Remembering Rachael Lillis: How Did The Legendary Voice Behind Misty And Jesse From Pokémon Pass Away?
2024 has been a sad year for the Manga and Anime community. First came the passing of Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball, who is often regarded as one of the most significant authors in the history of Manga. And now, we have lost Rachael Lillis, the popular voice actress who gave us beautiful childhood memories as the voice of Misty and Jessie.
Born on July 8, 1969, Lillis is credited for the English voiceover of Ash’s friend Misty and Team Rocket’s Jessie in the first 8 seasons of Pokémon. She also plied her trade for the Pokémon anime and movies while lending her voice for Vulpix, Goldeen and the fan-favorite Jigglypuff, the Pokémon notoriously famous for making people go to sleep with his cute lullabies!
Rachael Lillis Cause of Death
Rachel Lillis died from breast cancer on August 10, 2024. She was 55 years old when she lost a battle for her life against cancer. The sad news of Lillis’ passing was shared by her co-star Veronica Taylor, who is well known for her voiceover for Ash Ketchum in Pokémon animated series.
In her post on X, Taylor mentioned that Lillis was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2024. She told that even during the tough times that Rachael Lillis endured, she was always thankful for the love and support Lillis got from her beloved fans. In her fight with cancer, Lillis’ sister created a GoFundMe campaign after getting diagnosed from cancer. Notably so, many of her co-actors and fans came forward to help the voice actress in her time of need. Sadly, even their heartfelt efforts couldn’t save Lillis from an untimely demise.
Lillis was born in Niagara Falls, New York, USA on July 8, 1969. A premed student once in Smith College, Massachusetts, she followed her passion by studying voice acting in Boston. Lillis then moved to New York City in 1996 to try her luck in various animated and theater productions.
Her first major breakthrough came when she got the English voiceover duties of Misty, Jessie and multiple Pokémon in the 1998 animated show Pokémon the Series. The legion of Pokémon fans will forever mourn her loss. But that is not the way Rachael Lillis would like to be remembered. Lillis leaves behind a long lasting legacy with her iconic voice and fans will always cherish the moments that made their childhood and teenage memorable!
