Achille Orsoni
Description
Achille Orsoni, born Gérard Robert Vincent Orsoni on April 13, 1952, in Saint-Cyr-l'École, France, was a prolific French actor primarily recognized for his extensive work in dubbing. Before dedicating himself to voice acting, he began his professional life as a singer and musician, transitioning to dubbing in 1987, a craft he would pursue for the rest of his life. He passed away in Paris on December 21, 2019, at the age of 67 after a long illness.
Orsoni contributed his voice to numerous animated works, particularly in the realm of anime and feature films. Among his noted roles in anime is the character of Papi in the French dub of the 2018 film Mirai, directed by Mamoru Hosoda. He also lent his voice to other significant anime films, including Okina, the Bamboo Cutter, in Studio Ghibli's The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and Ezylryb in The Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole. His work extended to the anime series Carole & Tuesday, where he voiced Toby, and he was also heard in the long-running series One Piece as Don Chinjao.
His dubbing career was not limited to Japanese animation. Orsoni was a familiar voice in numerous Western animated productions, such as providing voices for various characters in series like Batman, Animaniacs, and Hey Arnold!, as well as in films from major studios. For Disney and Pixar, he voiced characters like Gene in Wreck-It Ralph and its sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet, Reflux in Incredibles 2, and King Peppy in Trolls.
Beyond animation, Achille Orsoni was highly active in dubbing for live-action television and film. He was particularly well-known for being the French voice of actor Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid in the final three Harry Potter films. His versatility is also demonstrated by his work in the series Game of Thrones, where he voiced four different characters, and his portrayal of Logan Roy, played by Brian Cox, in the series Succession. His later work included providing the French voice for Brendan Gleeson's character in the series Mr. Mercedes. While a dedicated fan of voice acting might notice patterns in casting, Orsoni's career was characterized by a wide range of roles across different genres and studios rather than frequent, exclusive collaborations with a specific group of directors or actors.
Orsoni contributed his voice to numerous animated works, particularly in the realm of anime and feature films. Among his noted roles in anime is the character of Papi in the French dub of the 2018 film Mirai, directed by Mamoru Hosoda. He also lent his voice to other significant anime films, including Okina, the Bamboo Cutter, in Studio Ghibli's The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and Ezylryb in The Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole. His work extended to the anime series Carole & Tuesday, where he voiced Toby, and he was also heard in the long-running series One Piece as Don Chinjao.
His dubbing career was not limited to Japanese animation. Orsoni was a familiar voice in numerous Western animated productions, such as providing voices for various characters in series like Batman, Animaniacs, and Hey Arnold!, as well as in films from major studios. For Disney and Pixar, he voiced characters like Gene in Wreck-It Ralph and its sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet, Reflux in Incredibles 2, and King Peppy in Trolls.
Beyond animation, Achille Orsoni was highly active in dubbing for live-action television and film. He was particularly well-known for being the French voice of actor Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid in the final three Harry Potter films. His versatility is also demonstrated by his work in the series Game of Thrones, where he voiced four different characters, and his portrayal of Logan Roy, played by Brian Cox, in the series Succession. His later work included providing the French voice for Brendan Gleeson's character in the series Mr. Mercedes. While a dedicated fan of voice acting might notice patterns in casting, Orsoni's career was characterized by a wide range of roles across different genres and studios rather than frequent, exclusive collaborations with a specific group of directors or actors.