'Pokémon' and 'Fire Emblem' Voice Actor Billy Kametz Passes Away at Age 35
Published June 12 2022, 12:46 p.m. ET
For those who enjoy anime or video games, having a great voice actor is essential to bringing a story to life. Voice actor Billy Kametz, who is best known for his work within the anime community for programs such as Attack on Titan, Boruto, Demon Slayer, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Pokémon Journeys, and Neon Genesis Evangelion, has sadly passed away.
Fans are devastated at the news and curious to know about Billy's cause of death, especially because he died at such a young age. Here's what you need to know about Billy.
What was Billy Kametz's cause of death?
According to Deadline, Billy was born and raised in Hershey, Penn., but got his big break through Disney after accepting a position as entertainment staff on a Disney cruise line. He later moved to California after accepting the role of Aladdin for Disneyland's Musical Spectacular.
On April 26, 2022, Billy released a video on his YouTube page called "Health Update," where he announced a diagnosis of stage 4 colon cancer. The actor said he would be returning home to be with his family during his treatment and would be taking a hiatus from acting until his health improved.
He said in the video, "I just want to let you guys know that I'm gonna fight this, I'm not gonna quit, I'm not gonna stop fighting, and I'm gonna get through this."
Sadly, despite Billy's positive outlook and support both medically and personally, he passed away on June 9, 2022, at Hershey Medical Center. A Go Fund Me that had been started in his honor to cover treatment costs was updated on June 14, 2022, by the organizer, A. Jinnie McManus.
Jinnie wrote, "Anything contributed that wasn’t already used for Billy’s treatments will go toward his celebration of life and funeral. The family would equally love contributions to the Colon Cancer Coalition in Billy’s honor if you prefer that."
They added, "Most importantly, I hope you know how appreciated you all were and how much strength you provided. Billy and I would regularly share thoughts of disbelief and joy at the outpouring of generosity you all gave him."
Billy is survived by his parents, his sister, a plethora of aunts and uncles, and a girlfriend. The obituary included in the Go Fund Me also adds that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be sent to the Colon Cancer Coalition.