Barney & Friends Voice Actor Recalls Getting Death Threats for Playing the Purple Dinosaur

One of the things kids loved — and parents perhaps tolerated — about Barney & Friends were the catchy tunes the purple dinosaur and his friends would sing.

Believe it or not, the songs about friendship, community and love were tough for some who were hearing so much of them. And the overall upbeat demeanor of the show spawned some true hate and backlash for Barney, both for those involved in the series and for fans.

"There were certain things, certain messages that people would send that were pretty threatening," Bob West, the original voice of Barney, shares of his experience on the new podcast Generation Barney, recalling getting flack when people would learn what he did for a living.

"If you get a death threat from a middle school child who sends you an email, then it doesn't make me feel bad for me. It makes me feel bad for them because they're obviously going through something that's leading them act out this way," he adds.

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As Internet culture evolved and more people were getting together to discuss the show online, West got troubling emails, too.

"That happened a few times because my email address got leaked," West adds, noting that other people on set had gotten more serious threats.

David Joyner, who played Barney's physical character, recalls being confronted by a hater while on a parade float in New York City.

"Some people just feel the need to hate," he says. "I don't know why, they just feel the need to hate. I was at a parade in New York ... We're coming around the corner and I see this man yelling, 'I hate you Barney! F--- you, Barney!' I'm on this float and he's in front of a sea of people shouting this."

Joyner appealed to the man by making a beating heart gesture as the float moved closer to him. "By the time the float gets to him, he's like, 'Ugh, I love you Barney,' " Joyner adds with a laugh.

Barney & Friends, which followed the lovable purple Tyrannosaurus rex and his friends beginning in 1992, is remembered fondly by many millennials who grew up as Barney kids.

Learn more about what Barney meant to the world by checking out Connecticut Public's brand new narrative podcast Generation Barney, hosted by lifelong journalist Sabrina Herrera. The first two episodes are available now wherever you stream your podcasts.