Dean Alan Wendt (born February 17, 1968 in Elgin, Illinois) is an American voice actor. During his voice over career Wendt was a co-founder/creator, DJ and producer on Radio Disney from 1996 until 2001. Wendt left the company in order to dedicate his time voicing Barney the Dinosaur. Wendt voiced Barney from 2001 until 2013.
Career[]
Barney & Friends[]
While working at Radio Disney, Wendt heard about a casting call to find a new voice actor for Barney. Wendt auditioned for Barney through his agent. Due to Wendt traveling extensively to Los Angeles, California for Radio Disney, he could never audition in person. Wendt sent in a CD of his initial audition and got a callback. After not hearing anything for a while, he was called to record another demo. Wendt did the audition in the closet at the apartment of Joseph Phillips, the music director of Barney & Friends, in Plano, Texas.[3] He also sang a couple songs and was interviewed as Barney during the auditions.[1]
Wendt started voicing Barney in September 2001[4] with his first project being the music video for "We Are Family", a music video featuring various children's character made in response to 9/11. His Barney voice was first heard publicly in the 2001 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Wendt continued to portray as the purple dinosaur until the show's hiatus and did a few projects as Barney afterwards until 2013. Wendt reprised his role as Barney in 2019 for Jerry Franklin's Retirement Gala.
Voice[]
In contrast to the previous voice actors, Wendt gives Barney a more nasally tone in his voice, making him sound "squeakier". His voice was rather high-pitched in season seven, sounding similar to his predecessors at the time (Duncan Brannan and Tim Dever), but his voice got deeper as the series went on, making it more of a cheerful extension on his own natural voice.
Personal Life[]
Dean Wendt and his wife Lori Wendt hold a Speak 'n Sing Jumbo Barney plush doll.
Barney[]
Prior to voicing Barney, Wendt would do the voice for his daughters, who were three and two years old.[1]
Barney & Friends[]
On the set of Barney & Friends, Wendt met Lori Plummer who was an educational researcher and content developer of the show. Wendt and Plummer got married during the last year Barney & Friends was being produced.[5]
Credits[]
Barney[]
Barney the Dinosaur[]
- Barney Songs From the Park
- Read with Me, Dance with Me
- Barney's Best Manners: Your Invitation to Fun!
- Happy Mad Silly Sad
- Movin' and Groovin'
- Let's Pretend with Barney
- Now I Know My ABCs
- Ready, Set, Play!
- Let's Go to the Farm
- Just Imagine
- Everyone Is Special
- The Land of Make Believe
- Can You Sing That Song?
- Let's Make Music
- Let's Go to the Fire House
- Dino-Mite Birthday
- Celebrating Around The World
- Barney's Animal ABC's
- Hi! I'm Riff!
- The Best of Barney
- Once Upon A Dino Tale
- Top 20 Countdown
- Let's Go on Vacation
- Barney's Jungle Friends
- Let's Play Outside
- I Can Do It!
- Big World Adventure
- A Very Merry Christmas
- I Love My Friends
- A Super-Dee-Duper Day
- Barney's Purple Park Tour
- Barney's Colorful World!
- Christmas Fun with Barney & Friends
- Barney's Farmyard Sing Along (2005)
- Barney Live! - The Let's Go Tour
- Barney's Christmas Star
- Barney's Let's Imagine
- Learn and Play with Barney
- Barney's Big Fun Time
- Barney's Big Purple Bus Tour
- Christmas with Barney & Friends
- Barney's Dino-Mite Birthday! - Live On Stage
- Barney's Space Adventures
- Barney's Sing Along Show
- Barney's 20th Anniversary Concert
- Barney's World of Imagination
- Barney Live in Concert - Birthday Bash!
- Sing and Dance with Barney
- Barney's We're All Friends Show (archival)
- Barney & Friends Favourite Hits (archival)
- Barney's Greatest Hits - Live On Stage (archival)
- Barney's Birthday Surprise (archival)
- Barney & Friends: Party Time (archival)
- Barney's Magical Christmas (archival)
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (2001-2004)
- We Are Family (2002)
- We Are Family: A Musical Message for All (Commercial, 2005)
- ABC News (2007)
- Dino-Mite Valentine's Sing-Along (2010)
- 25 Million Hugs Campaign (2013)
- CPTV's 50th Anniversary Celebration (2013)
- Learn English with Barney (2014)
- The Jerry Franklin CPTV Gala (2019)
Gallery[]
Barney[]
Behind the scenes[]
Trivia[]
- Cheryl Ammeter's two children were used during one of Wendt's auditions for Barney. Ammeter became a writer of Barney & Friends a few years later.
- Wendt provides the voice of Murray the Web-Surfing Mouse in the Barney CD Storybook, which includes the story Come On Over To Barney's House!.
- Wendt also narrated the HIT Entertainment trailers for The Wiggles: LIVE Hot Potatoes, and Kipper: Puppy Love.
Radio Disney[]
- Ammeter used to work with Wendt on Radio Disney.
- Following their time on Barney & Friends, a few child actors from the show appeared on Radio Disney. Those include Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Madison Pettis, Lacy Cavalier and Kacie Lynch.