Voice Actor Tom Kane Dies at 64 From Stroke Complications

Tom Kane, the voice behind some of animation’s most beloved characters, has passed away. His representative Zach McGinnis confirmed to TMZ that Kane died Monday at a hospital in Kansas City, surrounded by family. His cause of death was complications from his 2020 stroke.

Kane was a titan of the voice-over world, amassing over 500 credits across animation, gaming, and film over a decades-long career. He is perhaps best remembered as Jedi Master Yoda in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, both the 2008 film and the animated series — a role that also saw him voice Admiral Ackbar, Admiral Yularen, and serve as the show’s narrator. Outside of a galaxy far, far away, he played Professor Utonium and HIM in The Powerpuff Girls, and voiced Takeo Masaki across multiple entries in the Call of Duty Zombies series.

The stroke Kane suffered in late 2020 left him with significant challenges, including right-sided weakness and damage to the speech center of his brain, which ultimately forced him to step away from voice acting. His final roles included performances in Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and as narrator for an episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch on Disney+.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Tributes have been pouring in from across the industry. Mark Hamill called Kane “an enormously gifted actor & a genuinely nice person,” while Roger Clark recalled Kane being one of the first voice actors to welcome him after Red Dead Redemption II came out — inviting him into his home, introducing him to his family. For UK fans, The Clone Wars remains available to stream on Disney+ at £4.99/month, where Kane’s narration still opens every episode.

McGinnis noted that beyond the career was “an extraordinary man” — 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.

We’ll keep you posted on updates about Tom Kane‘s legacy as tributes continue to develop.