Master Roshi Voice Actor
Dragon Ball Voice Actor and Director Mike McFarland Passes Away at 56
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Key Points
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McFarland directed English dubs for major productions including Attack on Titan, Fullmetal Alchemist, Dragon Ball and the Rebuild of Evangelion films, as well as the animated films Summer Wars and Wolf Children.
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His behind-the-scenes influence on One Piece included bringing Colleen Clinkenbeard in to audition for Monkey D. Luffy; she ultimately voiced the character for decades.
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A GoFundMe launched in January 2025 to help pay for an at-home caretaker was later redirected toward the cost of McFarland’s stay in a nursing facility.
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McFarland also voiced several additional Dragon Ball characters, including Yajirobe, Android 8, Pui Pui and the Dragon Ball GT villain Baby, and reprised Master Roshi for Dragon Ball FighterZ downloadable content.
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One Piece voice-acting aspirant Lee Steinfeld, known online as Leonhart, credited McFarland with giving him his first opportunity in the field in 2014: “I submitted my character reel, and the very next day, he reached out and wanted me to come into Funimation to do some work.”
Mike McFarland, the legendary voice actor who brought Master Roshi to life in Dragon Ball's English dub, has died at 56. Boston 25 News reports he battled a brain tumor and was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2025, with his death occurring on September 9, 2026. McFarland shaped decades of anime for English-speaking fans through his voice work and behind-the-scenes direction on some of the medium's biggest titles.
Beyond Master Roshi, McFarland voiced Buggy the Clown in One Piece, Jean Kirstein in Attack on Titan, and Jean Havoc in Fullmetal Alchemist. WSOC-TV notes he also directed English dubs for Attack on Titan, Fullmetal Alchemist, and the Rebuild of Evangelion films. His influence extended to casting decisions—he brought auditioner Colleen Clinkenbeard to perform Monkey D. Luffy, a role she voiced for decades.
A Career Spanning Anime's Golden Era
McFarland began his voice acting career in the 1990s and became essential to English anime dubbing. He directed major productions including Dragon Ball, Summer Wars, and Wolf Children. His work as an ADR director—handling dialogue recording and adaptation—shaped how millions of American fans experienced beloved anime stories. He also voiced Charlie Nash in Street Fighter V and multiple Dragon Ball characters beyond Master Roshi, including Yajirobe, Android 8, and the Dragon Ball GT villain Baby.
McFarland reprised Master Roshi for Dragon Ball FighterZ downloadable content, keeping his iconic character alive for new generations. His behind-the-scenes influence on One Piece extended to recruitment—he gave voice actor Lee Steinfeld his first professional break in 2014. Steinfeld, known online as Leonhart, later recalled: "I submitted my character reel, and the very next day, he reached out and wanted me to come into Funimation to do some work."
Fighting Glioblastoma While Supporting Others
In January 2025, McFarland's supporters launched a GoFundMe to pay for an at-home caretaker as he battled glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. The campaign was later redirected toward nursing facility costs as his condition progressed. Even as his health declined, McFarland remained committed to his work and the anime community that had supported him throughout his career.
McFarland was born in 1970 in Texas and spent more than three decades shaping the English-language anime landscape. His dual role as performer and director made him irreplaceable—few people understood both the actor's perspective and the technical demands of dubbing as deeply as he did.
Legacy That Shaped Anime for Millions
McFarland's voice became synonymous with Master Roshi for generations of Dragon Ball fans who grew up with the English dub. His casting decisions and directorial vision influenced which actors became household names in anime circles. Fellow performers and fans have paid tribute to his lasting impact on both the anime and video game communities.
His work demonstrated that dubbing was not simply translation—it was creative reimagining. McFarland proved that a skilled director could make characters resonate in a new language while preserving their spirit. That philosophy shaped how anime entered American pop culture and why so many fans credit English dubs with introducing them to the medium.
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