Tom Kane, ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Powerpuff Girls’ voice actor, dies at 64 from stroke complications

KANSAS STATE, MISSOURI: Veteran voice actor Tom Kane, widely recognized for his work in 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' and 'The Powerpuff Girls', has died at the age of 64 due to complications from a stroke he suffered in 2020.

His death was confirmed by his representative Zachery McGinnis in a statement shared first with TMZ on Monday, May 18, while his talent agency, Galactic Productions, also announced the news as tributes poured in from fans and colleagues.

Tom Kane’s legacy in 'Star Wars' and 'The Powerpuff Girls'

Throughout his decades-long career, Kane became one of the most recognizable voices in animation and video games, best known for voicing Yoda and Admiral Yularen in 'The Clone Wars' throughout the show’s seven-season run from 2008 to 2020.

He also served as the iconic narrator of the animated series, dramatically opening each episode with a spoken introduction. Outside of 'The Clone Wars', Kane contributed to a number of other 'Star Wars' projects over the years and provided voices for the franchise's live-action movies, including Admiral Ackbar in 'The Last Jedi'.

Paying tribute, McGinnis said, "From his unforgettable performances in 'Star Wars' to countless animated series, documentaries, and games, Tom brought wisdom, strength, humor, and heart to every role he touched. His voice became part of our lives, our memories, and the stories we carry with us."

Outside of the franchise, he was widely recognized for voicing Professor Utonium, the scientist and creator of the three young superheroes in Cartoon Network’s 'The Powerpuff Girls'. The network also honored him with a tribute shared on X (formerly Twitter) following the news of his death.

It said, "Rest in peace, Professor, Thank you, Tom Kane, for lending your voice to the father of three perfect little girls and bringing The Force to millions of fans. You'll live on in our childhood memories forever." He also voiced the chimpanzee Darwin in 'The Wild Thornberrys', later reprising the role in the movie and the crossover film 'Rugrats Go Wild'.

Tom Kane’s health struggles and a remarkable career

According to IMDb, Kane amassed nearly 300 acting credits throughout his career and voiced characters in several popular 1990s and 2000s animated series, including 'Johnny Bravo', 'The Angry Beavers', 'Cow and Chicken', 'Kim Possible', and 'Avatar: The Last Airbender', among others.

In 2020, his daughter revealed on Facebook that the actor had suffered a stroke that left him unable to "efficiently communicate verbally, nor read or spell." Providing an update on his condition at the time, she wrote, "He is still competent and very much himself, but can only get out a few words right now."

She further added that he "still remains in good spirits and his extreme stubbornness has helped him already show improvements in speech." Earlier this month, he celebrated Star Wars Day on Instagram by sharing a throwback video from when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game, captioning the post, "May the force be with you."

In March, he also posted a photo after reuniting with Cathy Cavadini, Tara Strong, and EG Daily, the voices behind 'The Powerpuff Girls'. Sharing the image, Kane wrote, "Reunited with my girls!!" while Strong, who voiced Bubbles, commented, "We were SO happy…so emotional to be back with our professor."

Remembering Kane beyond his on-screen accomplishments, McGinnis described him "as a devoted husband and father who, alongside his wife, built a loving family of nine children — three biological and six welcomed through adoption and fostering." 

"That compassion and generosity defined who he was just as much as his remarkable talent did. Though his voice may now be silent, the characters, stories, and love he gave to the world will live on forever," he concluded.