The Tragic Death Of Voice Actor Chris Ayres

Chris Ayres, a voice actor with more than 200 credits to his name, has died at 56 years old, as Vulture reported. Ayres leaves behind his mother, brother, and girlfriend — fellow voice actor Krystal LaPorte, who shared the news of his death on social media.

"On October 18th at 8:40pm, my world went dark. Christopher Owen Ayres passed away peacefully, held close by his mother, brother, and girlfriend," LaPorte wrote in a statement posted to Twitter, along with heartbreaking photos of the pair. "Chris loved you all. How much he loved other people filled the vast majority of our conversations. To those of you who truly loved him back, thank you." She added, "To those of you who stayed in touch, checked on him, reminded him that he was so, so much more than his job, you were the fuel of his fight. You fed the dreams of a future that kept him going longer than any normal person could go."

Though LaPorte didn't mention a cause of death, Ayres had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 2017, and openly posted about his health struggles online. LaPorte also referenced the disease at the end of the statement, writing, "I hope where you are, the first thing you did was take a long, deep breath with your perfect lungs and dance again." In the wake of Ayres' death, fans are remembering the impact he made on viewers around the world. 

According to The Wrap, Chris Ayres was born on May 15 in Richmond, Virginia. He was best known for voicing several anime series by Funimation, including Frieza in the "Dragon Ball Z" franchise — for over a decade. He also had starring voice roles in "Gantz," "Samurai Gun," "Princess Resurrection," and dozens of other animations, per IMDb. Ayres kept working up until his death with his last credit listed as a short called, "The Dog Park: Prank Calls."

Although Ayres voiced many roles throughout his career, he clearly loved working in the business, telling Ohio Guys in 2014, "I love it — I've been a director for most of my life [and] I like working one on one with actors... It's an exciting time to be working in this industry." When asked if he could pick a favorite show from all the voice work he's done, Ayres said it was impossible for him to choose. "I've enjoyed everything I've worked on," he said.

After Ayres' death was announced, his former employer, Funimation, paid tribute on Twitter, writing, Rest In Peace, Christopher Ayres. Thank you for all that you've done for so many fans. We'll miss you dearly." Fans also tweeted their condolences and tributes to Ayres' family, and we share in their moment of sorrow and memory.