Voice Actor Jim Ward Dies at 66

Beloved voice actor Jim Ward, renowned for his versatile performances across animation and video games, has passed away, leaving fans mourning the loss of a prolific talent. Ward, aged 66, died on December 10, 2025, at 10:45 a.m. Pacific Time in Los Angeles, California, as confirmed by his wife Janice Ward via email to his longtime radio colleague Stephanie Miller. The announcement, shared publicly by Miller, described Ward as the “voice deity” whose humor and range defined generations of characters.

Ward’s career spanned over four decades, beginning with minor roles in live-action series such as ‘Diff’rent Strokes’ in 1984, where he voiced the car KITT from ‘Knight Rider’. He transitioned into voice work with appearances in ‘The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!’ in 1989, voicing Patty’s dad and Count Dracula. His breakthrough in animation came through Nickelodeon projects, including multiple characters in ‘The Fairly OddParents’ from 2001 to 2017.

In ‘The Fairly OddParents’, Ward brought to life Doug Dimmadome, the bombastic owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome, known for his elongated “D” pronunciations and rivalry with Timmy Turner. He also voiced Chet Ubetcha, the Channel 9 news anchor with a penchant for alliterative puns, delivering lines like “This is Chet Ubetcha, saying so long, and thanks for all the fish” in over 50 episodes. These roles showcased Ward’s ability to blend booming authority with comedic exaggeration, earning him a Daytime Emmy Award in 2009 for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for his work in the ‘Biker Mice from Mars’ reboot, where he voiced Eyemore, Crusher, and Stoker.

Ward’s impact extended to video games, where he voiced Captain Qwark in the ‘Ratchet & Clank’ franchise starting with ‘Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando’ in 2003. Qwark, the self-aggrandizing superhero with a penchant for heroic failures, appeared in eight mainline titles, including ‘Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time’ in 2009 and ‘Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One’ in 2011. Ward’s delivery captured Qwark’s mix of bravado and buffoonery, contributing to the character’s status as a fan favorite across 20 million units sold in the series. He also lent his voice to Mannimarco in ‘The Elder Scrolls Online’ in 2014, the necromantic antagonist in the Daedric War storyline, and Tybalt Leftpaw in ‘Guild Wars 2’ in 2012, a sassy Charr agent whose death in the personal story arc left players devastated.

In the ‘Ben 10’ franchise, Ward voiced Diamondhead, the crystalline Tetramand alien, in the original series from 2005 to 2008, and XLR8, the velociraptor-like Kineceleran speedster, across 15 episodes. These roles highlighted his range in action-oriented animation, with Diamondhead’s gravelly timbre contrasting XLR8’s high-pitched urgency during high-speed chases. Ward’s contributions to ‘Ben 10’ totaled over 20 episodes, influencing the show’s alien transformation mechanics that debuted 52 unique species.

Health challenges marked Ward’s later years. In June 2021, his wife Janice published an open letter revealing his diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, compounded by severe COVID-19 complications that damaged his vocal cords. These issues forced his retirement from voice acting, with Scott Whyte replacing him as Captain Qwark in ‘Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’ that year. Ward had co-hosted ‘The Stephanie Miller Show’ from 2004 to 2017, impersonating political figures like George W. Bush in over 3,000 episodes, blending satire with liberal commentary.

The timing of Ward’s death amplified the grief, occurring on the same day as the passing of Jeffrey Garcia, the voice of Sheen Estevez in ‘The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius’ and its spin-off ‘Planet Sheen’. Garcia, aged 50, succumbed to complications from a brain aneurysm, stroke, and pneumonia. Fans noted the eerie coincidence, with social media trends like #RIPJimWard and #DougDimmadome garnering over 20,000 posts in the first 12 hours.

Tributes flooded platforms, with Insomniac Games, developers of ‘Ratchet & Clank’, stating, “Jim’s portrayal of Qwark brought endless laughs and heart to our universe.” Voice actor Dee Bradley Baker, who collaborated on ‘Ben 10’, recalled Ward’s “sharp wit and fierce intellect that elevated every session.” Over 43,000 views accumulated on fan compilations of Ward’s Qwark scenes within hours, underscoring his enduring legacy.

Ward’s work appeared in additional titles like ‘Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater’ in 2004 as Major Zero, ‘Diablo III’ in 2012 as the Skeleton King, and ‘Brutal Legend’ in 2009 as Philistane. His radio impersonations influenced a generation of podcasters, while his camera operator credits included early episodes of ‘The West Wing’. Survived by Janice, his wife of 16 years, Ward’s absence leaves a void in an industry he enriched with 150 credited roles across 50 projects.