William James Ross was an American actor, voice actor, and pioneer of the English-language dubbing industry in Japan. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on September 7, 1923. After serving in the Korean War, he moved to Japan with the intention of joining the United States State Department but instead became involved in the Japanese film industry in the late 1950s. He appeared in front of the camera in numerous films, often uncredited, with one of his later on-screen roles being the impostor Dr. Schmidt in the 1977 film The War in Space.

Ross's entry into the world of dubbing came in 1959 following a recommendation by Japanese actor So Yamamura. He demonstrated such immediate aptitude for the work that the Japanese dubbing director left him in charge on his very first day. In 1964, he founded his own dubbing company in Tokyo, Frontier Enterprises, where he served as a dialogue writer, dubbing director, editor, and voice actor. Frontier Enterprises became one of the preeminent English-language dubbing houses in Japan, producing English versions of over 465 feature films for major studios such as Toho, Toei, and Shochiku. Ross was responsible for casting and training the native English speakers he could find in Tokyo, building a reliable pool of talent for the industry.

Through his company, Ross provided English voices for a variety of anime series and films. Among his notable roles in anime is Doctor Steel in the 1967-1968 anime series Phantaman, known to some audiences as Ogon Bat. He also voiced the antagonist General Gattler in the 1981 animated film Space Warrior Baldios. Another significant role was that of Emperor Zoa in the 1980 animated film Cyborg 009: Legend of the Super Galaxy. His other voice work in anime includes roles in Choppy & the Princess, the Frontier Enterprises dub of Lupin the 3rd: The Mystery of Mamo, and films such as Arcadia of My Youth and The Dagger of Kamui.

Beyond his voice acting, William Ross's most enduring legacy is his foundational role in establishing the English-language dubbing industry in Japan through Frontier Enterprises. The company he founded dubbed hundreds of films and trained many of the voice actors who would continue to work in the field. William Ross passed away in Tokyo on April 19, 2014, at the age of 90.