Image via 81 Produce official websiteThe voice talent agency 81 Produce announced on their official website May 21 that voice actor Hideyuki Umezu passed away due to interstitial pneumonia on May 17 at the age of 68.According to the statement, the funeral service was held with only relatives in attendance following wishes from his family. The agency writes, “We would like to express our deepest gratitude for your kindness during his life and respectfully inform you of his passing.”Hideyuki Umezu was born in Aichi Prefecture on July 24, 1955. After graduating from Tokyo Medical and Dental University, he enrolled in the voice acting course at NHK Actors Seminar and made his voice acting debut in 1982. He was a voice actor not only in anime series, but also in Japanese dubbing for foreign films, as well as narrating TV programs.His notable anime character roles include:
David Rutherford in Blue Comet SPT Layzner (1985)
Nel Marsen in Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (1986)
Kishowl Bagwatt in Mobile Suit V Gundam (1993)
Takayuki Setoguchi in Gunparade March (2003)
Vindel Mauser in Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Inspector (2010)
Gengetsu Hozuki in Naruto Shippuden (2012)
Erekt in Broken Blade (2014)
Conwood in Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- (2016)
Thomas in Golden Kamuy (2018)
Jiiya in Umamusume Pretty Derby (2021)
Shigeo Shishibe in Amaim Warrior at the Borderline (2022)
Our condolences go out to Umezu’s family, and we want to thank him for his contributions to the anime industry.
Source: 81 produce official website (1, 2), CDJournal
