Philece Sampler, the voice actor behind the likes of Mimi from Digimon Adventure and The Legend of Korra’s Toph, has sadly passed away.
Sampler was an icon within both the world of anime and the daytime TV scene. Known also for her roles in Days of Our Lives, Rituals and Another World, the actor had an eclectic career that spanned over 45 years. If you’re a Digimon fan, then you’ll likely know Sampler best as Mimi Tachikawa and Cody Hida, although she did voice other characters in the franchise as well.
Over on Instagram, Sampler’s close friend Nelson Aspen confirmed that the actor passed away suddenly from a heart attack. The journalist also paid tribute to his friend with a heartfelt post outlining how the two met:
“Heartbroken to receive the call today that my dear friend, Philece Sampler, has passed away from a heart attack, just shy of her 68th birthday. That explains why I didn’t hear from her yesterday on my own birthday: we always celebrated as Cancerian siblings. She was an amazingly energetic, loving and loyal friend.
“I first met Philece in 1987 when we were both working on “Another World.” She joined the cast after successful runs on “Days of Our Lives” and the primetime serial “Rituals. When I moved to LA in 1990, she generously let me live in her beautiful Hollywood Hills home, and we became even closer.”
Philece Sampler’s voice acting legacy
It’s needless to say that Philece Sampler was a superb voice actor with a tremendous legacy. While Sampler’s voice is synonymous with Digimon, the actor also starred in various other animated shows, including Blue Exorcist, Berzerk, Kill La Kill, The Seven Deadly Sins and more. The actor also has also featured in numerous video games like the BlazBlue games and, most recently, Deadly Premonition 2.
Our thoughts go out to Philece Sampler’s family and friends during these difficult times.
Rest in peace, Philece, and thank you.
Featured image credit: Nickelodeon / Fox