Lorne Greene, a Canadian actor with a career spanning radio, film, and television, is primarily known for his live-action roles, but his distinctive voice also led to work in animated and voice-narrated projects. His deep, resonant voice, which earned him early nicknames such as The Voice of Canada and The Voice of Doom during his time as a radio broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, became his trademark. This vocal quality made him a sought-after narrator for documentaries and films throughout his career, beginning in the 1940s with work for the National Film Board of Canada.

Greene's most prominent and well-documented voice role in anime is in the 1982 Japanese animated feature film The Wizard of Oz. Produced by Toho and animated by Topcraft, a studio whose staff would later form Studio Ghibli, the film is an adaptation of L. Frank Baum's classic novel. In a unique production circumstance, the English-language dialogue for the film was recorded first, with Greene providing the voice for the titular Wizard, alongside Aileen Quinn as Dorothy. This version was released in North America in 1982, while the Japanese-dubbed version was not released until 1986.

Outside of this specific anime role, Greene's extensive voice work was primarily in other mediums. He was the narrator for numerous documentary films and series, including the Canadian television nature documentary series Lorne Greene's New Wilderness, which he also hosted. He also provided voice work for other animated projects, such as the title role in the 1986 animated television film Noah's Ark and as Grandfather in the 1982 animated special Heidi's Song, though these are not anime productions. While his legacy is defined by iconic live-action television roles like Ben Cartwright on Bonanza and Commander Adama on Battlestar Galactica, his contribution to anime consists of a single, notable performance in a feature film that introduced a classic story to a new generation through the medium of Japanese animation.