Who was Mike McFarland? Dragon Ball and One Piece voice actor dies at 56 as anime fans remember his iconic career

For decades, Mike McFarland was behind some of the most recognizable English-dubbed anime voices. His work stretched across major franchises and introduced his performances to generations of viewers.

His death at 56 marks the loss of a familiar figure in the anime voice-acting community. McFarland died Wednesday after battling brain cancer, with his friend Brina Palencia confirming the news to TMZ.


Michael McFarland was an American voice actor, ADR director, scriptwriter and line producer whose career was closely tied to the English-language anime industry.

He began working in voice acting in the late 1990s and went on to build an impressive list of credits across some of the world's biggest anime franchises. His roles included Master Roshi and Yajirobe in Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, Buggy the Clown in One Piece, Jean Havoc in Fullmetal Alchemist, Jean Kirstein in Attack on Titan, Mashirao Ojiro in My Hero Academia and Koutarou Amon in Tokyo Ghoul.

Beyond performing, McFarland also worked behind the scenes as an ADR director, writer and line producer, contributing to the production of English-language anime adaptations.

According to his LinkedIn profile, McFarland attended The University of Texas at Arlington between 1990 and 1997, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music, Theater, and Business.

McFarland died Wednesday at a Dallas care facility following his battle with brain cancer. His friend Brina Palencia, who had organized a GoFundMe campaign for him during his health struggles, confirmed his death to TMZ.


Brina said Mike was surrounded by friends and family at a Dallas care facility. Over the last few months, it was told friends from the voice-over community gathered to sing him songs and tell him stories to keep his spirits up.

The support from his friends and colleagues continued through the final months of his life as members of the voice-over community came together to spend time with him.

McFarland's health struggles became public in January 2025 when he was forced to withdraw from Central Florida Comic Con because of an illness.

Fellow voice actor Colleen Clinkenbeard later revealed that McFarland had a brain tumor. He underwent surgery a few days later. By August 2025, it was revealed that the tumor was glioblastoma, an aggressive form of malignant brain cancer.

Glioblastomas are classified as grade 4 tumors and can grow rapidly. Symptoms can include headaches, seizures and changes in mood or behaviour. There is currently no cure, and the median survival after diagnosis is generally around 15 to 18 months.

McFarland's career covered nearly three decades and included characters from several of anime's most recognizable franchises. From Master Roshi's place in Dragon Ball history to Buggy's memorable presence in One Piece, his performances became familiar to English-speaking anime audiences around the world.


His work as an actor and behind-the-scenes contributor also made him an important part of the English-dub anime community, leaving behind a body of work that will continue to be heard by fans.