Claude Chantal, born Claude Chantal Rachel Jais on February 5, 1932, in Algiers, was a prominent French actress and voice director. She passed away on February 8, 2016, in Paris at the age of 84. While her career encompassed live-action roles, she became exceptionally well-known for her extensive and influential work in dubbing, lending her voice to hundreds of characters in French-language versions of films and television series.

Chantal's voice became a familiar presence in many classic anime series dubbed in France. Her roles were diverse, including the Bonne sorcière du Sud in an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz and Sideralia in the 1980 film Fumoon. In the series Moero Arthur: Hakuba no Oji, she voiced Medessa, and she was the voice of Hera in Ochamegami Monogatari Korokoro Poron. Her repertoire also included comedic roles such as Zouzou in Gu-Gu Ganmo, and more maternal characters like Mère (Anna) in Swiss Family Robinson. She also frequently took on narration duties, as she did for the series Pollyanna.

Beyond these specific credits, Chantal was the regular French voice for several iconic characters across both anime and Western animation. She was the first voice of Daphné Blake in the various Scooby-Doo series for decades, from the late 1960s through the 1980s. She also notably voiced the character Krilin in the French adaptations of the Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z series, a role she maintained for many years. In the magical girl genre, she was the voice of Raya, known as Sailor Mars, in the French version of Sailor Moon. Her work extended to numerous other productions, such as narrating Candy Candy and voicing Nausicaä in Albator, le corsaire de l'espace and its sequel Albator 84.

Recurring collaborations were a hallmark of her career, particularly with Japanese studio Nippon Animation. She frequently provided voices for their World Masterpiece Theater adaptations, including the narrator in Cathy, la petite fermière, the mother in Flo et les Robinson suisses (Swiss Family Robinson), and the narrator for Pollyanna. She also became a familiar voice in Disney's animated features, providing the French voice for characters such as Anita in The 101 Dalmatians, Carlotta in The Little Mermaid, the Wardrobe in Beauty and the Beast, and the Fairy Godmother in later dubs of Cinderella.

Among her most notable achievements is her status as one of the foundational voices in French animation dubbing, helping to define the sound of beloved characters for generations of viewers. Her work was not limited to animation; she was also the regular French voice for actress Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall in the first five Harry Potter films. In addition to acting, Chantal also worked as a voice director, further contributing to the dubbing industry. Her prolific career left a lasting mark on French popular culture through the multitude of characters she brought to life.