Rachel Lillis, beloved by anime fans as the original English voice actress for Misty and Jessie in the “Pokémon” TV series, died on Saturday at age 55.
Lilith, who was based in Los Angeles, was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year. Her death was confirmed on social media by fellow Pokémon voice actress Veronica Taylor on Monday.
“I was fortunate enough to know Rachel as a friend, and she possessed infinite kindness and compassion until the very end,” wrote Taylor, who voiced Satoshi Ketchum. “She had a great sense of humor and was fun to be around with. She was incredibly smart and had an incredible memory for moments both in real life and in the anime. She worked hard and cared deeply.”
She added: “I don’t know how this very dark void will ever be filled now that her light no longer shines.”
In a statement, The Pokémon Company International offered its condolences to Lilith’s family.
“Her performances in the Pokémon animated series will be treasured by the legions of fans who grew up with the characters she brought to life with her special talent,” the statement read. “She will be remembered for generations to come, and we will always hold her in our hearts.”
Many media outlets initially reported Lilith’s age as 46. After speaking with Lilith’s sister, Laurie Ohr, The New York Times confirmed that her birthdate was July 8, 1969.
Born in Niagara Falls, New York, Lillis once planned to go into medicine and attended Smith College in Massachusetts. She began working as a voice actress in the 1980s and got her big break in the 1990s when she joined the English-language cast of the Japanese animated Pokémon television series, based on the Pokémon video games.
In addition to her long association with “Pokémon,” Lilith has also voiced a number of other anime characters, including Catty in “Gall Force” and Tenjou Utena in the “Revolutionary Girl Utena” series. Her last credited role was in the 2019 anime series “Ollie & Scoop.”