francisco’s SkyStar Wheel, Robin Kohn (Lucy) became a real estate broker, and Christopher DeFaria (Peppermint Patty) became president of DreamWorks Animation,” per Remind Magazine.

In 2023, A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING hit its 50th anniversary, where Barbee was surprised with a celebration event.

“We surprised Todd Barbee (one of the best guys on the planet) at today’s 50th Anniversary Celebration of the CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING Special at the Charles M. Schulz Museum,” David Donery, Town Manager of San Anselmo, California — the town where Barbee is from — shared on Facebook. “Todd was the voice of Charlie Brown for this and other Charlie Brown TV specials back in the day.”

“Todd appeared with his old friends Robin Kohn (voice of Lucy Van Pelt) and Jason Mendelson of Lee Mendelson Film Productions,” Donery continued. “They sat for a great interview and audience Q&A before signing endless autographs for a huge crowd of Peanuts fans. All I have to say is ‘Good Grief!’ We checked out a hockey game at the museum’s ice rink, followed by a great dinner with Charlie and his fantastic wife, Jennifer, along with Sarah and Tim Savage. Super fun day and fun to see Todd in celebrity-mode!”

Barbee was just 11 years old when A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING first aired on Nov. 20, 1973. Today, he’s a site planner.

“I think that’s the reason it’s held up for 50 years, Charles Schulz had his finger on the pulse of American culture, and it’s never gone away,” Barbee said of A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING’s lasting popularity.

Kohn was also 11 when the special came out, recalling that the recording experience felt more like playing with friends than work. Now, she works as a real estate broker in Marin County, California.

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Christopher DeFaria played the voice of Peppermint Patty, which is funny since most people don’t realize that character was played by a boy. DeFaria stayed in the entertainment industry but remains behind the camera. He served as the President of Feature Animation at DreamWorks Animation in 2017 and before that was the President of Animation and Innovative Technology at Warner Bros.

Stephen Shea voiced Linus Van Pelt. To this day, Linus’s Thanksgiving prayer is one of the cartoon’s most memorable moments. After his time with the Peanuts crew, Shea stepped away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood to pursue a quieter life.

Movieguide® praised A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING’s powerful Christian worldview and pro-American themes. Part of the review reads:

Even though it’s a cute little entertainment, A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING also gives children a profound lesson about the history behind Thanksgiving. Even better, it teaches us all that we should be thankful to God for what we have. The program’s voice work and animation are just as wonderful and winsome as the positive messages. A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING is a great movie to watch with the whole family during Thanksgiving.

A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING is available to stream on Apple TV+ for subscribers. The special will be free to watch for anybody on Nov. 15 and 16 on Apple TV+.

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