Nachi Nozawa was a renowned Japanese actor, voice actor, theatre director, and narrator, celebrated for his deep, charismatic voice and his extensive contributions to both anime and the dubbing of foreign films. He was born on January 13, 1938, in Tokyo, and his real name was Yasutomo Nozawa. He passed away on October 30, 2010, from lung cancer at the age of 72.

Nozawa was a pivotal figure in the Japanese entertainment industry, not only for his performances but also as the founder and representative of the talent agency Office PAC. His career was marked by a prolific output across various media, and he was particularly revered for his work in voice acting. His legacy was honored posthumously when he received a Special Merit Award at the 5th Seiyu Awards in 2011, and he had previously been awarded a Merit Award at the 2nd Seiyu Awards in 2008.

A significant part of Nozawa's career was his work as a dub-over artist, where he became the official Japanese voice for several major international stars, including Al Pacino, Alain Delon, and Bruce Willis. He was also well-known for dubbing actors such as Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, and Christopher Walken. His voice became synonymous with characters like John McClane in the Die Hard film series for Japanese audiences.

In the realm of anime, Nozawa's roles were diverse and impactful, spanning decades and encompassing iconic characters. He was the voice of the titular space adventurer in both the Space Adventure Cobra television series and its subsequent OVAs, a role for which he is particularly remembered. He also portrayed the demon-hunting protagonist Hyakkimaru in the classic series Dororo and Father Alexander Anderson in Hellsing. Another notable role was that of Jin Munakata, the stern tennis coach in Aim for the Ace! (Ace o Nerae!), a character he voiced across the original series and its OVA sequels for over a decade.

His filmography includes a vast array of other significant performances. He voiced Professor Hojo in the Final Fantasy VII franchise, including in Last Order: Final Fantasy VII and the video games Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus. He took on the role of Dr. Mashirito in the Dr. Slump franchise and played Black Jack in multiple productions, including Undersea Super Train: Marine Express and Bremen 4: Angels in Hell. He was also the voice of Dr. Victor Frankenstein in Kyōfu Densetsu: Kaiki! Frankenstein and Worsel in the film Lensman.

Throughout his later career, Nozawa remained active, lending his distinctive voice to a wide variety of characters. These included the villainous Sid in Devil May Cry, Tokujirō Hanada in Hanada Shōnen-shi, and Heisuke Matsudo in Kekkaishi. He also played roles in major film franchises, such as Woonan in the first One Piece movie and Kahiko in the second Naruto film. His early work includes a role in the 1969 pilot film for Lupin III, where he voiced Arsène Lupin III. Across his long and distinguished career, Nachi Nozawa left an indelible mark on the world of anime and voice acting in Japan.