Tom Kane, voice of 'The Powerpuff Girls' Professor Utonium, dies at 64
Tom Kane, who voiced Professor Utonium in Cartoon Network's The Powerpuff Girls, has died at 64.
According to TMZ, Kane's representative Zach McGinnis confirmed that the voice actor passed away at a Kansas City hospital.
"Though his voice may now be silent, the characters, stories, and love he gave to the world will live on forever," Zach McGinnis told the entertainment outlet. "But beyond the incredible career was an extraordinary man. Tom was a devoted husband and father who, alongside his wife, built a loving family of nine children—three biological and six welcomed through adoption and fostering."
Kane was a prolific voice actor who was behind numerous characters on Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon shows. He became known as the voice of the chimpanzee Darwin in The Wild Thornberrys and Jedi Master Yoda in various Star Wars projects. His most popular work, however, was in The Powerpuff Girls as Professor Utonium, the creator and father figure to the group. He reprised the role in the 2016 reboot and also voiced the villain Him in both versions.
As reported by PEOPLE Magazine, Kane's daughter Sami announced in December 2020 that her father suffered a stroke two months earlier, making him unable to "efficiently communicate verbally, nor read or spell." She later confirmed Kane's retirement in September 2021.
Kane was last seen with The Powerpuff Girls voice actors Catherine Cavadini, Tara Strong, and E.G. Daily in January this year at the Lexington Comic & Toy Convention.
The team behind The Powerpuff Girls paid tribute to Kane on their social media pages. "Rest in peace, Professor. Thank you, Tom Kane, for lending your voice to the father of three perfect little girls and bringing The Force to millions of fans. You’ll live on in our childhood memories forever," they wrote in a post.
