‘Star Wars’ voice actor Tom Kane dead at 64
Renowned voice actor Tom Kane, best known for his contributions to Star Wars, has died aged 64.
Kane’s death was announced on Facebook by his agency Galactic Productions on May 18th, writing, “Today we say goodbye to Tom Kane — a legendary voice actor whose work shaped the childhoods and imaginations of millions around the world.”
Galactic Productions continued, “From his unforgettable performances in Star Wars to countless animated series, documentaries, and games, Tom brought wisdom, strength, humor, and heart to every role he touched. His voice became part of our lives, our memories, and the stories we carry with us.”
Their moving tribute also noted that outside of acting, Kane was “a devoted husband and father who, alongside his wife, built a loving family of nine children — three biological and six welcomed through adoption and fostering.”
They concluded the emotional post, “Though his voice may now be silent, the characters, stories, and love he gave to the world will live on forever. Rest in peace, Tom Kane. Thank you for everything. May the Force be with you, always.”
According to TMZ, Kane’s death is due to complications relating to a stroke that he suffered in 2020. He died in a Kansas City hospital.
Kane was best known as the narrator of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but also lent his voice in the series to Yoda, Admiral Yularen, as well as voicing Admiral Ackbar in Star Wars: The Last Jedi in 2017.
Additionally, Kane’s voice could be heard in The Powerpuff Girls, as well as in many other animated favourites like Kim Possible, Archer, The Wild Thornberrys, and Wolverine and the X-Men.
Kane had the honour of serving as the announcer of the Academy Awards on four separate occasions between 2006 and 2017, one of the ultimate privileges for any voice actor. He also served this same role on The Eric Andre Show.
Aside from his contributions to the world of animated series, Kane had a huge impact on video games, especially in the Call of Duty franchise, as well as dozens of Star Wars games over the decades, and even Fortnite.
Sadly, Kane’s career came to a premature end when he was forced into retirement in 2021 after suffering a debilitating stroke, which impacted his speech and movement.
During a 2010 interview, Kane explained that he decided as a teenager to start phoning around advertisers on local radio stations in Kansas City because “it was summer and I was bored”, but confessed, “It didn’t occur to me anyone got actually paid for it.”
Soon enough, despite being only 15, the gigs started rolling in from local businesses, and Kane was off to the races.
In the same interview, he reflected on his career, revealing, “Yoda’s my favorite character. Next to that, probably Professor Utonium from the Powerpuff Girls because he’s a dad and I’m a dad, and Darwin from The Wild Thornberry’s because that was a great show to work on, partly because the cast was so awesome.”
Kane is survived by his wife, Cindy Roberts, who he married in 1982, and their nine children.
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