Who Was Rachael Lillis? All About the Actress Who Voiced Misty in Pokémon as She Dies at 46
Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death.
In sad news today, the actress known for voicing animated characters, Rachael Lillis, has died at the age of 46. The actress passed away on August 10, battling breast cancer. Here’s all you need to know about her.
Lillis was born in Niagara Falls, New York, on July 8, 1969. She was a premed student at Smith College. She later went to Boston and New York City to study acting. Lillis had a wide range of filmography, which included appearances in multiple theater productions, independent movies, and animated series. The actress moved to Los Angeles in 2013, per Wikipedia.
As reported by The Guardian, she was trained in opera before venturing into voice acting in the 1990s. She appeared in many films, games, and TV shows. Although she is known for voicing the English dub for Misty’s role in Pokémon, she has also provided the voice for many different animated characters, including Jigglypuff, Vulpix, Goldeen, and Venonat.
Along with that, she has voiced characters in Winx Club, Hunter X Hunter, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and many more. Speaking of her contributions to Pokémon, the actress appeared in 423 episodes of the cartoon.
Her co-actor from the 90s Japanese animated series, Veronica Taylor, who voiced the role of Ash Ketchum in the English dub, posted about Lillis’s passing on her social media handles. She wrote a heartfelt message remembering the late star.
After announcing her death in the statement, Taylor penned that Lillis was an “extraordinary talent, a bright light that shone through her voice, whether speaking or singing.” She added that Lillis will be remembered forever for the multiple animated characters she played, along with her “iconic performances” as Jessie and Misty in Pokémon, which are loved by many.
Taylor continued that the actress was grateful for all the support and love she received while battling cancer, noting it made a positive difference. She added, “Her family also wishes to thank you as they take this time to grieve privately. A memorial is being planned for a future date.” Check out the post and caption below.
According to the outlet, a GoFundMe page was started to raise money for the late actress’s medical expenses. It had raised around USD 98,000. Her sister, Laurie Orr, revealed her death on the page.
She wrote, “She passed peacefully Saturday night, without pain, and for that we are grateful.” Laurie mentioned that the funds would be used to cover the remaining medical costs, a memorial service, and cancer research, according to the publication.
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