Chris Ayres, best known as the voice of iconic Dragon Ball villain Frieza, has died. He was 56 years year old.
Fellow actor and partner Krystal LaPorte confirmed the news over on Twitter, revealing that Ayres passed away on October 18 surrounded by friends and family.
"Chris loved you all," LaPorte wrote. "How much he loved other people filled the vast majority of our conversations. To those of you who truly loved him back, thank you. To those of you who stayed in touch, checked on him, reminded him that he was so, so much more than his job, you were the fuel of his fight. You fed the dreams of a future that kept him going longer than any normal person could go."
Advert
Ayres had been struggling with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) since 2017, and had revealed to fans earlier this year that he was facing yet another round of surgeries. He was always open with his followers about his health on social media, and would often update them on his treatments and hospital visits.
Ayres took on the role of Frieza in Dragon Ball after joining Funimation's dub of Dragon Ball Z Kai. He also appeared in a number of other anime projects, including Maburaho, Black Butler, Sengoku Basara, Gantz, Tears to Tiara, Fairy Tail, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, and more.
As you can see below, tributes have flooded in for an actor that meant so much to the Dragon Ball community.
Our thoughts are with Ayres' friends, family, and fans at this difficult time.
Topics: TV and Film
