Pokemonhas shared a tribute to the late voice actor James Carter Cathcart, who portrayed characters like Gary Oak, Professor Oak, James, and Meowth over the course of the anime’s run. The tribute highlights some memorable moments featuring his voice work for thesePokemoncharacters, and reflects on his overall involvement with the franchise.
James Carter Cathcart passed awayon Jun 19, 2025 at the age of 71, following a battle with throat cancer. In addition to his roles withPokemon, the actor’s voice was also featured in a number of other popular anime and game projects, includingSonic X,Yu-Gi-Oh, andOne Piece.
Now, the officialPokemonTwitter account has shared a tribute to the actor that brought so many childhood favorites to life. The post says that the company is saddened by his loss, and highlights that in addition to lending his voice to so many characters, he was also responsible for over 700 episodes worth of scripts for thePokemonanime. The tribute acknowledges that his legacy will go on alongsidePokemon, continuing to “reach the hearts of Trainers everywhere.” Numerous fans have since shared their shock and sorrow at the loss, and have wished his family and colleagues well.
Pokemon Anime Cast Losses
Although the casting for the English dub of thePokemonanime changed over the years, Cathcart was there from the very first episode as Ash’s taunting rival, Gary Oak. Sadly, he’s not the only loss to the original cast of the anime. Fans ofPokemonmourned theloss of Rachael Lillis, who also passed away after a battle with cancer, back in 2024. Lillis was also one of the original cast members, serving as the original voice of Ash’s companion Misty, and Team Rocket member Jessie. While the two actors didn’t perform Jessie and James during the same periods of the show, fans were shocked at the loss of the voice actors who brought all three of the Team Rocket members to life. The two colleagues worked together on other projects, as well, with Cathcart and Lillis both appearing in the English anime dubs of classics likeThe Slayers, andRevolutionary Girl Utena.
The loss of Cathcart is tragic, andPokemon’s tribute to a figure that helped to make his characters so memorable is only appropriate. While he’s sadly gone, fans whogrew up withPokemonwill remember his voice and the characters he performed as well into the future.
