“Though his voice may now be silent, the characters, stories, and love he gave to the world will live on forever,” McGinnis said. “But beyond the incredible career was an extraordinary man. Tom was a devoted husband and father who, alongside his wife, built a loving family of nine children — three biological and six welcomed through adoption and fostering.”
Best known for his work on Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series, beginning in 2003, Kane was already a veteran of the franchise, having voiced characters in the Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire and X-Wing Vs. TIE Fighter video games in 1996. By then, he had lent his vocals to Spider-Man: The Animated Series, playing Dr. Doom, and had numerous roles on the Iron Man cartoon. In 1998, he landed his two big breaks, playing Darwin on The Wild Thornberrys and Professor Utonium, the father of The Powerpuff Girls. After providing the voices for the initial 11 episodes of Star Wars: Clone Wars, he stayed with the franchise for the next two decades. When The Clone Wars hit theaters in 2008, he returned, and nearly 10 years later, he voiced Admiral Ackbar in The Last Jedi, following the original Ackbar voice actor Erik Bauersfeld’s 2016 death.
Born April 15, 1962, in Overland Park, Kansas, Kane’s voice-over career began in 1977, when he was 15, generating commercial work by calling local advertisers. He recorded hundreds of commercials before graduating from college at the University of Kansas in 1984. His first screen credit came in a 1992 episode of Who’s The Boss, followed by a voice on a brief The Legend Of Prince Valiant series. Over the years, he has had roles on Archer, Family Guy, Robot Chicken, and Scooby Doo. Kane’s voice could be heard in dozens of video games, including as Takeo in Call of Duty, Commissioner Gordon in the Batman: Arkham Asylum series, and as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit games.
Kane’s voice-over talents provided unique opportunities outside of animation and games, too. He’s the voice of the Disney Theme Parks monorail, several Star Wars rides and attractions, and the Disney Parks fireworks show. He also announced the 80th, 83rd, 84th, and 90th Academy Awards broadcasts on ABC.
Keep scrolling for more great stories.