Dale Wilson, the Canadian voice acting star who brought multiple Dragon Ball Z characters to life in English, has died at 74.
His wife Gail broke the news on Facebook, sharing a heartfelt message about her husband’s departure. “My heart aches as I tell you that Dale left us last night,” she shared. “After battling metastasized prostate cancer and Parkinson’s for years, he was ready. He was everything to me – my heart, soul, and guiding light. As Bonnie Raitt sang, ‘He taught me how to live, to be true to myself, and to give.’ He did the same for many of you. He cherished everyone – family, friends, and fans alike.”
Throughout his remarkable career from the late 80s to early 2000s, Wilson lent his voice to countless animated hits. While he brought characters to life in shows like ReBoot, Street Fight, X-Men Evolution, and Stargate Infinity, he truly made his mark in Funimation’s groundbreaking English version of Dragon Ball Z by Ocean Productions. There, he voiced an impressive lineup of characters including Kami, King Yemma, Android 8, Goz, and his standout role as Cell.
Wilson’s impressive voice acting legacy stretched across many beloved anime series, including Cardcaptors and several Transformers shows. He also brought characters to life in Mobile Suit Gundam 00 and the critically praised 1999 anime film Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade.
His death follows the passing of Dragon Ball’s genius creator Akira Toriyama, who left us at 68 just last year. Toriyama’s impact sparked touching tributes from creative giants worldwide, with One Piece and Naruto creators joining hip-hop artist Big Sean in honoring his memory.
