Yasuo Yamada

Yamada Yasuo (10 September 1932-19 March 1995) was a Japanese voice actor born in Tokyo, Japan. Yamada left the faculty of literature of Waseda University, and has performed in many stage, radio, and television productions. His most famous role was Arsène Lupin III from the Lupin III series, starting in 1971 and ending in 1995. He also provided the Japanese dubbed voice for Clint Eastwood and Jean-Paul Belmondo. At the age of 62, Yasuo Yamada died of a brain hemorrhage (apoplexy) in Ota-ku Jinbara metropolitan hospital. At the end of the credits of the film Farewell to Nostradamus (the first Lupin film without Yasuo), there is a tribute: "To Yasuo Yamada, Eternal Lupin the Third: Thank you!" (the message was removed from the first angle of the English language DVD release by Funimation). Since Yasuo's death, Kurita Kan'ichi has taken over the role of Lupin the Third. As his last will, Yasuo requested Kurita to replace him, if he were to pass on. He belonged to Gekidan Mingei in the beginning of his career and was freelance afterwards. (Source: AniDB)