Video games would not be the same without the work performed by variousvoice actors who help bring their characters in games to life. There are many big-name voice actors that players know and recognize, such as Troy Baker, Nolan North, and Laura Bailey. One slightly smaller voice actor in the games industry who has had an immeasurable impact on both games and other entertainment media at large is Tom Kane.
Kane is known for his voice acting work in video games as well as in film and television. Kane’s career began in 1992 with a small role in the TV seriesWho’s The Boss?, according to the Internet Movie Database, before he went on to voice a series of iconic characters across numerous series and movies. Among his roles are Jedi Master Yoda in a variety ofStar Warsshows,Professor Utonium inThe Powerpuff Girls, Lord Monkey Fist inKim Possible, Woodhouse inArcher, Admiral Ackbar inThe Last Jedi, and The Chancellor in9.
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Unfortunately,Kane suffered a stroke at the end of 2020, leading to his retirement from voice acting earlier this month. It is disappointing that he will not be lending his voice to any more iconic roles, but it does make now a great time to look back at all of the excellent work Kane has provided in the games industry over the years.
Tom Kane’s Star Wars Roles
Kane is perhaps most widely known for the numerousStar Warsgames that he has voiced a variety of characters in. He often voiced Yoda in games like the originalStar Wars Battlefront 2,Republic Commando,Empire at War, andThe Force Unleashed 2. However, he also voiced a number of other characters from throughout the series like C-3PO, Admiral Ackbar, and even Qui-Gon Jinn in theupcomingLego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.
But Kane has also voiced some very notable originalStar Warscharacters as well. inStar Wars: The Old Republiche voiced the roles of M1-4X, Commander Narlock, and A-4P0. InThe Force Unleashed,he provided the voice of Captain Ozzik Sturn, Kento Marek, and Lobot along with additional voices. Perhaps most notably is the work that he did for both titles in theKnights of the Old Republicseries. In the first game, he voiced Master Vandar Tokare, Uthar Wynn, and Rolan Wann, while returning to voice Master Kavar, Hussef, and Master Vandar Tokare in the sequel. Unfortunately, it has been announced that Kane willnot be returning for the remake ofKnights of the Old Republic.
Tom Kane’s Other Video Game Voice Work
One of Kane’s largest roles in the games industry is voicing the character Takeo Masaki inZombies modes throughout theCall of Duty: Black Opsseriesup toBlack Ops Cold War. However, Kane has also lent his voice to numerous other big characters as well, such as Magneto inMarvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Orderand Lok inFortnite. He has also voiced Gandalf in multipleLord of the Ringstitles, as well as a number of characters in theBatman Arkhamseries such as Quincy Sharp and Amadeus Arkham. Also among his video game voices are Raoul inGrim Fandango, and he has reprised roles like Professor Utonium in the Cartoon Network MMORPGFusionFall. It is a shame that Kane has retired, but his legacy will undoubtedly live on in the many amazing performances and characters that he has given voice to over the years.
