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Veteran voice actor Jim Ward, beloved by millions for bringing a cast of memorable characters to life across animation and video games, died at the age of 66. Ward’s wife, Janice Ryan Ward, confirmed to media outlets that his passing was due to complications from advanced Alzheimer’s disease. He had been receiving care at Silverado Beverly Place Memory Care in Los Angeles.
News of Ward’s death was first shared publicly by his long-time friend and colleague, radio host Stephanie Miller, on social media. Ward had served as a co-host and announcer on The Stephanie Miller Show, a syndicated radio talk program, for 13 years until 2017. Miller shared a message she received from Janice Ward, which stated, “Our wonderful ‘voice deity’… passed away today at 10:45 AM.”
Jim Ward was perhaps most famous for his roles on the popular Nickelodeon animated series The Fairly OddParents. His distinct voice was responsible for two of the show’s most iconic recurring characters: Doug Dimmadome, the wealthy, impossibly-hatted owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome, and Chet Ubetcha, the enthusiastic and sometimes frantic news reporter for Dimmsdale’s Channel 7 News. Ward voiced these characters in over 90 episodes between 2001 and 2017.
Beyond television, Ward was a prolific presence in the world of video games. He is deeply revered by the gaming community for voicing the dim-witted but heroic Captain Qwark in the Ratchet & Clank franchise across multiple installments. His resume also included characters in major video game titles such as Fallout 4, Metal Gear Solid 3 and Diablo 3. He also lent his voice to animated series like Ben 10 and Wolverine and the X-Men, where he voiced Professor Charles Xavier.
Ward had stepped away from voice acting in recent years following his diagnosis with early-onset Alzheimer’s, a condition he had battled for approximately eight years. Prior to his diagnosis, he also faced a severe case of COVID-19 in 2021 that was linked to a memory issue and reportedly resulted in temporary paralysis. The passing of Jim Ward marks the loss of a truly versatile and gifted voice artist whose legacy will live on through his celebrated roles.
