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Renowned Star Wars voice actor Tom Kane passed away at the age of 64, with his family by his side in the hospital on Monday. Although specific details regarding his passing were not disclosed, the confirmation came through a heartfelt Facebook post from his talent agency, Galactic Productions. Accompanied by a picture of Kane with a Yoda figurine, the post read: “Today we bid farewell to Tom Kane — a legendary voice actor whose contributions have shaped the imaginations and childhoods of millions across the globe.”
The post continued, highlighting Kane’s impact: “From his iconic roles in Star Wars to a myriad of animated series, documentaries, and video games, Tom infused wisdom, strength, humor, and heart into each character he portrayed. His voice became woven into our lives, memories, and the stories we cherish. Beyond his illustrious career, Tom was an extraordinary individual and a devoted husband and father. Together with his wife, they nurtured a loving family of nine children, three of whom are biological, and six adopted or fostered. His compassion and generosity were as noteworthy as his immense talent. While his voice may have fallen silent, the characters, stories, and love he shared with the world will endure eternally. Rest in peace, Tom Kane. Thank you for everything.”
Kane’s most celebrated roles included voicing Jedi Master Yoda and Admiral Yularen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars film and series, The Chancellor in the animated movie 9, Magneto in Wolverine and the X-Men, Lord Monkey Fist in Kim Possible, Professor Utonium and HIM in The Powerpuff Girls, Oxnard Montalvo in The Angry Beavers, and Darwin in The Wild Thornberrys.
In November 2020, Kane suffered a severe stroke, compelling him to retire early. His daughter used Facebook to provide updates on his health. In a December 2020 post, she revealed that he experienced “a left-sided stroke, leading to right-sided weakness and impacting the speech center of his brain.”
She also shared, “My dad continues to be in good spirits. His sheer determination has already led to noticeable improvements in his speech.”
However in September 2021, she confirmed he had decided to officially enter an early retirement from voice acting due to the stroke. Despite this he recently attended a fan convention where he was reunited with the actresses who voiced the Powerpuff Girls. His final Instagram post showed him posing alongside them. He captioned it: “Reunited with my girls!!’”
Tributes flooded in from fans as they learnt the news. One wrote on Facebook: “Rest In Peace Tom Kane I enjoyed your role as Prof. Utonium from the original PowerPuff Girls as well as Jedi Master Yoda from Star Wars The Clone Wars plus other roles May The Force Be With You.” Antoehr added: “No way… he was one of my favorite va’s too. I loved when he played Magneto and Yoda.”
A third chimed in: “RIP Tom Kane. This is just devastating news. He was just at a convention reunited with the Powerpuff Girls. He looked so happy and genuinely pleased at the love. To hear he’s gone now… it’s just heartbreaking.”
A fourth shared: “He’s one of the greatest voice actors of my childhood, and he always will be. Godspeed Professor.” A fifth recalled: “This is a sad one for me. I remember waiting a couple hours one summer years back just to meet him!”
Meanwhile a sixth lamented: “A terrific voice actor, one of the absolute greats. It’s such a shame he wasn’t able to live longer and more heartbreaking after that reuniting with the PPGs. We’ll miss you deeply Tom.”