Mike McFarland has passed away at the age of 56. The voice actor behind One Piece‘s Buggy the Clown had been battling brain cancer. Fellow performers and fans have paid tribute to his career and friendship following his death.
According to TMZ, McFarland died at a Dallas care facility surrounded by friends and family. His friend Brina Palencia told the outlet that voice-over colleagues visited him in recent months to sing songs and share stories.
On Instagram, voice actor Matthew Mercer wrote, “Been swinging between numb and emotional since yesterday. Mike McFarland has been a source of joy for so many for so long. One of my favorite directors to work with over the years, he took chances on bringing me onto projects that have defined much of my career (AoT, One Piece, etc), but more than that, he was a brilliant friend.”
X user @LeeandLie wrote, “Mike McFarland was the first director to cast me in my lower register voice. I had never utilized it before but he saw my range before even I did and helped me so much in the beginning of my voice acting career. I’ll forever cherish the memories.”
@JMichaelTatum said on X, “Mike McFarland, my dear friend and mentor of over twenty years, is gone. A rarer, more beautiful soul this world will never know. Rest in peace, Salt. The love you created endures, but damned if I know how we’ll get on without you around to share it back to us.”
McFarland began his voice acting career in the late 1990s with roles in Dragon Ball Z. He later voiced Jean Havoc in Fullmetal Alchemist. He also worked on One-Punch Man, Attack on Titan, and Tokyo Ghoul.
McFarland voiced Buggy from 2007 until his death across One Piece television projects and movies. He also worked as an ADR director on several anime productions.
His health struggles became public in January 2025 after he withdrew from Central Florida Comic Con. A brain tumor was discovered, and he underwent emergency surgery. He was later diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.net.
