Voice actor behind Pokémon’s queer icon – Team Rocket’s James – dies
James Carter Cathcart voiced Pokémon villain James among other characters. (Facebook/James Carter Cathcart/Pokemon)
James Carter Cathcart voiced Pokémon villain James among other characters. (Facebook/James Carter Cathcart/Pokemon)
James Carter Cathcart, the voice actor behind Team Rocket member and queer icon James in Pokémon, has died after being diagnosed with throat cancer.
Cathcart died on Tuesday (8 July) aged 71 at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, according to his wife, Martha Jacobi. He had been diagnosed with throat cancer back in 2023, and retired from voice acting that same year.
In addition to voicing gender-bending villain James, Cathcart also offered his voice for a range of other Pokémon characters, including Professor Oak, his grandson and Ash Ketchum’s rival Gary Oak, and Team Rocket’s talking sidekick, Meowth.
His voice was heard in more than 700 episodes of the Japanese media franchise, beginning from the show’s very first episode in 1997, up until season 15 in 2023. His voice was also heard in at least 15 Pokémon films, including the very first movie, 1998’s Pokemon: The First Movie.
Cathcart played Pokémon trainer Fergus in the first flick before being offered the opportunity to take on bigger roles in the show from 2000 onwards.
For queer Pokémon lovers, Cathcart’s most vital role was that of James, the flamboyant and hapless villain who, alongside his red-haired crony Jessie, terrorised Ash and his friends in their attempts to steal his Pikachu.
Known for his purple bob, campy persona and penchant for dressing up – including in a wedding dress – James has long been heralded as the gay icon of Pokémon universe.
While his sexuality has never been explicitly confirmed by the show’s creators, it is certainly ambiguous, and the writers have made numerous covert quips about it in episodes over the years.
James was previously voiced by voice actors Ted Lewis and Eric Stuart.
Following the news of his death, Catchart’s Pokémon co-star Erica Schroeder – who has voiced Nurse Joy, Eevee and other characters – paid tribute to her “kind-hearted” friend.
“Rest in peace dear sweet man. I will miss you. The community will miss you. The world will miss you,” she wrote on Instagram.
“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.”
Sarah Natochenny, who has voiced Ash Ketchum since season nine of Pokémon, urged fans of the show to “remember” her “dear friend”.
“Please help us remember my dear friend James Carter Cathcart, best known for his work as the voices of James, Meowth, Gary & Professor Oak on Pokémon, with the honor and respect he always deserved,” she wrote on Facebook.
“I send so much love and gratitude to his wife, children and friends and family who were there for him in his most difficult times. Thank you for loving him.”
In addition to his Pokémon roles, James Carter Cathcart was known for lending his voice to other big TV hits, including Yu-Gi-Oh! and Sonic The Hedgehog.
Rachael Lillis, who was known for voicing Team Rocket’s Jessie among other characters in Pokémon, died of breast cancer aged 55 last year.
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