It's an overwhelming time for Star Wars fans, and unfortunately, some new less-than-happy news has been added to the fray. Voice actor Tom Kane, well-known as a mainstay in the Clone Wars animated series as well as other Star Wars projects, recently suffered a stroke, leaving him unable to speak.

The news broke on Kane's official Facebook page, where his daughter Sam gave fans an update on why he'd apparently been out of the spotlight for a while. She explained how he'd had a stroke 2 months ago which left him unable to speak or even read. "He is still competent and very much himself," she clarified, "but can only get out a few words right now."

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For fans of his work, the next bit of info may be the most devastating, as she went on to point out that, even though treatment and therapy may help Kane regain those abilities, the family has been advised by his neurologist that he may no longer be able to do voiceovers in the future. Kane's fans shouldn't entirely lose hope, however, as his daughter continued with a hopeful tone, saying "My dad still remains in good spirits and his extreme stubbornness has helped him already show improvements in speech."

Star Wars fans may not necessarily know Kane's name, but they know his voice. He's been the "other" voice of Yoda in various games, shows, and other forms of media for 20 years as well as a slew of other characters in the franchise including the newsreel-style narrator heard at the beginning of every episode of The Clone Wars. He's even voiced C-3PO a number of times over the years, dating all the way back to 1998. Outside of Star Wars, he's still a force to be reckoned with, taking roles in series from Powerpuff Girls to Archer to Final Fantasy and seemingly everything in-between.

Strokes can indeed be devastating, but there have been many cases over the years where stroke victims have recovered to a reasonable degree, or even fully. Comedian Sinbad, who recently suffered a stroke himself, is apparently on the road to recovery as well. That story combined with this one should give a bit of relief to anyone worried, proving that both men will most likely pull through with their own health, at the very least.

Still, thoughts go out to Kane and his family as they work through this. Even if it ends up with his premature retirement from voice acting, he'll still be considered one of the most prolific and legendary voice over artists in the industry. But aside from all that, here's hoping he pulls through for his own sake.

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Source: Variety