Rick Peeples
Description
Rick Peeples was an American actor known for his extensive work providing English voices for anime series and films during the 1990s and early 2000s. Born Richard Curtis Peeples Sr. on July 21, 1942, in Texas City, Texas, he pursued a career in acting that spanned both stage and voice work. He held a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at Austin and also performed in numerous seasons with the Utah Shakespeare Festival, demonstrating a strong foundation in classical theatre before his foray into voice acting.
Peeples' voice acting career is most prominently associated with the Houston-based studio ADV Films, where he became a familiar presence in their English dubs of Japanese anime. His deep, authoritative voice often typecast him in roles of senior officials, commanders, and elder statesmen. One of his earliest and most notable roles was as The Chief in the original 1991 OVA Burn Up!, a part he would reprise in various forms in subsequent series like Burn Up W and Burn Up!. This established a pattern for the many authoritative figures he would go on to portray.
He is perhaps best recognized by anime fans for his role as the enigmatic and scarred Keel Lorenz, the chairman of the human instrumentality committee SEELE, in the landmark series Neon Genesis Evangelion. This remains one of his most significant and widely remembered performances. Another notable role was as George Black, an ATF agent, in the well-regarded action OVA Gunsmith Cats.
Throughout his career, Peeples built an extensive filmography by taking on a wide array of supporting and character roles. His credits list him as Police Inspector and Prime Minister in Blue Seed, Dominick in the hyperactive comedy Excel Saga, and Old Man and Zellner in the serene assassin thriller Noir. He also appeared in series such as Gasaraki as Tatsumi Wakisaka, Kurau: Phantom Memory as Saito, and in various installments of the Bubblegum Crisis franchise, including Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040 as Linna's Father and A.D. Police. His film work extended to live-action dubbing as well, such as voicing the character Mister Glasses in the kaiju film Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris.
His contributions to anime were not limited to television series; he also lent his voice to numerous original video animations (OVAs). His OVA credits included roles in Battle Angel, Ellcia, Panzer Dragoon as the Captain, Super Atragon, and Guy.
Rick Peeples passed away on January 20, 2014, in Nassau Bay, Texas. His body of work remains a significant part of the landscape of 1990s and early 2000s anime localization, and his performances are remembered by fans who grew up watching these influential series.
Peeples' voice acting career is most prominently associated with the Houston-based studio ADV Films, where he became a familiar presence in their English dubs of Japanese anime. His deep, authoritative voice often typecast him in roles of senior officials, commanders, and elder statesmen. One of his earliest and most notable roles was as The Chief in the original 1991 OVA Burn Up!, a part he would reprise in various forms in subsequent series like Burn Up W and Burn Up!. This established a pattern for the many authoritative figures he would go on to portray.
He is perhaps best recognized by anime fans for his role as the enigmatic and scarred Keel Lorenz, the chairman of the human instrumentality committee SEELE, in the landmark series Neon Genesis Evangelion. This remains one of his most significant and widely remembered performances. Another notable role was as George Black, an ATF agent, in the well-regarded action OVA Gunsmith Cats.
Throughout his career, Peeples built an extensive filmography by taking on a wide array of supporting and character roles. His credits list him as Police Inspector and Prime Minister in Blue Seed, Dominick in the hyperactive comedy Excel Saga, and Old Man and Zellner in the serene assassin thriller Noir. He also appeared in series such as Gasaraki as Tatsumi Wakisaka, Kurau: Phantom Memory as Saito, and in various installments of the Bubblegum Crisis franchise, including Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040 as Linna's Father and A.D. Police. His film work extended to live-action dubbing as well, such as voicing the character Mister Glasses in the kaiju film Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris.
His contributions to anime were not limited to television series; he also lent his voice to numerous original video animations (OVAs). His OVA credits included roles in Battle Angel, Ellcia, Panzer Dragoon as the Captain, Super Atragon, and Guy.
Rick Peeples passed away on January 20, 2014, in Nassau Bay, Texas. His body of work remains a significant part of the landscape of 1990s and early 2000s anime localization, and his performances are remembered by fans who grew up watching these influential series.