James Carter Cathcart, the English-language voice actor for James and Meowth and others in the Pokémon anime series, is retiring from his roles after 25 years because of cancer. His work on the show ends at the end of the show’s 25th season, dubbed Pokemon Ultimate Journeys: The Seriessaid his wife Martha Jacobi on Monday.
Cathcart was first diagnosed with cancer in late January. According to his wife’s description, the cancer started at the base of his tongue and later spread to both sides of his tongue and the lymph glands on his neck. On 04/17 Jacobi said on CaringBridge
“Jimmy has decided to retire from script adaptation and voice-over for Pokémon USA effective at the end of Season 25. He’s been with the show since the first episode so it’s a timely decision as the show moves on to new characters and story lines,” Jacobi said on CaringBridge.
Cathcart’s voice is a familiar comfort to many who grew up watching the Pokémon series. Since the series began, he has played the recurring roles of two members of Team Rocket, the flamboyant James and the odd-talking Meowth, in addition to characters like Professor Oak and other Pokémon. Though he played the role of two of the show’s “bad guys,” both James and Meowth are integral parts of the franchise and have become well-loved characters as fans watched their antics over the years.
Cathcart’s departure from the show comes at a transitional time for the Pokémon series. In Japan, where the television series continues to progress, its longtime protagonists, Ash and Pikachu, have already retired and been replaced by two new protagonists: Liko and Roy. Though Ash hung up his hat, it left Team Rocket’s future somewhat uncertain. We saw Team Rocket take off for what we thought was the last time, but then the team returned for one last time in Ash’s final episode. We don’t have confirmation, but right now it’s looking like a group called the Explorers could be the next new villains.
