With the passing of Rachael Lillis, the popular voice-over artist for the characters Misty and Jessie, the Pokémon community is absolutely in tears. The talented actress passed away on August 10, 2024, at the jaw-dropping age of 46 from a brave-fought battle with cancer.
Boisterous as the spunky Water Gym Leader Misty and sly as Team Rocket’s Jessie, Lillis brought the sometimes chaotic world of Pokémon to life with performances that left a lasting impression. Through its skillfully given boisterous voice and smooth comedic timing, the lead character gained its easily distinguishable nature that saw the vibrant character into fans of all ages.
Rachael Lillis, the original English voice actor for Misty and Jessie from Pokémon, has died age 46 from cancer pic.twitter.com/NZq6SBBukD
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) August 12, 2024
Then came the worst piece of news of all, as revealed by Lillis in May 2024: she had stage three breast cancer. An outpouring scene developed—for fans’ support, a GoFundMe campaign got her almost $96,000 for medical bills. However, despite the excessive love and goodness, the health of Lillis declined and led to her death.
Fellow voice actors, industry peers, and countless fans from around the world have been pouring out tributes. Eric Stuart, who voiced Brock and James, said Lillis was “one of the funniest and kindest people I’ve ever known.” Fans shared how much this news was hurting them on social media with accounts full of messages showing condolences for Lillis’s death and gratitude for her life’s work.
A memorial is now being planned to celebrate Lillis’ life and career achievements: details on this event will be forthcoming in the next two weeks to accommodate her fans and friends in honoring and celebrating her contributions to the world of Pokémon.
Rachael Lillis will always go down history as one of the favorite voice actresses. Her performances as Misty and Jessie in the show were icons in the lives of many, and her contribution to the Pokémon series is humongous.
