James Carter Cathcart, the voice actor known for his work on the animated series Pokémon, has died. He was 71.
Cathcart was a musician and actor who retired in 2023 due to advanced throat cancer. In Pokémon, he provided the voices of James, Meowth and Professor Oak.
His death was announced by fellow voice actor Erica Schroeder, who wrote on Instagram: “Rest in peace dear sweet man. I will miss you. The community will miss you. The world will miss you.
“One of the most joyful, exuberant, kind-hearted and talented souls no longer walks with us. James Carter Cathcart you were one of a kind, a gentle, beautiful, playful genius and I was happy to call you my friend.
“Master of the pen, piano and microphone. Friend to many. Loving father and husband. Thank you for your gifts.”
Cathcart was born in New Jersey on March 8, 1954. In the 1970s he was a member of rock band The Laughing Dogs, who were associated with the punk scene around CBGB in New York and toured with the Patti Smith Group, Cheap Trick, and Blondie.
Cathcart co-wrote Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley’s song “Remember Me”, which featured on Frehley’s 1989 solo album Trouble Walkin'.
In the 1980s, Cathcart started his career as a voiceover artist playing Cap'n O. G. Readmore on ABC Weekend Specials. He went on to provide voiceovers for various advertisements.
However, he was best known for his long association with Pokémon. He played Fergus in 1998’s Pokémon: The First Movie before taking over the roles of James, Meowth and Swellow in 2007’s Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea.
Cathcart played those characters and many more in over a dozen animated Pokémon films. His final appearance in the franchise came in 2021’s Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle.
He also voiced the character of Vector the Crocodile in Sonic X and the Shadow the Hedgehog video game.
Following his retirement in 2023, Cathcart moved into hospice care in Forest Hills, New York, where he died.
On Facebook, musician Leesa Harrington-Squyres wrote: “Oh no. My friend James Carter Cathcart has passed. He put up a fierce battle with that horrible C word. What an AMAZING musician and voice actor...the voice of Meoweth and Jake on Pokemon (also wrote the scripts!).
“He was one of the first people I got to know when moving up here. My heart goes out to his children and his friends. He will be missed. RIP Carter... you are now with the big band in the sky.”
