R.I.P.: Ralph Gunderman, Voice Actor, Letterman Contributor

Ralph Gunderman ('48-'26)

Ralph Gunderman, the warm and versatile voice actor and performer best known as the longtime announcer for NBC’s Dateline and a frequent contributor to comedic bits on Late Show with David Letterman, died on March 1 at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. He was 77.

His death was due to complications from pneumonia, a family spokesperson said.

A Cleveland native, Gunderman moved to New York in 1981 and built a prolific four-decade career as a freelance national voice-over artist. His distinctive voice was heard on thousands of commercials, network promos, and narrations before he retired in 2021.

On CBS’s Late Show, he was a key member of a small ensemble of actors—alongside Sara Krieger, Sam Fried, Robb Webb, and J.R. Horne—who supplied the voices for Letterman’s signature fake “announcements” and parody commercials woven into the monologues.

Gunderman also lent his talents to film (Red Betsy, 2003), animated television (Our Cartoon President), and video games (Star Wars: The Old Republic).Born the fourth of seven children on September 6, 1948, in Cleveland, Gunderman discovered his passion for broadcasting and performance while working at college radio station WRHA at the University of Akron. Still an undergraduate, he spent the summer of 1969 as a deejay at WING in Dayton, then returned to Akron’s WCUE. After graduating in 1970, he transitioned to television in Cleveland, working at WKBF and serving as a booth announcer at WEWS.

Deeply committed to his profession, Gunderman served on the national boards of both SAG and AFTRA. Yet his greatest personal joy remained live theater, where he earned leading roles in acclaimed productions including Cyrano, The Ruling Class, El Grande de Coca Cola, and Talley’s Folly.