Lee Tockar - Early Life

Early Life

Tockar was born in Kelowna, British Columbia on February 11, 1969. At birth, he was diagnosed with cone dystrophy which rendered him legally blind. At the age of five, Tockar told his mother that he wanted to "grow up to be a cartoon". Tockar did not initially understand the concept of a cartoon when he made the statement. At the age of ten, Tockar won first place in a talent show for his vocal impersonations of Kermit the Frog and Bugs Bunny. At the age of 12, Tockar won his first public speaking award for reading a two-thousand word essay on horror films. During his teenage years, before graduating from Kelowna Secondary School, Lee opened a graphic arts business which enabled him to travel around British Columbia and paint wall murals for restaurants. In 1988, he won the British Columbia Playwright competition for his original work, "Confessions", which was performed at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island in Vancouver, British Columbia. A year later in 1989, he was runner-up for his second play, "You Obviously Weren’t Listening". In 2008, Tockar was presented with the 2008 Electronic Animation Award for "Best Male Voice-over Artist of the Year" for his portrayal of George in George of the Jungle; the award was handed to him by Family Guy creator and actor Seth MacFarlane.

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