Voice Actor Mike McFarland Dies at 56

Mike McFarland, a prolific voice actor, director and scriptwriter who helped shape the English-language dubs of Dragon Ball, One Piece and many other anime series, died on September 9, 2026, after a battle with brain cancer. He was 56. His death was first reported by TMZ and confirmed through a Facebook post by Tiffany Vollmer, who voiced Bulma in the original Dragon Ball series, and later by McFarland's representative. According to Brina Palencia, a friend who organized a GoFundMe campaign for him during his illness, McFarland died surrounded by friends and family at a Dallas care facility. In recent months, colleagues from the voiceover community gathered to sing him songs and tell him stories to keep his spirits up, Palencia said. McFarland's health struggles began in January 2025, when he withdrew from Central Florida Comic Con due to an illness initially suspected to be an inner ear infection. Fellow voice actor Colleen Clinkenbeard later revealed that doctors had discovered a brain tumor, and McFarland underwent surgery days afterward. In August 2025, the tumor was identified as glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, according to Anime News Network.