Mike Laponis🎙Voice Actor (Mike Raphone)

Voice Actors & Animation Talent We Lost in 2026 — Remembering Six Incredible Performers Who Left an Unforgettable Mark on Animation. • 🖤 CATHERINE O’HARA — 71 MARCH 4, 1954 – JANUARY 30, 2026 The legendary actress was also an unforgettable animation voice performer, most famously voicing Sally and Shock in The Nightmare Before Christmas. Her animated résumé also included Chicken Little, Frankenweenie, The Wild Robot and numerous television roles. • ⭐ TOM KANE — 64 APRIL 15, 1962 – MAY 18, 2026 A legendary voice of the Star Wars universe, Kane portrayed Yoda and served as the iconic narrator of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He also voiced Admiral Ackbar and became beloved by Cartoon Network fans as Professor Utonium in The Powerpuff Girls. • 🌺 DAVEIGH CHASE — 35 JULY 24, 1990 – JUNE 17, 2026 Chase became part of Disney history as the original voice of Lilo Pelekai in Lilo & Stitch, later returning throughout the franchise. Anime fans also knew her as the English voice of Chihiro Ogino in Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. Her performance as Lilo earned her an Annie Award. • 🤖 PETER CULLEN — 85 JULY 28, 1941 – AUGUST 26, 2026 Few voices in animation history were more instantly recognizable. Cullen originated the legendary voice of Optimus Prime in the 1984 Transformers series and continued portraying the Autobot leader across generations of films, television and games. He was also beloved as Eeyore in Disney’s Winnie the Pooh franchise. • 🐉 MIKE McFARLAND — 56 JULY 14, 1970 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2026 A hugely influential figure in English anime dubbing, McFarland voiced Master Roshi and Yajirobe in Dragon Ball, Buggy the Clown in One Piece, Jean Kirstein in Attack on Titan and Jean Havoc in Fullmetal Alchemist. Behind the microphone, he was also an enormously important ADR director, writer and producer who helped shape English versions of Fullmetal Alchemist, Attack on Titan, One Piece and many more. • 🐰 ERIC BAUZA — 46 DECEMBER 7, 1979 – OCTOBER 25, 2026 Bauza became the defining modern voice of numerous Looney Tunes legends, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety and Marvin the Martian. His extraordinary career also included Foop/Irep in The Fairly OddParents, Tiger Claw in TMNT, Splinter in Rise of the TMNT, Puss in Boots and hundreds of additional performances. He won three Children’s & Family Emmy Awards during his remarkable career. 2026 Has Taken an Extraordinary Group of Performers Who Helped Give Voices, Personalities and Heart to Characters Loved Across Generations. Their Voices May Be Gone, but Their Work Will Continue to Live Through Animation Forever. 💬 WHICH CHARACTER OR PERFORMANCE FROM THESE LEGENDS WILL YOU REMEMBER MOST? #EricBauza #PeterCullen #TomKane