86 (Eighty-Six) fans are now able to watch the last dub episodes of one of the most popular animes on Crunchyroll, and some may have noticed that the main protagonist’s voice was a bit different for the last two episodes. That is because the actor, Billy Kametz, had to, unfortunately, step down from the series for health-related reasons. Just a few weeks after this was announced, he tragically died. Here’s a look at exactly what happened to Shin’s voice actor, who had to step down for Eighty-Six Episodes 22 and 23, and how you can still support his loved ones who were left behind.
Shin’s Voice Actor on Eighty-Six Had Cancer
Billy Kametz (who is also known for his roles on Neon Genesis Evangelion and as Nicolo on Attack on Titan) revealed on April 26, 2022, via YouTube that he would be retiring from voice acting and returning to Hershey, Pennsylvania, to be with his family after being diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.
In his video, he shared that he was surrounded by the best doctors and that the plan was to kick cancer’s butt and come back to his job. He also asked his fans to be the biggest cheerleaders for the people who were going to fill in his shoes in the many projects he was part of and was going to be part of, as he needed to leave. For Eighty-Six, these shoes now belong to Aleks Le.
I'm honored to be filling in for Billy as Shin Nouzen for the last 2 eps of 86 EIGHTY-SIX. They’re mighty big shoes to fill, so I’ll work really hard to make you proud.
Let’s do our best to send him some love & support✨
You can help by donating/sharing: https://t.co/azG3Ymljzj pic.twitter.com/zQL9pDrt9t
— Aleks Le (@AleksLeVO) May 5, 2022
He Died on June 9
Tragically, less than two months after he told fans that he was officially stepping down from his role, Billy Kametz died. 😥
According to his obituary, He died at the MS Hershey Medical Center in Middletown and was only 35.
The obituary shared, “Anyone who has met Billy will tell you he is one of the most sincere, humble and loving people they have ever met. His infectious personality and smile always lit up a room with so much joy and happiness.”
He leaves behind his sister, Nikki, brother-in-law, Greg, nephews, uncles, aunt, and girlfriend Erica.
Instead of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Colon Cancer Coalition. Condolences can be shared online here.
How to Donate to Kametz’s GoFundMe
On April 29th, Kametz revealed on Twitter that since a generous amount of people asked for him to start a GoFundMe campaign to help him through this ordeal, he decided to set one up. You can help Billy financially if you are able by clicking on this link. At this date, more than $163,000 USD has been generously donated. The goal was to get $150,000 USD. The funds will help cover travel expenses, insurance prices, medical bills not covered by insurance, and other living expenses.
The GoFundMe will remain open until June 14 to help cover burial and funeral expenses.
Jinnie McManus, Billy’s convention agent and one of the people who organized the GoFundMe page, wrote before his death: “Not only will our support help him focus on his diagnosis rather than his finances, but it will also give us the opportunity to show Billy in a real, tangible way how much we appreciate the happiness he has brought to our lives – through his kindness to his friends, family, and fans, and from his voice on our TV screens. With your help, he can continue spreading that happiness for years to come.”
Hey friends! Since so many have asked I’ve decided to start a GoFundMe. I’m blown away by the amount of support and positivity that I received and that’s really all I need, but if you do want to give I sure would be appreciative.https://t.co/Tyn7j6I7K4
— Billy Kametz (@BillyKametz) April 29, 2022
Among the donors, Matthew Mercer (Critical Role, Attack On Titan) generously gave $2,500 USD to the cause.
Billy is such a glowing soul with the heart of a warrior. He’s rising to the battle ahead, and we can help stand beside him as he takes down this beast called cancer. <3 https://t.co/Xg480WeWHL
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) April 29, 2022
From all of us at PostApocalyptic.com, we wish Billy’s family our deepest condolences. Cancer is another one of those monsters that can devastate a person and their loved ones.
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