Tom Kane, a staple in various children’s animated shows and numerous video game franchises, has died at the age of 64. Representatives for Kane confirmed the news of his passing to TMZ, citing complications from a stroke the voice actor suffered in 2020.
Kane lent his voice to the universes of Marvel, Star Wars, Powerpuff Girls, and Call of Duty. His most prolific role was the voice of Yoda in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and various Star Wars shows and games, most recently Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. He also voiced established characters like C-3PO, Boba Fett, and Admiral Ackbar in other Star Wars media.
In the wider realm of video games, Kane was the original voice of Call of Duty Zombies mainstay Takeo Masaki, performing as the character from World at War to Black Ops 4. His game credits are almost innumerable, with highlights including voicing both Jim Gordon and Quincy Sharp in Batman: Arkham Asylum, Lok in Fortnite: Save the World, and Magneto in several Marvel games, including Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3.
Cartoon enthusiasts should also recognize him as the voice behind Professor Utonium, the creator of The Powerpuff Girls. Other iconic animated roles for Kane include Darwin the chimpanzee in The Wild Thornberries and the rabbit butler Mr. Herriman in Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends.
Kane’s voice acting credits alone speak to his versatility and ability to embody the role of characters, even ones that viewers and players are already familiar with. His stroke in 2020 resulted in damage to the speech center of his brain, according to an old Facebook post by his daughter, Sam. Kane is survived by his wife and nine children.
“His voice became part of our lives, our memories, and the stories we carry with us,” reads a Facebook post from Galactic Productions, an agency that represented Kane. “Though his voice may now be silent, the characters, stories, and love he gave to the world will live on forever.”
