A voice acting titan died on Oct. 5, 2024, leaving the world a little bit emptier without Doc Harris in it.
The industry staple, born Gilbert Auchinleck but known professionally by his broadcasting moniker, has lent his voice to a huge number of projects over the years, but he’s easily best remembered as the longtime narrator of Dragon Ball Z. The talented voice actor and radio personality delivered vital background information and caught absentee viewers up on the story so far across hundreds of DBZ episodes, affixing himself in fan memories as a vital element of the beloved series.
Dragon Ball Z is by no means his only success story — Harris starred in dozens of projects, lending his voice to franchises across animation’s recent history. From his early years lending his voice to Barbie films to his long stretch narrating DBZ, the dedication Harris showed to his craft shines through every performance he gave. He was active for decades, starting in the late ’80s and continuing to put out work all the way until 2019.
Harris’ final project on the books was 2019’s My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, in which he played Grogar. The last few years saw the star step away from the spotlight, likely in hope of focusing on his health. News of his death is hitting the anime community — particularly the perpetually dedicated Dragon Ball fanbase — hard, but at least we have hundreds of episodes to return to, should we need a reminder of how talented the 76-year-old truly was.
Was Doc Harris’ cause of death revealed?
News of Doc Harris’ death came down in early October, just days after the voice acting legend departed this world. The 76-year-old officially passed on Oct. 5, according to reports, but details about his cause of death are still scarce. The silky-voiced Canadian passed away at Vancouver General Hospital, reportedly following a supposedly “minor” surgery in September, but its unclear if the two events are related.
Harris’ career as a broadcaster spanned five decades, and his deep, powerful voice is seared into the memories of those who grew up on his contributions to animation. He’s well remembered by his peers, including his longtime friend — and Dragon Ball Z collaborator — Ian James Corlett. Corlett played series protagonist Goku in the Ocean dub of the mega-popular series, but his friendship with Harris’ far outpaced their brief stint as co-workers.
Corlett penned a heartfelt and touching tribute to his friend on Instagram following news of his passing. Referring to Harris as “one of the greats,” Corlett shared his deep sorrow at the loss of a longtime friend. He credited the voice actor and broadcaster as a “HUGE force in my early career,” and dug into their first meeting, and how their friendship blossomed over time.
“He was one of a kind,” the voice actor wrote, before signing off with a note that he owes his longtime companion “a hundred lunches.”
That same sorrow is echoed elsewhere, by hordes of fans still reeling from news of his loss. Compilations of his work on Dragon Ball Z are abruptly collecting fresh views, as fans return to the old videos to revel in a voice that helped define their childhoods, and say goodbye to the man who, for some of us at least, put “next time” on the map.
Published: Oct 8, 2024 11:13 am