James Carter Cathcart, the voice behind some of Pokémon’s iconic characters, dies at 71

After two years of retirement from the voice acting scene and battling throat cancer, Pokémon voice actor James Carter Cathcart passed away on July 10, as announced by one of his family members.

James Carter Cathcart stood as one of the enduring voices that helped shape the animated TV series of the Pokémon franchise, taking major roles in the show, such as Professor Oak, Gary Oak, his namesake James, and Meowth.

Cathcart also dubbed a plethora of minor characters in the Pokémon anime, including several Pokémon vocal sounds, like Ash’s Muk, Snorlax, Turtwig, Torkoal, and Swellow, as well as James’ Carnivine.

After the news about Cathcart spread online, fans and friends expressed their deep condolences and also honored his massive contributions to the Pokémon community.

While taking breaks from his usual voice acting duties, Cathcart would show his love for music by playing his keyboards, drums, and electric guitar.

As a musician, he’s more known by the name Jimmy Zoppi and had his own portfolio of songs, which was compiled in one album entitled “I Was Missing You.”

Here’s a short video featuring one of Cathcart’s songs, It’s a Beautiful Thing:

This isn’t the first time a voice actor behind a Team Rocket member has passed away. It’s worth noting that Maddie Blaustein, who also played Meowth, succumbed to a stomach virus in 2008, and Rachel Lillis, who played Jessie, perished from breast cancer in 2024.

Together with Maddie Blaustein and Rachel Lillis, James Carter Cathcart will always be remembered as the iconic voice that made Team Rocket much more memorable, leaving behind a legacy that continues to resonate with fans across generations.

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