Anime Voice Actor Mike McFarland Dies at Age 56
His credits included Master Roshi in Dragon Ball, Jean in Attack on Titan, and Buggy in One Piece.
Mike McFarland died Wednesday at 56, according to reports from TMZ and Express. The voice actor underwent brain surgery in January 2025 and received a glioblastoma diagnosis that August.
Voice actor Mike McFarland died Wednesday at 56, TMZ reported Thursday. The outlet attributed the news to fellow voice actor Brina Palencia, who co-organized a crowdfunding campaign supporting him.
Express also reported his death, citing confirmation from a representative.
Crunchyroll said McFarland meant a great deal to those who knew him and anime fans familiar with his work. The company remembered his exceptional talent and friendship, saying he would be deeply missed.
McFarland underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor in January 2025. That August, he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a brain cancer that begins as a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord.
According to voice actor Colleen Clinkenbeard, McFarland discovered the tumor after seeking medical care for what he believed was an inner ear infection. He underwent a second brain surgery in April 2025 to locate an unidentified infection.
Voice actors J. Michael Tatum and Brandon McInnis started a GoFundMe campaign in January 2025 to fund a live-in medical assistant after his surgery. Donations exceeded the initial US$65,000 target and subsequent revised goals.
After trying assisted living, McFarland returned to the hospital. He then moved to a skilled nursing facility for continued treatment.
The campaign set a new fundraising target in August 2025 to cover treatment costs. At the time of writing, it had raised US$301,786 toward US$350,000, with donations paused.
McFarland served as a line producer, ADR director, and ADR script adapter on numerous series for ADV and later Funimation. Those projects included:
- Case Closed
- Dragon Ball Z
- Eden of the East
- Fullmetal Alchemist
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
- One Piece
- The Evangelion film series
His voice roles included:
- Master Roshi and Yajirobe in Dragon Ball and its sequels
- Makoto Hyuga in the Evangelion film series
- Sky Master in Heaven's Lost Property
- Goemon Ishikawa in Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine and numerous Lupin III films
- Jean in Attack on Titan
- George in Case Closed
- Buggy in One Piece
His more recent performances included:
- Protagonist Hiroshi Odokawa in Odd Taxi
- Big Bad Wolf in Date A Live IV
- E.G. Mine in Trigun Stampede
This article was updated to include Crunchyroll's statement, received through email correspondence.
Sources: Email correspondence via ANN
