Chris Ayres (1965–2021), “Dragon Ball” voice actor

Chris Ayres was a voice actor, director, and scriptwriter known for his performance as Frieza in the “Dragon Ball” anime series.

• Died: October 18, 2021 (Who else died on October 18?)
• Details of death: Died after long-term health complications at the age of 56.
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Anime career

Ayres worked on a number of anime projects, including “Gantz,” “Black Butler,” and “Fairy Tail.” He was best known for voicing Frieza, also known as Freeza, a prominent villain of the “Dragon Ball” series. Ayres began voicing Frieza in “Dragon Ball Z Kai” and continued through “Dragon Ball Super” and “Dragon Ball Super: Broly” as well as in the “Dragon Ball” series of video games. He directed shows including “Nerima Daikon Brothers” and “From the New World.” Ayres also worked on Broadway in “Peter Pan.”

Ayres on voicing Frieza

“I have a blast voicing Frieza. Even when I was at my sickest recording him (while exhausting) always gave me such a boost. It’s by far the most fun I’ve ever had with a character ever. I always say he’s drawn from several of my childhood favorites who made me want to be an actor. It’s a little Roddy McDowall, a little John Hurt, and punch of Vincent Price. It’s a mix of all of those and a little bit of me. That’s the easiest way for me to break it down.” —from a 2020 Reddit AMA

Tributes to Chris Ayres

Full obituary: Deadline

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