R.I.P., Chairface Chippendale

[mr_bad_example]

What an unpleasant coincidence: No sooner do I buy the first-season DVD set of The Tick animated series than I find that Tony Jay has died.

I have a recurring daydream of becoming a voice actor, so I tend to take an interest in the people working in the field. Tony Jay was always one of my favorites. Among his many, many roles--and one of my favorites--was the Elder God in the Legacy of Kain video game series. He's probably best known for his work in Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but he also had a role on Lois and Clark, and a small part in The Nightmare Before Christmas. He was such a prolific voice and character actor that he would show up fairly frequently in some project or another, and every time he did, it was always a nice surprise.

I always joked about wanting the voice of Barry White, but if I were ever really given the choice of whose voice I would like to have, it would be Tony Jay's. It was this perfect blend of refinement and menace. Every time you heard it, you knew somebody was about to get messed up...elegantly.

A very unfortunate passing.

Comments

[midwest-siren.livejournal.com]

A sad day, indeed.

By the way - you should plan to go to GenCon next year. This year there were a ton of voice-over panels and groups as well as an opportunity to do a little voice work and compete to have a role in an upcoming movie.

[mr-bad-example.livejournal.com]

I was actually at GenCon this year. I had entertained the idea of checking out the voiceover panels, but it seemed like they were all at like midnight on Saturday. I was kinda conned out by then.

[midwest-siren.livejournal.com]

Curses! Of all the luck!

It would have been nice to play a scene with you, m'dear.

[coconuthead.livejournal.com]

Damn. I gotta go tell cursethedark

[cursethedark.livejournal.com]

I've been told.

Very sad news. I don't have the best ear for voice actors, but Chairface was a great character on a great show...and you summed his voice up perfectly--refinement and menace.

(On coco's recommendation, I've added you, Mr.BE.)

[mr-bad-example.livejournal.com]

I think I'm gonna hook up my old PlayStation and play a little Soul Reaver in his memory.