Long Live Chris Ayres

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Super Saiyan Swagger
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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by Super Saiyan Swagger » Tue Oct 19, 2021 10:31 pm

Rest in peace. He was without question my favourite actor from the English dub. You could just tell from his performance that he loved his craft. He even pushed through and continued to play Freeza in Broly and the Super anime while he was sick. If you've watched him in interviews he was so passionate about his work and you could see that he was such a genuine and loving person.

Incredibly sad. He'll be dearly missed. My heart goes out to his family and the people that were close to him.

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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by jjgp1112 » Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:18 pm

Rest in peace to THE Frieza. He gave us such incredible work.
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Master Roshi: Bulma, I think Frieza failed because he wore too many clothes!
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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by TheGreatness25 » Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:20 pm

This is so horrible. Rest in peace. He clearly had such a positive impact. He will absolutely be missed.

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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by Nickolaidas » Wed Oct 20, 2021 12:02 am

Just came to pay my respects.

You did a wonderful job, Chris. You loved the work, you loved the community and the community loved you back.

You breathed life into US Frieza, gave his voice this amazing edge like water sizzling, about to burst out of the tank. Which is what Frieza was all about.

Rest in Peace.

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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by Mr Baggins » Wed Oct 20, 2021 12:16 am

Even knowing Chris's health issues, this is no less devastating than it would have been had we not known anything at all.

Rest in peace to an extraordinary VA and extraordinary person.
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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by Peach » Wed Oct 20, 2021 12:40 am

He was one hell of a voice actor. And he loved playing Frieza. I still can't believe he did the Broly movie with oxygen tanks waiting for a double lung transplant.

I was really happy seeing him and his brother Greg Ayers voice Frieza and Frost together in Super.

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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by Dragon Ball Ireland » Wed Oct 20, 2021 1:53 am

Devastating news. As has been said Ayres was not only perfectly cast as Freeza, but he was also a great guy, so full of life and humour.

To Chris Ayres, wherever you are now, your work as Freeza in Kai, Super, and the last two movies will forever be cherished. We thank you for all of it, and how you persevered to keep going even when you didn't have to.

RIP.
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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by GhostEmperorX » Wed Oct 20, 2021 2:34 am

The bad news just about came out of nowhere. His performance was true to the original idea & execution of Freeza’s character by Nakao. Gone too soon, didn’t even know that his ailment was this bad.
My condolences to all those in his immediate life for their loss.

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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by Metalwario64 » Wed Oct 20, 2021 2:41 am

I'll never forget Kai's first English airing, and all of the speculation and hints from people in the know about the new English Freeza, and finally, when he makes his appearance, it's Chris Ayres. But it's the tail end of the episode, and some people (myself included) felt a little bit underwhelmed, because it ALMOST seemed that he was slightly tapping into the same kind of voice Newstone and Young gave the character, but it was only a brief line at the very end of the episode.

It didn't take long for it to become apparent how amazingly perfect he really was to be cast as Freeza. His performance excited me to watch every upcoming episode of the Freeza arc of Kai more than I already expected to be. It's become a huge nostalgic memory from my time in the Dragon Ball fandom, probably rivaling my sentimental feelings for having watched the old Saban-era FUNimation dub as a very young kid.

I'll always cherish those memories, and I'll always cherish Ayres and his performance as Freeza. It's a huge loss, and I'm going to miss him greatly. May he rest in peace.
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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by PurestEvil » Wed Oct 20, 2021 3:19 am

Oh no, I can’t believe it! Man, I respected him a lot for his voice of Freeza...he will be missed
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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by The Accountant » Wed Oct 20, 2021 4:56 am

Heartbreaking. Wasn't expecting this at all. May you rest in peace.

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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by Cure Dragon 255 » Wed Oct 20, 2021 5:57 am

i loved him. He was so awesome. I wish that he's at peace now.
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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by Big Black Sayian » Wed Oct 20, 2021 7:10 am

Very sad news. RIP Chris . Condolences to his family and friends

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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by coola » Wed Oct 20, 2021 8:00 am

One of few people associated with Funimation i respected. :(
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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by MCDaveG » Wed Oct 20, 2021 8:12 am

Really sad news, never been a fan of english dub, but I was happy for the english audience when Chris was announced as the voice of Freeza, after the atrocious Z dub from before.

Even more, when I was curious and heard his performance for the first time in Kai dub on youtube and later in some games,
he was really the closest thing to Ryusei Nakao's Freeza and nailed the character in his own right.
His was one of the real stand-out performances in the new dub.

My condolences to a great performer and actor.
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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by Dragon Sponge » Wed Oct 20, 2021 9:49 am

These are really Sad news, i myself did know only passivly about him, but from what i saw and heard about him, he was a really great Guy and will deeply be missed. And when it comes to his Frieza Voice from the Clips i saw, i have to agree that he did an Awesome Job there indeed.

My Condolence to his Family and Friends, may he Rest in Piece...

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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by Koitsukai » Wed Oct 20, 2021 10:47 am

Oh so sad, he was so young, may he rest in peace. Freeza was one of the few characters whose VA in japanese, english and spanish always sounded similar to me.

It's sad and shocking to see people we've grew up on pass away. Bulma's japanese VA, Gohan's latin VA, Freeza's english VA...

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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by kemuri07 » Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:08 am

He was sick for awhile right? Pretty sure he hasn't been the voice of Freeza even before Fighterz.

But yeah..of all the new VAs from Kai, Ayers impressed me the most with his version of Freeza. Just really well done that captures the quiet monstrosity of that character. Rest in Power, mah dude.

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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by jjgp1112 » Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:15 am

kemuri07 wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:08 am He was sick for awhile right? Pretty sure he hasn't been the voice of Freeza even before Fighterz.

But yeah..of all the new VAs from Kai, Ayers impressed me the most with his version of Freeza. Just really well done that captures the quiet monstrosity of that character. Rest in Power, mah dude.
He had COPD for the last 5 years or so. He was still sharing the role with Daman Mills, as in the Resurrection F arc of Super he handled most of the speaking dialogue while Mills did the more strenuous parts. And later on in the TOP, Mills played Frieza on the TV version while Chris Ayres went back and recorded all the lines himself for the DVD releases. And Ayres also played Frieza in DBS Broly with no assistance, which I believe was his final role.

Daman Mills is a great substitute for Ayres, though. Only more astute viewers will notice the difference (Mills is a bit rougher while Ayres is more soft-spoken and elegant)
Last edited by jjgp1112 on Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
Yamcha: Do you remember the spell to release him - do you know all the words?
Bulma: Of course! I'm not gonna pull a Frieza and screw it up!
Master Roshi: Bulma, I think Frieza failed because he wore too many clothes!
Cold World (Fanfic)
"It ain't never too late to stop bein' a bitch." - Chad Lamont Butler

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Re: Long Live Chris Ayres

Post by Demon Prince Piccolo » Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:17 am

jjgp1112 wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:15 am
kemuri07 wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:08 am He was sick for awhile right? Pretty sure he hasn't been the voice of Freeza even before Fighterz.

But yeah..of all the new VAs from Kai, Ayers impressed me the most with his version of Freeza. Just really well done that captures the quiet monstrosity of that character. Rest in Power, mah dude.
He had COPD for the last 5 years or so. He was still sharing the role with Damian Mills, as in the Resurrection F arc of Super he handled most of the speaking dialogue while Damian Mills did the more strenuous parts. And later on in the TOP, Damian Mills played Frieza on the TV version while Chris Ayres went back and recorded all the lines himself for the DVD releases. And Ayres also played Frieza in DBS Broly with no assistance, which I believe was his final role.

Damian Mills is a great substitute for Ayres, though. Only more astute viewers will notice the difference.
Yeah, I had been under the impression it was Ayres the entire time watching Super, and remember being shocked to learn it wasn't. And I'm normally pretty good at telling vocal differences. Mills was stellar.
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