After a fight with cancer, actress Rachael Lillis passed away on Saturday. She was known for lending her unique voice to numerous anime shows, movies, and video games, most notably as Misty and Jessie in the hit animated series Pokémon. Her age was 46.
Veronica Taylor, Lillis’ coworker from Pokémon, who provided the voice of Ash Ketchum, the main character, shared the news on social media on Monday. “She (Rachael) was an extraordinary talent, a bright light that shone through her voice whether speaking or singing,” Taylor stated.
Taylor said, “Her family also wishes to thank you as they take this time to grieve privately,” in the statement announcing Lillis’s passing. A memorial service is planned for a later date.
We all know Rachael Lillis from the many wonderful roles she played. She filled our Saturday mornings and before/after school hours with her beautiful voice, her terrific comic timing, and her remarkable acting skills. #RachaelLillis pic.twitter.com/XOjFqY0C1L
— Veronica Taylor (@TheVeronicaT) August 12, 2024
Rachael Lillis Cause of Death
In May, Lillis received a breast cancer diagnosis. Taylor said in her memoriam that “the generous love and support” that her many admirers had shown Lillis “truly made a difference.”
Taylor’s tweet was shared by Eric Stuart, who collaborated closely with Lillis as the voice actor for Lillis’s Misty and Jessie in Pokémon. Eric Stuart also added a message of his own. “She (Lillis) was one of the funniest, most kind, sweetest people,” Eric stated. “My dear friend for a very long time. Watch Team Rocket and other original Pokemon to honour her life; she will always be my accomplice in humorous crime. Farewell, my friend.”
Rachael Lillis Voices
Growing up watching Saturday morning cartoons in the late 1990s, Lillis left a lasting effect on millennials as the voice of Team Rocket villain Jessie and water-type trainer Misty. Her diverse abilities, however, went far beyond those endearing personas.
Lillis also provided the calls, grunts, and other noises of the well-known Pokémon Vulpix, Venonat, Goldeen, and Jigglypuff on Pokémon, which is now known as Pokémon the Series. In addition, she provided the voice of Jigglypuff for five Super Smash Bros. video games and the 2019 movie Detective Pikachu.
With her exceptionally versatile voice, Lillis could play characters on screen, in movies, video games, dubbing, or live action, and she could project a wide range of emotions.
Rachael Lillis Career
In the early 2000s, Lillis worked as a scriptwriter and submitted treatment for episodes of anime shows including Boogiepop Phantom and K.O. Beast. She is the second actor from the first Pokémon cast to have died; the first being Maddie Blaustein, who portrayed Meowth before her death in 2008.
In addition to voice acting Pokémon, Lillis also portrayed voices for characters in popular anime shows such as Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, Berserk, Gokudo, Your Lie in April, and Sonic X. In addition, she voiced characters in video games such as Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures, Lego Jurassic World, and the animated shows Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Winx Club.
Also read:
Tom Cruise, Dwayne Johnson, Travis Kelce, Chappell Roan, and other celebs at the Paris Olympics
Snoop, Dr. Dre, and Billie Eilish star in the Olympics closing ceremony from Long Beach, not Venice
