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Billy Kametz, a well-known video game and anime voice actor, passed away at the age of 35 after a long battle with colon cancer. The news of his death was confirmed by the organizers of his GoFundMe campaign.
The campaign first started in May 2021, shortly after Kametz announced he was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer and would be taking a hiatus from his work to spend time with his family in Pennsylvania.
The GoFundMe campaign mentioned that the funds raised through the platform would cover travel, insurance, medical bills not provided by insurance, and other daily life necessities. At the time of writing, the fundraiser collected $183,598 of its $150,000 goal.
Organizers revealed that the campaign would be officially closed on June 14 to allow “final thoughts and donations.” It was also mentioned that donations that have not been used towards Kametz’s treatment would be contributed towards his funeral and the celebration of his life and funeral.
Kametz’s family also encouraged contributors to donate to the Colon Cancer Coalition in honor of the artist. Reports suggest that a viewing will be held by his family on June 15, and Kametz will be laid to rest on June 18.
A look back into the life of Billy Kametz
Billy Kametz was an American video game and anime voice actor, best remembered for appearing as Josuke Higashikata in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable, Takuto Maruki in Persona 5 Royal, and Naofumi Iwatani in The Rising of the Shield Hero.
Kametz was born on March 22, 1987 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and grew up in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He previously worked as an entertainment staff on Disney’s cruise line before moving to Los Angeles in 2016 to play the titular role in Disney's Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular.
The artist then established a career in the voice industry and bagged several prominent voice roles in anime shows like Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, Boruto, Pokemon Journeys, and Neon Genesis Evangelion, among others.
Kametz won the Best VA Performance (EN) award at the 4th Crunchyroll Anime Awards in 2020 for his role in The Rising of the Shield Hero. Fans of Nintendo also remember Kametz for his role in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Fire Emblem Heroes, and Pokemon Masters.
Other video games he lent his voice to include Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Triangle Strategy, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, and Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster.
Tributes pour in as Billy Kametz dies at 65
Billy Kametz was one of the most beloved voice actors in the anime and video games industry. Unfortunately, he passed away on June 9, 2022, after suffering from stage IV colon cancer.
Following the news of his demise, several of Kametz’s fans and well-wishers took to Twitter to mourn the loss of the artist:
As tributes continue to pour in online, it is certain that Billy Kametz will be dearly missed by his family, friends, admirers, and loved ones. He will also always be remembered for his work and contributions to the entertainment industry.
