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Gatchaman, Osomatsu-kun Voice Actor Tooru Oohira Passes Away (Updated)
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The Yomiuri Shimbun's Yomiuri Online website reported on Thursday that voice actor Tooru Oohira passed away on April 12. He was 86.
Oohira was born in Tokyo and he debuted as a radio announcer in 1956. He then played the Japanese dub voice for Superman in the Superman television film. He is well known for his Japanese dub roles for Western media, including playing the role of Darth Vader in the Japanese dub of the original Star Wars trilogy and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. He also voiced Homer Simpson in The Simpsons, and was the voice on tape in the Mission Impossible films.
In anime Oohira voiced Dr. Kouzaburou Nambu in the Gatchaman television anime series as well as in Kagaku Ninja-Tai Gatchaman F, Kagaku Ninja-Tai Gatchaman II, and the Kagaku Ninja-Tai Gatchaman film. Other roles include Fukuzou Moguro in Warau Salesman, Daimaou in Hakushon Daimaō, Dekapan in the second anime of Osomatsu-kun, Gaimon in One Piece, Skulldart in Be Forever Yamato, and Tamagon in Kaiketsu Tamagon, among others. Oohira also voiced Pete and the Mayor of Halloweentown in the Kingdom Hearts video game franchise after playing those same roles in the A Goofy Movie and The Nightmare Before Christmas films, respectively.
[Via Hachima Kikō]
Update: Oohira's agency, 81 Produce posted a notice of his passing and revealed that the cause of death was pneumonia. Oohira had been undergoing medical treatment for the illness.
[Via Cinema Today]
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