William Roberts, sometimes credited as Bill Roberts, was an American actor who built a significant career in voice acting, particularly in the United Kingdom, where he was based for much of his life. He was born William Edward Roberts on October 18, 1943, in Roseburg, Oregon. His path to voice acting was rooted in a strong foundation of theatrical performance. He studied drama, earning a bachelor's degree in theater arts from Humboldt State College in California and later a diploma in drama from the University of Manchester in England. This academic background led to work on stage, including a tenure with the Oregon Shakespearean Festival, and he eventually co-founded and managed theater companies in the UK. Beyond his performance career, Roberts was also a licensed pilot and an author, publishing fiction and biographical works under the name W.E. Roberts.

Roberts became a familiar voice in English-dubbed anime produced during the 1990s and early 2000s, frequently working on projects released by Manga Entertainment in the UK. His roles during this period include such as Drakman, the leader of a rebel group in the OVA Megazone 23 Part III. He provided the voice for Tomanaga in the 1992 English version of the space opera film Odin: Starlight Mutiny. In the supernatural samurai OVA Sword for Truth, he voiced the character Dogen. He was also the voice of Zoa, one of the antagonistic Evoluders, in the sci-fi series Detonator Orgun.

His work in anime was extensive and included other notable titles from the same era. He voiced characters in the Manga Entertainment UK dubs of cult classics like Battle Angel (as Gime), Appleseed (as Bularios), and Goku II: Midnight Eye (as Zenzō Kadoma). He is also credited with roles in the Patlabor films, playing Fukushima in the first movie and Seitaro Sakaki in Patlabor 2: The Movie. Another significant anime role was providing the voice for Moominpappa in the later episodes of the Tanoshii Moomin Ikka television series.

While Roberts built a substantial résumé in anime, his later career was marked by prominent roles in the video game industry. He was widely recognized for his performance as the wise and grizzled witcher Vesemir in the critically acclaimed game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, a role that earned him nominations for voice acting awards. His distinctive, authoritative voice also appeared in major game franchises such as Crysis, Sniper Elite, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Horizon Zero Dawn. William Roberts passed away on February 14, 2025, at the age of 81, leaving behind a legacy of work that spanned theater, anime, and video games.