Rachael Lillis, a Pokémon voice actress who is known for her roles in the Pokémon TV series, films, and video games popular in the late 1990s, died at the age of 46 due to breast cancer.
The late actress was responsible for being the voice behind the iconic characters of Misty and Jessie, and a lot of others, in the beloved Japanese animated movies.
Her co-star, Veronica Taylor, who voices the lead character Ash Ketchum in Pokémon, announced Rachael Lillis’s death.
Ms. Taylor wrote: “Rachael was an extraordinary talent, a bright light that shone through her voice whether speaking or singing.”
“We all know Rachael Lillis from the many wonderful roles she played,” Ms. Taylor wrote on social media on Monday.
“She filled our Saturday mornings and before/after school hours with her beautiful voice, her terrific comic timing, and her remarkable acting skills.”
Taylor stated that the actress was appreciative of the support that was shown to her during her battle with cancer before her death.
“It truly made a positive difference,” Ms. Taylor said.
Lillis’s sister is one of those who confirmed her death on a GoFundMe page that was created at the beginning of this year to foot the bills of her cancer treatment and provide support in moving her to a nursing home.
The GoFundMe page has garnered more than $100,000 (£78,000), with additional support from those who cherish her even after her death was announced. Many of her fans and Americans expressed sorrow, saying she had “gone too soon and much too young” and noted that her “light shined bright” through her work.
Lillis’s sister discussed that the money that was contributed to foot her medical bills would now be used to pay off her balance of medical bills, cover the cost of a memorial service, and support cancer research efforts.
Lillis, who was born in Niagara Falls, New York, in 1978, trained in opera at the university before she decided to pursue a career in voice acting.
IMDB reported that Lillis provided voice support for 423 episodes of Pokémon between 1997 and 2015. She was also in charge of the character Jigglypuff, including in the 2019 film Detective Pikachu and the Super Smash Bros. video game series.