Mike McFarland, Voice of Master Roshi and Buggy the Clown, Dies at 56

Death of Mike McFarland at 56

Anime voice actor Mike McFarland died on September 9 at a Dallas care facility at the age of 56, following a year-long battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. The news was first shared on Facebook by Tiffany Vollmer, who voiced Bulma in the original Dragon Ball series, and was subsequently confirmed by McFarland's representative to the Daily Express. Brina Palencia, a friend and fellow voice actor who had organized a GoFundMe to support his care, also confirmed his death.

Iconic Roles in Dragon Ball Z and One Piece

McFarland was a defining presence in the English-dub era that stretched from Funimation into Crunchyroll. He voiced Master Roshi and Yajirobe across the Dragon Ball franchise, played Jean Kirschtein in Attack on Titan, and took on Jean Havoc in Fullmetal Alchemist. His longest-running signature role was Buggy the Clown in One Piece, a part he held from 2007 until his death. Additional credits included Goemon Ishikawa in the Lupin III films, Kotaro Amon in Tokyo Ghoul, and Hiroshi Odokawa in Odd Taxi.

Behind-the-Scenes Work as Director and Scriptwriter

Beyond acting, McFarland served as an ADR scriptwriter and director on newer anime titles including Chainsaw Man, Mob Psycho 100, and My Hero Academia. His colleagues described him as a mentor who helped shape the next generation of English-dub performers. Dawn M. Bennett, a voice actor and director, called him "a legend among us" and noted he was "the guy to shadow in sessions if you wanted to be a great director or engineer."

A Year-Long Public Health Battle

McFarland's health struggle became public in January 2025 when he withdrew from Central Florida Comic Con due to illness. Colleen Clinkenbeard, the voice of Monkey D. Luffy, later revealed on X that doctors had discovered a brain tumor after McFarland visited a doctor for what he assumed was an inner ear infection. He underwent surgery shortly thereafter, and by August 2025, friends and family confirmed the diagnosis as glioblastoma. The GoFundMe campaign, originally launched to cover an at-home caretaker, later supported his transition to a nursing facility.

Tributes From the Voice-Acting Community

Fellow performers flooded social media with remembrances. Veronica Taylor described McFarland as "a great talent and a lovely person," while Sarah Natochenny wrote that he "hated dealing with hotel elevators and loved his work and his people dearly." Casey Mongillo recalled "nerdy chats about classic video games," and Megan Shipman called him "smart, funny, caring, and deeply passionate." The breadth of tributes underscored McFarland's standing among both veteran and newer generations of English-dub voice actors.