Doc Harris, known as the narrator for the original English language dub of Dragon Ball Z, has died at the age of 76.
The news was confirmed by Broadcast Dialogue, which noted that the voice actor and radio host passed away in Vancouver General Hospital last Saturday (October 5), following minor surgery last month.
Harris, who was born Gilbert Auchinleck, was beloved as the familiar voiceover narrator of the original English language dubs of over 200 episodes of Dragon Ball Z, the legendary anime series that was based on the manga created by Akira Toriyama.
A graphic of Akira Toriyama’s ‘Dragon Ball Z’. Credit: Paco Freire/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Fans of the show remember his inimitable reading of the closing lines of each episode of the show: “Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z!”
The actor’s deep and distinctive voice also appeared in a number of Dragon Ball films, while he also worked on animated series such as My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Barbie And The Rockers: Out Of This World and Camp Candy, as well as the game Captain N: The Game Master.
Ian Corlett, who voiced Goku in the English dub of Dragon Ball, shared a personal tribute to Harris on Instagram, writing that his “impact on me and countless others will not be soon forgotten”.
Recalling how Harris was a “HUGE force” in his early career, Corlett wrote that he “lived and breathed music” and described him as “one of a kind”.
In addition to his voice acting work, Harris had a five-decade career in Canadian radio, debuting in 1971 as ‘Doc Holiday’ in Toronto, before relocating to Vancouver two years later and adopting the ‘Doc Harris’ moniker.
He also made an appearance in a 1993 episode of The X Files, titled ‘Deep Throat’.
It comes just months after the creator of the Dragon Ball franchise Akira Toriyama passed away at the age of 68.
English (US) · 