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Christopher Owen Ayres (born in Richmond, Virginia) was an American voice actor, ADR director, and scriptwriter at Seraphim Digital and Sentai Filmworks for English versions of Japanese anime series. He had also been a voice actor for Funimation, OkraTron 5000 and New Generation Pictures. He got his start voice acting at ADV Films on Kino's Journey and is known for Mock Combat for cosplay panels at anime conventions.
He was known for voicing Frieza in the Funimation dub of the Dragon Ball franchise, replacing Linda Young as of Dragon Ball Z Kai.
In October 2021, Ayres passed away at the age of 56, after a years-long battle with COPD.
Biography[]
Chris Ayres with fellow Dragon Ball Z voice actors, Sean Schemmel (Left) and Chris Sabat (Right).
Chris is the older brother of Greg Ayres. Unlike Greg though, Chris has had more experience in terms of directing and writing and has even directed theater productions. Occasionally, his surname is listed as Ayers instead of Ayres; however, this spelling is incorrect as his legal name is "Christopher Ayres".
He voices Frieza in Dragon Ball Z Kai, and video games from the Dragon Ball franchise from 2010-onwards. He also voiced Frieza in the nineteenth Dragon Ball film, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’. He returns as Frieza in Dragon Ball Super. In 2017, Ayres revealed that he was going through ill health and that his understudy, Daman Mills, will voice Frieza for upcoming works on the condition should he be too ill to perform or something worse occur.
Personal life and death[]
In November 2019, it has been announced that Ayres received new lungs after his surgery.
On October 18, 2021, it was announced that he passed away at home in the company of loved ones.
Filmography[]
Anime[]
- Air Gear - Plugman, Okuhira, Potemkine
- Akame ga Kill! - Daidara
- Black Butler - Prince Soma
- Chôjikû Yôsai Macross - Lynn Kalfun, Lynn Kaifun
- Darker Than Black - Masashi Hitotsubashi
- Devil May Cry - Sid
- DRAMAtical Murder - Bonjin
- Dragon Ball Super - Frieza
- Dragon Ball Z Kai - Frieza
- Ef: A Tale of Memories. - Hiro Hirono
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Lt. General Raven
- Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu - Atsunobu Hayashimizu
- Gantz - Kei Kurono
- Gatchaman - Hontwarl Captain, Sub Captain Santo
- Golgo 13 - Dave McCartney
- Kino's Journey - Bartender, Man A
- Kita e...: Diamond Dust Drops - Joji Kurata
- Maburaho - Yukihiko Nakamaru
- Megazone Twenty Three Part II - Rakko's Bud, Walla
- One Piece - Johnny, Mr. 11
- Ou Dorobou Jing in Seventh Heaven - Maraschino
- Ouran High School Host Club - Renge's Father
- Peace Maker Kurogane - Keisuke Yamanami
- Sakura Diaries - Koji Akimoto
- Sengoku Basara: End of Judgement - Takeda Shingen
- Sgt. Frog - 3M
- Speed Grapher - Choji Suitengu
- Synesthesia - Dr. Namekawa
- Tactics - Hasumi Ryoukan
- Trinity Blood - Butler
- Xam'd: Lost Memories - Kisel-Ji
- Xenosaga: The Animation - Jin Uzuki
Films[]
- A Tree of Palme - Sawdust
- Broken Blade 1: The Time of Awakening - General True
- Broken Blade 2: The Path of Separation - General True
- Broken Blade 3: Scars From an Assassin's Blade - General True
- Broken Blade 4: The Land of Calamity - General True
- Case Closed: The Last Wizard Of The Century - Sergei Ovchinnikov
- Dragon Ball Super: Broly - Frieza
- Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ - Frieza
- Gatchaman The Movie - Hontwarl Captain
- Gintama: The Movie - Kamui, Taizo Hasegawa, Tatsuma Sakamoto, Ner
- Initial D: Third Stage - Miki
- Mardock Scramble: The First Compression - Welldone the Pussyhand
- Sengoku Basara: The Last Party - Takeda Shingen
- Yu Yu Hakusho: The Golden Seal - Garuga / Yasha
Video Games[]
- Dragon Ball Xenoverse - Frieza
- Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 - Frieza
- Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 - Frieza
- Dragon Ball Z For Kinect - Frieza
- Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z - Frieza
- Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team - Frieza
- Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi - Frieza
- The Last Remnant - Wagram
Accolades[]
Ayres won the 2012 Staff Choice Award for Best Male Vocal Performance in an Anime Title in a Supporting Role as Frieza in Dragon Ball Z Kai at 1st Annual BTVA Voice Acting Awards.