American voice actress Rachael Lillis, best known for her roles as Misty, Jessie, Jigglypuff, Vulpix, Venonat, and Goldeen in the Pokémon universe, passed away Saturday, after battling breast cancer.
Her death was confirmed by her sister, Laurie Orr. Colleagues Veronica Taylor (Ash Ketchum) and Eric Stuart (Brock, James) paid tribute to Lillis's talent, kindness, intelligence, hard work, compassion, and memorable performances.
Lillis, a trained opera singer born in 1978, was praised for her comic timing, acting skills, and ability to bring energy to her roles, including in Detective Pikachu and Super Smash Bros video games. She amassed over 100 voice acting credits throughout her career in shows, films, and anime, including Winx Club, Sonic X, Chaotic, and Genshiken.
A GoFundMe campaign was launched to cover Lillis' medical and funeral expenses, raising around $97,000 towards the $100,000 goal. Funds will also go towards cancer-related causes.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: The Guardian, NY Times , BBC, Time, NBC News, Newsweek, USA Today, Independent, Fox News, Republic World, El Financiero, El Siglo de Torreón, Times of India, O Antagonista, CNN Brasil, Tiempo, De Telegraaf, Terra, El Mexicano, Daily Caller.