‘Star Wars’ and ‘Powerpuff Girls’ voice actor Tom Kane dies at 64 

Tom Kane, the actor whose voice helped define animated characters from Master Yoda to Professor Utonium, has passed away at 64.

A representative for Kane, Zachery McGinnis, confirmed the “Star Wars” voice actor’s death in a statement shared with USA TODAY on Monday, May 18.

McGinnis said the cause was complications from a stroke that Kane suffered in 2020.

Paying tribute to the veteran actor, McGinnis said Kane brought wisdom, strength, humor, and heart to every role throughout his career. 

 “Kane was widely recognized for his work in the Star Wars universe, where he voiced Yoda and narrated the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. His dramatic introductions at the start of each episode became one of the show’s most memorable features. He also lent his voice to several other “Star Wars” projects, including Admiral Ackbar in Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” he said.

Outside of “Star Wars,” Kane was beloved for voicing Professor Utonium in The Powerpuff Girls. He also voiced Darwin in The Wild Thornberrys and reprised the role in its movie adaptations.

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According to IMDb, Kane earned nearly 300 acting credits over the course of his career. He appeared in several popular animated series from the 1990s and 2000s, including Johnny Bravo, The Angry Beavers, Cow and Chicken, Kim Possible and Avatar: The Last Airbender.

In 2020, Kane’s daughter revealed that the actor had suffered a stroke that left him unable to properly communicate, read, or spell.

“He is still competent and very much himself, but can only get out a few words right now,” she wrote, while noting that he “still remains in good spirits and his extreme stubbornness has helped him already show improvements in speech,” she said.

Earlier this month, Kane celebrated Star Wars Day on Instagram by sharing a throwback video of himself throwing the ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game, captioning the post, “May the Force be with you.” 

In March, he also reunited with Cathy Cavadini, Tara Strong and E. G. Daily, the voices behind the Powerpuff Girls. Kane also attended the premiere of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” on Aug. 10, 2008.

In the statement, McGinnis described Kane as not only a gifted actor, but also an “extraordinary man.” 

He said Kane was a devoted husband and father who, alongside his wife, raised nine children through biological parenting, adoption, and fostering.

“Though his voice may now be silent, the characters, stories, and love he gave to the world will live on forever,” McGinnis said.