Which actor voiced Doc Hudson in Pixar’s Cars before his death in 2008?

Paul Newman voiced Doc Hudson in Pixar’s Cars before his death in 2008. Newman’s performance gives the retired racer a calm, authoritative voice and adds emotional weight to Doc’s relationship with Lightning McQueen.

Newman was an acclaimed actor and also a successful professional racing driver. His real motorsport experience made him a particularly fitting performer for a character modeled partly on the Hudson Hornet and its racing history.

Doc is eventually revealed as The Fabulous Hudson Hornet, a three-time Piston Cup champion whose career ended after a crash. He initially resents the attention given to young racers, but he becomes McQueen’s mentor and crew chief.

Cars was released in 2006, and Newman’s recorded performance remained central to the character. Doc does not appear as a speaking character in Cars 2, while archival material and his legacy are acknowledged in later franchise stories. Newman died on September 26, 2008.