Christopher Ayres

American actor (1965–2021)

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Christopher Owen Ayres (May 16, 1965 – October 18, 2021) was an American actor, director and scriptwriter. He worked on voice acting and ADR directing on a number of English dubs of Japanese anime shows. In anime, he was best known as the voice of Kei Kurono from Gantz, Frieza from Dragon Ball Z Kai and Dragon Ball Super, Prince Soma from Black Butler, and Shingen Takeda from the Sengoku Basara series. He was also known for Mock Combat for Cosplay panels at anime conventions.

Early life and career

Ayres had his first professional acting gig in a commercial for Lollipop Soft Drinks in Richmond, Virginia, when he was six years old. The Ayres family moved to the Alief, Houston, area of Houston, Texas, when he was 12, where Chris attended Alief Middle School, and then Alief Elsik High School. He graduated in 1983. After graduating high school Ayres attended Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas, and studied theatre until 1985. He returned to Houston and continued to study theatre at the University of Houston. Prior to his voice acting and ADR directing career, he was well known as a stage director, choreographer, and fight director in the Houston Theatre community.

Personal life and death

In November 2017, Ayres was diagnosed with end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and required a double lung transplant to survive. A YouCaring fundraiser was created that sought $25,000 to assist with medical care and procedures.

Ayres died on October 18, 2021, at the age of 56 years, following years of complications from pulmonary disease. His death was announced on Twitter the following day by his partner and fellow voice actress, Krystal LaPorte.