Latest news with #Pokémon:TheFirstMovie
GMA Network
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
James Carter Cathcart, ‘Pokémon' voice actor, passes away
James Carter Cathcart, known for voicing iconic characters in the "Pokémon" franchise such as Professor Oak, Gary, and James and Meowth of Team Rocket, has passed away. He was 71. His death was announced by his wife, Martha S. Jacobi, in posts on Facebook. Cathcart died peacefully on July 8 at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, New York, United States. His funeral will be held in early August at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in New York City. "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!" Jacobi wrote in a post in the Facebook group The James Carter Cathcart Fan Club. Jacobi did not disclose the cause of death. The New York Times has reported that Cathcart's ex-wife Jeanne Gari said in an interview that he passed away from throat cancer. Cathcart, also known as Jimmy Zoppi, Billy Beach, and Carter Cathcart, was involved with the "Pokémon" franchise for over 20 years, beginning with "Pokémon: The First Movie" in 1998. His voice acting credits on IMdB also include "Yu-Gi-Oh!" "One Piece," "Sonic X," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," and "Mission Odyssey," among many others. —CDC, GMA Integrated News
Engadget
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Professor Oak's voice actor, James Carter Cathcart, has died
A prolific voice actor behind Pokémon 's Professor Oak and many other classic animated characters has passed away. James Carter Cathcart, who was best known for his voice acting work in animation and video games, died of throat cancer at 71, Variety reports. The actor, who was frequently credited as "Jimmy Zoppi" and "Carter Cathcart" throughout his career, played a variety of Pokémon 's most memorable supporting characters. Alongside Professor Oak, Cathcart voiced his grandson Gary Oak and Team Rocket's Meowth and James across over 700 episodes of the animated series and 15 movies. That includes Pokémon: The First Movie, Cathcart's first feature film credit. His work wasn't exclusive to animation, either. Cathcart also voiced Vector the Crocodile in the game Shadow the Hedgehog, and provided voices for multiple Pokémon that appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl . Beyond voice acting, Cathcart was a talented musician and writer. He's credited with writing and adapting multiple English-language versions of Pokémon TV movies. After 25 years in the entertainment industry, Cathcart decided to retire from voice acting in 2023 due to his cancer diagnosis, Kotaku writes. The voice actor was in hospice care in Forest Hills, New York when he died. He's survived by his wife, Martha Jacobi, and a body of work that touches everything from One Piece to candy bar commercials.
