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Moomin's Snufkin Voice Actor Hiroyuki Nishimoto Passes Away
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
Actor Hiroyuki Nishimoto passed away on Sunday, April 19, due to aortic dissection. He was 88 years old. He is survived by his wife, Akiko. A wake will be held on April 26, and services will be held on April 27.
Nishimoto began as a stage actor, joining acting troupes such as Bungakuza and co-founding the Gekidan Kumo group in 1963. He has been part of Gekidan Subaru since 1976, and he appeared in many stage productions, including plays by William Shakespeare and The Grapes of Wrath. He voiced the character of Snufkin in the 1969 television anime of Tove Jansson's Moomin books. He then reprised his role in the 1972 New Moomin television anime series.
He is also known for his work in Japanese dubs of Disney's animated movies and television series, such as the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland, Alan-a-Dale in Robin Hood, and Owl in the Disney Winnie the Pooh movies, among others. He also worked in live-action film and television, and starred in such movies as Wagahai wa Neko de Aru (I Am a Cat) and Kyūketsuki Gokemidoro (Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell).
Source: Sankei News (link 2) via 0takomu
Update: Typos fixed. Thanks, polemarch and ljaesch
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