One Piece and Gundam 00 Voice Actor Hideyuki Umezu Passes Away at 68
The anime fandom mourns the loss of another great voice actor. A report from Japan confirmed that Hideyuki Umezu passed away on May 17, 2024. The voice actor was 68 years old.
According to the actor’s talent agency, 81 Produce, Umezu died after suffering from a bout of interstitial pneumonia. A private funeral was held by his family, as the anime fandom sends its well wishes.
For those unfamiliar with Umezu’s name, the voice actor was a regular star in the Gundam franchise, having voiced Ian Vashti in Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Second Season, and GP02 in the 1993 Mobile Suit SD Gundam Festival anime film.
Hideyuki Umezu Voiced Diamante in One Piece
The actor landed his first role in Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ way back in 1986. Moreover, Umezu was a regular in One Piece during the Dressrosa arc. The actor voiced Diamante, a character who worked closely with Doflamingo.
81 Produce, Umezu’s talent agency, wrote:
We would like to express our deepest gratitude for your kindness during his life and respectfully inform you of his passing.
Beyond these, his notable anime character roles include:
David Rutherford in Blue Comet SPT Layzner (1985), Nel Marsen in Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (1986), Kishowl Bagwatt in Mobile Suit V Gundam (1993), Takayuki Setoguchi in Gunparade March (2003), Vindel Mauser in Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Inspector (2010), Gengetsu Hozuki in Naruto Shippuden (2012), Erekt in Broken Blade (2014), Conwood in Re: ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- (2016), Thomas in Golden Kamuy (2018), Jiiya in Umamusume Pretty Derby (2021), Shigeo Shishibe in Amaim Warrior at the Borderline (2022).
Learn More About Hideyuki Umezu
Hideyuki Umezu was born in Aichi Prefecture on July 24, 1955. After graduating from Tokyo Medical and Dental University, he enrolled in the voice acting course at NHK Actors Seminar. He made his voice acting debut in 1982 as Dr. Hyblow in the television anime Cybot Robotchi. He was a voice actor not only in multiple anime series but also in various Japanese dubbing for foreign films and TV programs.
The catalyst for pursuing acting was when a friend attending Waseda University expressed the desire to start acting and asked him to find a theatre club together. He found and joined the theatre group “Kiryu” at the same university, but the friend left the group later. However, Umezu continued, and went on to become a regular feature in multiple landmark projects.
