Voice Actor Bill Wise Dies at 61
Wise was a familiar voice in several key English dubs of the 1990s and 2000s, and his death removes a veteran performer from the small pool of actors who worked across both anime and live-action Texas film production.
Reporting from 1 sources: Anime News Network.
Bill Wise, known for English dub roles including Bunta Fujiwara in the Initial D: Legend trilogy, Hayato Jin in Getter Robo: Armageddon, and Knuckles in the 1996 Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie OVA, has died at age 61. His death was reported by the Austin Chronicle on May 5, with his agency and a friend confirming the news earlier that week.
Bill Wise, the actor and voice actor whose credits spanned anime dubs and live-action film, died last week at age 61. The Austin Chronicle reported his death on May 5, stating he died the previous week. Wise's friend Jeff Smith announced the death on May 3, and his agency, Collier Talent Agency, confirmed it on May 4.
Within anime, Wise was best known for playing Bunta Fujiwara in the Initial D: Legend movie trilogy, Hayato Jin in Getter Robo: Armageddon, Richard Guyot in Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor, and Knuckles in the 1996 Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie OVA. He also voiced Sakon Suzuki in Moeyo Ken and Rail Claymore in Lost Universe. Outside of anime, he took numerous small roles in live-action television and film. The Austin Film Society's AFS Cinema will host a tribute to Wise on Monday evening.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
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