Star Wars voice actor Tom Kane has died at the age of 64.
Tom Kane Passes Away
The voiceover artist – best known for being Yoda in the animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars from 2008 until 2020 – passed away on Monday from stroke complications at a hospital in Kansas City, Missouri.
He also played Admiral Ackbar in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Professor Utonium in The Powerpuff Girls, and was involved in a series of video games, including Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Marvel Future Revolution, and the Call of Duty series.
Galactic Productions Announcement
His talent agency, Galactic Productions, said Tom’s “characters, stories, and love” will “live on forever.”
The firm’s Facebook post read, “Today we say goodbye to Tom Kane – a legendary voice actor whose work shaped the childhoods and imaginations of millions around the world.”
“From his unforgettable performances in ‘Star Wars’ to countless animated series, documentaries and games, Tom brought wisdom, strength, humour and heart to every role he touched.”
“His 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. Rest in peace, Tom Kane. Thank you for everything. May the Force be with you, always.”
The statement concluded, “But beyond the incredible career was an extraordinary man.”
“Tom was a devoted husband and father who, alongside his wife [Cindy], built a loving family of nine children – three biological and six welcomed through adoption and fostering.”
“That compassion and generosity defined who he was just as much as his remarkable talent did.”
Stroke in 2020
In 2020, Tom was forced to retire as a voiceover artist following a stroke.
His daughter Sam explained in a Facebook post at the time, “About two months ago, he had a left-sided stroke that gave him right-sided weakness and damage to the speech center of his brain.”
“This means right now he cannot efficiently communicate verbally, nor read or spell. He is still competent and very much himself, but can only get out a few words right now.”
“As many of you might know about strokes, it is possible for him to gain these functions back, and we have found him excellent care in Kansas City for speech, occupational, and physical therapy, but for now, we have been warned by his Neurologist that he may not do voiceovers again.”
“My dad still remains in good spirits, and his extreme stubbornness has helped him already show improvements in speech. He is fully on board with me sharing this, and he will see anything you guys post.”
Tributes to Tom Kane
Fans flooded social media with tributes to Tom.
One penned, “You will forever live inside the hearts and minds of fans from around the world Tom Kane.”
A second typed, “Farewell, Tom Kane. Our beloved childhood voice actor who played Yoda in Star Wars and Professor Utonium in The Powerpuff Girls. The force will be with you. Always. R.I.P.”
And a third wrote, “Rip Tom Kane you will be missed.”
Kane’s Career
Tom started voiceover acting at the age of 15, and after graduating from the University of Kansas in 1984, he worked for Lucasfilm, where he had parts in the studio’s video games, including Star Wars.
The entertainer was also the announcer on the Walt Disney World Monorail System and on multiple Academy Awards broadcasts.