The Japanese voice actor, Shōzō Iizuka, known for his roles in anime shows like Dragon Ball Z, Astro Boy, Mobile Suit Gundam, and more, has passed away at the age of 89.
The late actor’s agency, Sigma Seven, recently revealed that the beloved VA died on Feb. 15, 2023, as a result of acute heart failure. A small funeral was held for his close family soon after. The actor leaves behind a long-lasting legacy in the anime business, having voiced many notable parts in some of the most iconic shows of all time and having a massive influence on the Japanese dubbing industry.
Iizuka was born on May 23, 1933, in Tokyo, before moving to Iwaki City in Fukushima prefecture. He attended Nihon University and started his voice acting career soon after graduating. His first anime role was as Kin Sankaku in the 1963 Astro Boy series, a show that became an incredibly influential piece of anime history. From there, he would expand his career and play many parts in notable programs.
His most famous role was as Nappa in the hit series Dragon Ball Z. His performance as the Saiyan warrior and second-hand to Vegeta — as well as his portrayal of Android 8 — saw him contribute to many episodes of the classic shōnen series and make multiple appearances across the franchise in video games and movies. Additionally, he also provided the voices for Ryu Jose in the original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam series, Genji Kamogawa in Hajime no Ippo, and Heart/Fudoh in Fist of the North Star. He also branched out into video games, playing multiple Metal Gear Solid villains, including Psycho Mantis and Peter Stillman.
Besides his voice acting in Japanese anime, Iizuka also had a foot in western productions thanks to his role as a Japanese dub artist. He provided the Japanese language voices for many beloved characters. This includes dubbing live-action roles such as Parker in Alien, Arnold French in The Departed, and Sallah in Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade. He even provided the Japanese dub of Dr. Neo Cortex in the Crash Bandicoot series. The actor also had a hand in many dubbed Disney movies, providing the voice of Carl Fredrickson in Pixar’s Up, Billy Bones in Treasure Planet, The Horned King in The Black Cauldron, and Dr. Jumba Jookiba in Lilo & Stitch.
The actor started to retire from many of his ongoing roles in 2020, leaving behind a vast resume of influential titles. He also recently received a Merit Award at the Tokyo Anime Awards Festival 2022.
Source: Oricon via Crunchyroll
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