Long time voice actor Tom Kane, who most famous for voicing various Star Wars characters in movies, series, and video games, suffered a severe stroke in November that has left him largely unable to speak, his daughter revealed.
Posting on Tom Kane’s Facebook page, his daughter Sam explained that her father had been off the radar for two months after suffering a left side stroke that had given him right sided weakness and damage to the speech center of his brain. While he is still “very much himself”, the stroke has left him with little ability to communicate verbally, she added.
The post goes on to say that the family has found him a speech and physical therapist and are hopeful that he will regain most of his function. Sadly, the family has been warned by a neurologist that he may never be able to do voiceover work again.
Tom Kane has been doing voiceover work for 29 years. He is best known as the current voice of Yoda, who was last seen in the Disney+ LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, where he also voiced the narrator and Qui-Gon Jinn. He also voiced Admiral Ackbar in The Last Jedi. Disney fans may also recognize him as the voice of Monkey Fist in the Disney Channel hit series, Kim Possible.
Kane’s notable work outside of Disney includes the voice of Darwin the talking Monkey in the Wild Thornberry’s, Professor Utonium in the Powerpuff Girls, and the voice of the butler Woodhousein in the animated spy comedy Archer.
Our prayers and best wishes go out to Kane and his family as he recovers during this difficult time. May the Force be with you!
