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On Monday, October 18, renowned voice actor Christopher Ayres passed away at the age of 56. Christopher was best known for voicing Frieza in the English dubbed version of the Dragon Ball series. He had been suffering from end-stage COPD lung disease since November 2017.
The news of his passing was informed by his partner and fellow voice actor Krystal LaPorte. She shared the news on her social media, stating:
"On October 18 at 8:40 pm, my world went dark. Christopher Owen Ayres passed away peacefully, held close by his mother, brother, and girlfriend."
LaPorte further added,
"...To those of you who stayed in touch, checked on him, reminded him that he was so, so much more than his job, you were the fuel of his fight. You fed the dreams of a future that kept him going longer than any normal person could go."
Dragon Ball series maker Toei Animation also posted,
"May you rest in peace Chris Ayres, a magnificent voice actor...You will always be remembered. Thank you for everything."
Cartoon Network subsidiary Adult Swim tweeted:
“RIP Chris Ayres Frieza Forever.”
What did Christopher Ayres suffer from?
Christopher Ayres was diagnosed with end-stage COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) in November 2017. The 56-year-old actor also had a double lung transplant on 31 October 2020. The voice actor also had additional surgeries on his lungs to clear out complications twice, with the last being in July 2021.
What is COPD?
COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is a progressive lung disease that causes inflammation in the lungs, blocking airflow. The condition is usually not diagnosed until its very end stages, which was the case for Christopher Ayres.
The pulmonary disease is usually treatable but often requires a lung transplant if it has progressed considerably. COPD symptoms include chronic coughs with mucus, shortness, and troubled breathing.
COPD is often a consequence of other lung conditions like emphysema and chronic bronchitis. In Chris' case, he had emphysema which caused damage to the alveoli (air sacs) in his lungs. Usually, COPD and Emphysema are caused by long-term exposure to harmful gases and smoking. However, it is not known if Christopher Ayres was a smoker.
A few months earlier, Ayres made a statement regarding his medical treatment on his GoFundMe page. He said,
"I still require a battery of 41 pills a day, with additional breathing and nebulizer treatments. I also require a continuous supply of medical masks, and sanitizing products."
Christopher Ayres had over 200 credits as a voice actor and won a BTVA Anime Voice Acting Award in 2012 for his portrayal of Frieza. The voice actor also won two BTVAs in 2016 as a part of the cast of Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F'.
