Tom Kane, a prolific voice actor whose signature roles included Master Yoda in a number of animated โStar Warsโ shows as well as Professor Utonium on โThe Powerpuff Girls,โ has died. He was 64.
Kane died Monday from complications of a stroke he suffered in 2020, his representative Zachery McGinnis confirmed to The Times. The voice actorโs death was announced on social media by his talent agency, Galactic Productions.
โFrom 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,โ reads a statement posted Monday on Galactic Productionsโ Facebook page. โHis voice became part of our lives, our memories, and the stories we carry with us. … Though his voice may now be silent, the characters, stories, and love he gave to the world will live on forever.โ
Kaneโs first joined the โStar Warsโ franchise through video games in the 1990s, voicing droids, imperial officers and rebel pilots in installments such as โStar Wars: Shadows of the Empireโ and โStar Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter.โ He would go on to voice numerous other characters, including the iconic protocol droid C-3PO, Jedi Master Yoda and the bounty hunter Boba Fett, in various games over the years.
He continued to voice Yoda in animated โStar Warsโ shows, first in โStar Wars: Clone Wars,โ Genndy Tartakovskyโs series set after the events of the 2002 film โEpisode II โ Attack of the Clones,โ in which Kane also voiced C-3PO.
But Kaneโs most notable โStar Warsโ role was as the narrator of the 2008 film โStar Wars: The Clone Warsโ and the subsequent series of the same name, where he kicked off each adventure as the spoken version of the classic โStar Warsโ opening scrawl to set the stage for the story that followed.
โTom loved โStar Wars,โโ Dave Filoni, Lucasfilmโs president and chief creative officer, said in the studioโs tribute to Kane. โFans may best remember him as the voice of the animated Yoda, but truly his voice was the spirit of the Clone Wars. His opening narration introduced an entire generation to the โStar Warsโ galaxy getting viewers ready for another adventure far, far, away.โ
โWhen I was first starting out as a director I was fortunate to have someone as legendary as Tom there to help me learn and guide me towards what the actors needed. Very Yoda like indeed,โ Filoni added.
Besides his โStar Warsโ roles, Kaneโs credits also include the devoted valet Woodhouse in โArcher,โ the mutant Magneto in Marvel video games, the prim and proper head of house Mr. Herriman in โFosterโs Home for Imaginary Friendsโ and the flamboyant villain Him in โThe Powerpuff Girls.โ
But Kane said in a 2014 Reddit AMA that โThe Powerpuff Girlsโโ Professor Utonium, who combined sugar, spice and everything nice โ along with chemical X โ to create the super-powered kindergartners, was the character he most identified with.
โHeโs a dorky dad who loves his kids,โ Kane wrote in a comment. โThatโs pretty much me.โ
Tara Strong, who voiced Powerpuff Girl Blossom, described Kane as โBrilliant. Giving. Funny. Supportive. [And] Kind.โ in her tribute.
โThey say thereโs no such thing as a perfect manโฆ those people never met [Tom Kane]. Iโve never in my life met a sweeter soul or a better human being,โ Strong wrote in a Monday post on X. โIโm beyond grateful for all the hours we spent together in the booth, and so grateful we got to see him again recentlyโฆ hug him tight and tell him how much we love and miss him.โ
โI love you, Professor. You were the best dad, the best human, and I feel so honored to have known you and called you my friend,โ she added.
Born April 15, 1962, in Overland Park, Kan., Kane began his voice acting career at age 15 doing commercials in his hometown of Kansas City, according to IMDb. In addition to his work in games, film and television, Kane has lent his voice to announce awards shows, including the 78th, 80th, 83rd, 84th and 90th Academy Awards broadcasts, as well as on attractions at Disney Theme parks.
โIโm also glad that his characters and voice will live on in many ways,โ Filoni said in his tribute. โWherever you go thereโs always a chance that Tom is the voice you hear guiding you through Disneyland or a galaxy far, far away.โ
Kane is survived by his wife, Cindy, and their nine children, six of whom joined the family through adoption and fostering.