Voice Actor Norihiro Inoue Passes Away at 63 Due to Esophageal Cancer

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The agency Enkikaku reported on Monday that voice actor Norihiro Inoue passed away due to esophageal cancer on February 28. He was 63. His relatives held a private funeral.

Inoue acted first in live-action television series, films, and stage productions before delving into voice acting in anime. He appeared in such works as the detective series Taiyō ni Hoero!, the historical NHK Taiga dramas Tokugawa Yoshinobu and Aoi Tokugawa Sandai, and the film Sorobanzuku. He dubbed into Japanese Anthony Edwards’ character Mark Greene in ER and Dominic Keating’s character Malcolm in Star Trek: Enterprise.

His major debut role in anime was in 1998 as the voice of Taichi Hiraga Keaton on the Master Keaton anime. He voiced Atlas in the Metropolis anime film in 2001. In the 2003 Gunslinger Girl anime, he voiced Angelica’s handler Marco. He voiced the teacher Takamichi T. Takahata in the Negima!? anime in 2006. Also in that year, he voiced what would perhaps be his most iconic voice-acting role outside Japan: Schneizel El Britannia in Code Geass, the half-brother of protagonist Lelouch, and one of the story’s most persistent antagonists.

Image from Nikkan Sports

Sources: Enkikaku, Nikkan Sports via Hachima Kikō

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