There aren’t many people in the world who can say that they were the voice of a generation. That was not the case withJames Carter Cathcart, the voice actor known for his work in several animated series — including a slate of characters in thePokémonfranchise. Today, thePokémonworld and the world of voiceacting in general went a little bit darker asCathcart’s wife announced on social mediathat the actor died on July 8 in New York City at 71, following a battle with throat cancer.
Cathcart was so talented that he voiced not just onePokémoncharacter. He brought several of them to life in theEnglish dub— a lot of them core characters who are directlylinked to the childhood memoriesof several long-time fans. He voiced Professor Oak (the firstPokémonprofessor ever), Team Rocket’s James, the team’s talking Meowth, as well as Professor Oak’s grandson andAsh Ketchum’s rival, Gary. Furthermore, he provided the voices and sounds for Pokémon such as Glalie, Blaziken, Munchlax, and many, many others.
The voice actor had been battling throat cancer and was being treated at Calvary Hospital, in the Bronx. In herpost on Facebook, Cathcart’s wife,Martha Jacobi,revealed that Cathcart died “peacefully” and celebrated her husband’s body of work and thanked fans for the support throughout the years. She wrote:
“Thanks to all of Jimmy’s fans over the years! Giving you joy was why he worked so hard on his craft. Please know how much he appreciated you!”
James Carter Cathcart Did Over 700 ‘Pokémon’ Episodes — but That’s Not All
Due to the fact that he voiced so many importantcharacters inPokémon, Cathcart ended up spending a long time with the franchise, voicing over 700 episodes and15 animated movies of the franchise— including the classicPokémon: The First Movie, which you can currently stream for free on YouTube. Cathcart also went by the nameJimmy Zoppi, and he is also credited with voicingYu-Gi-Oh!’s bug aficionado Weevil Underwood. Additionally, he voiced characters inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,Sonic X,One Piece, and many other animated titles.
In a heartfelt poston Instagram, Cathcart’s friend and coworkerErica Schroeder— who voices Nurse Joy andseveral other Pokémon characters— wrote that “the world will miss” the voice actor and called him “one of the most joyful, exuberant, kind-hearted and talented souls no longer walks with us.”
Jacobi also revealed on Facebook that a funeral for Cathcart will be held in early August and that memorial designations are still in process.
