Tom Kane, voice of Yoda in 'Star Wars' dies at 64: What happened to the 'Powerpuff Girls' voice actor?

The voice that guided Jedi masters, narrated galactic wars, comforted cartoon children, and shaped the childhoods of millions has now fallen silent.Veteran American voice actor Tom Kane, best known for voicing Yoda in ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ and Professor Utonium in ‘The Powerpuff Girls’, has died at the age of 64, after battling health issues since a stroke in 2020. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Kane passed away in a Kansas City hospital, surrounded by family.For fans across generations, Kane’s death feels strangely personal. His voice slipped into our lives, showing up in cartoons, video games, Star Wars, and Disney parks. Even if you never knew his name, you probably heard him.Per The Independent, after suffering a stroke in late 2020, Kane was left unable to speak for long stretches. The damage hit the speech center of his brain, forcing him to retire from voice acting in 2021.“About two months ago he had a left side stroke that gave him right sided weakness and damage to the speech center of his brain. This means right now he cannot efficiently communicate verbally, nor read or spell,” his daughter, Sam, wrote on Facebook at the time. “My dad still remains in good spirits and his extreme stubbornness has helped him already show improvements in speech.”Kane’s story brought attention to aphasia, the disorder that messes with language skills, like speaking, reading, or writing. The stroke’s left-sided damage explains why Kane lost his voice, struggled to communicate, and battled physical weakness.For the unversed, aphasia is brutal. Per Mayo Clinic, it is a language and communication disorder caused by brain damage. It impairs your ability to speak, write, and understand both spoken and written language, but does not affect your intelligence.To put it simply, people know what they want to say, but their mouths just can’t keep up. Recovery is hit-or-miss, depending on rehab and health. Some get better, others never do.Medical experts say aphasia can be emotionally devastating because patients often remain mentally aware of what they want to say but struggle to express it. Recovery varies greatly depending on the severity of brain damage, rehabilitation, speech therapy, and overall health. Some patients gradually regain language skills, while others continue facing long-term communication difficulties.In Kane’s case, his health never fully rebounded. However, in one particularly moving reunion earlier this year, he appeared alongside the actresses who voiced Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup in ‘The Powerpuff Girls’. Actress Tara Strong later described hearing his voice “slowly coming back” as deeply emotional.Born Thomas Kane Roberts in Kansas, Kane started voice acting back in his teens in the late 1970s. He became Hollywood’s go-to voice, spanning animation, gaming, documentaries, and blockbuster trailers. He brought that wise, calm, and spiritual vibe to the character, following the footsteps of Frank Oz.But Kane was everywhere beyond the Jedi universe.He voiced Professor Utonium and HIM in ‘The Powerpuff Girls’, Darwin in ‘The Wild Thornberrys’, Mr. Herriman in ‘Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends’, Lord Monkey Fist in ‘Kim Possible’, and Woodhouse in ‘Archer’, just to name a few.Gamers caught his work too: ‘Call of Duty’, ‘Batman: Arkham Asylum’, ‘Fortnite’, and several ‘Star Wars’ titles. And he had real-world impact, becoming the official voice for the Walt Disney World monorail system, narrating the Oscars, and more.People close to Kane don't forget to mention his devotion to family. Married to Cindy, he raised nine kids, three by birth, six through adoption and fostering. All those roles, and he still brought warmth and personality to every character.