It’s been two weeks since the passing of James Carter Cathcart, English dub voice actor, scriptwriter, and musician, best known for being the longest-serving cast member of the original Pokémon anime. Cathcart voiced Gary Oak in the pilot and remained with the series throughout its run, staying onboard even after the controversial recasting in 2006. He would even replace Eric Stuart and Maddie Blastein as Team Rocket members James and Meowth, respectively. Cathcart would still be with the franchise until the very end, voicing James in the final few episodes starring Ash Ketchum.
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He would retire from acting after the airing of the Pokémon finale, revealing he had been fighting throat cancer. He would eventually pass away from cancer at the age of 71 in July 2025. While his coworkers, friends, and fans expressed their sympathies on the day his passing was made public, The Pokémon Company wouldn’t make an official statement until July 24th. The official Pokémon X (formerly Twitter) account shared a video highlighting Cathcart’s various performances throughout the franchise. The account also shared a heartfelt message about Cathcart’s contributions to the franchise, including his involvement in over 700 scripts for the series.
James Carter Cathcart Was Important to Pokémon
Cathcart went public with his cancer diagnosis in 2023. Fans and friends from across the internet wished him well and a happy retirement. As one of the few remaining Pokémon voice actors to stay on the show since its inception, he was one of the most beloved members of the anime dubbing community, especially among Pokémon fans. Beyond voice acting, Cathcart was also a musician, being a talented piano player. It’s already been fourteen days since the actor died, yet his loss is still felt among fans and the dubbing world.
Cathcart joins Maddie Blaustein, the original voice actor for Meowth, and Rachael Lillis, the original performer for Misty and Jessie, as Pokémon English voice actors who have sadly left us. Blaustein tragically passed away in 2008, not long after Cathcart replaced her as Meowth in 2006. Lillis’ 2024 passing was widely reported across social media, highlighting how important she was for multiple generations of fans. The Pokémon Company would similarly share a heartfelt message about Lillis’ death, even though the actress hadn’t played her two most iconic characters for nearly two decades at that point. The other original Pokémon voice actors, including Veronica Taylor (who voiced Ash in the first few seasons), Eric Stuart (who voiced Brock and James in the early seasons), and Ted Lewis (who voiced James in the first few episodes before being recast by Stuart) are still forunately alive and with us at the time of this writing. Lewis, who was also replaced alongside every other Pokémon performer in 2006, made a surprise return in the very last episode to reprise his role as Tracey Sketchit.
Our thoughts and condolences remain with the family and friends of James Carter Cathcart and all the other Pokémon voice actors who left us too soon.
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