Bill Wise, the American actor who voiced Knuckles in the English dub of the 1996 Sonic the Hedgehog OVA, has died at age 61.
Wise’s passing was announced by his bandmate and friend Jeff Smith on Facebook, with the news subsequently reported by Anime News Network and Sonic City.
No cause of death has been publicly disclosed.
The two-part Sonic anime was produced by Studio Pierrot and originally debuted in Japan in 1996.
ADV Films later localized and combined the two episodes for an English-language direct-to-video release in the United States in 1999.
That U.S. release arrived two days before the North American launch of Sega’s Dreamcast title Sonic Adventure; the Dreamcast version of Knuckles in that game was voiced by Michael McGaharn in its English localization.
Wise was the first actor to provide an English voice for the character Knuckles in the OVA, making his performance part of an early era of Sonic media localization.
Over a career that began in 1989, Wise worked in film, television, anime, and video games.
His on-screen and voice credits include work on films such as Boyhood and Incredibles 2, television appearances on Walker, Texas Ranger and Prison Break, and voice roles in the Serious Sam video game series.
In announcing Wise’s death, Jeff Smith described their friendship as one in which both honesty and unconditional support were present.
Smith said Wise was a rare close friend with whom he could share anything and who offered judgment only from a place of love, and he added that he would miss him dearly.
Bill Wise’s contribution to the Sonic franchise sits alongside the broader history of Sonic’s multimedia presence: from Japanese anime production by Studio Pierrot to English localization by ADV Films, and the series’ subsequent appearances across gaming platforms, including Sega’s Dreamcast and later ports and releases on modern systems.
The banner image associated with recent reports was credited to Collier Talent Agency.
Legacy and further details about services have not been announced by Wise’s representatives.
Fans and industry colleagues have been sharing condolences and memories through social channels since the announcement.
For verified updates, readers should monitor statements from Bill Wise’s official representatives and established outlets that originally reported the news.
Wise’s passing was announced by his bandmate and friend Jeff Smith on Facebook, with the news subsequently reported by Anime News Network and Sonic City.
No cause of death has been publicly disclosed.
The two-part Sonic anime was produced by Studio Pierrot and originally debuted in Japan in 1996.
ADV Films later localized and combined the two episodes for an English-language direct-to-video release in the United States in 1999.
That U.S. release arrived two days before the North American launch of Sega’s Dreamcast title Sonic Adventure; the Dreamcast version of Knuckles in that game was voiced by Michael McGaharn in its English localization.
Wise was the first actor to provide an English voice for the character Knuckles in the OVA, making his performance part of an early era of Sonic media localization.
Over a career that began in 1989, Wise worked in film, television, anime, and video games.
His on-screen and voice credits include work on films such as Boyhood and Incredibles 2, television appearances on Walker, Texas Ranger and Prison Break, and voice roles in the Serious Sam video game series.
In announcing Wise’s death, Jeff Smith described their friendship as one in which both honesty and unconditional support were present.
Smith said Wise was a rare close friend with whom he could share anything and who offered judgment only from a place of love, and he added that he would miss him dearly.
Bill Wise’s contribution to the Sonic franchise sits alongside the broader history of Sonic’s multimedia presence: from Japanese anime production by Studio Pierrot to English localization by ADV Films, and the series’ subsequent appearances across gaming platforms, including Sega’s Dreamcast and later ports and releases on modern systems.
The banner image associated with recent reports was credited to Collier Talent Agency.
Legacy and further details about services have not been announced by Wise’s representatives.
Fans and industry colleagues have been sharing condolences and memories through social channels since the announcement.
For verified updates, readers should monitor statements from Bill Wise’s official representatives and established outlets that originally reported the news.
