The French dubbing community is mourning the loss of one of its most prominent figures. Eric Legrand, a renowned theater and voice actor known for his distinctive voice, passed away at the age of 66 following a battle with multiple myeloma since 2017. His longtime friend, Patrick Borg (the French voice of Goku), shared the tragic news on his Facebook page today.
For months, we have been writing to each other every day on WhatsApp until Monday morning, May 19th, when you were transferred to a palliative care service. You will be missed by your fans… but most of all, I will deeply miss you! You showed exemplary courage; you are a true Saiyan, Vegeta!
A poignant and emotionally charged statement highlighting the deep bond between two pillars of the Dragon Ball Z dubbing community. This connection was forged through over forty years of collaboration and friendship.
Eric Legrand was first and foremost a voice. His deep, sharp, and often nervous vocal presence made him immediately identifiable as the voice of Vegeta, the Prince of the Saiyans, an iconic yet ambiguous figure in Akira Toriyama’s universe. He also lent his voice to Seiya, the daring hero from the Knights of the Zodiac, a legendary animated series of the 1980s that helped introduce manga culture to France. In a field where voice actors often remained behind the scenes, Eric Legrand embraced this anonymity with clarity and humility. On his personal website, he wrote:
You likely do not know my face and had probably never read my name before seeing it here, but you must have certainly heard my voice as I have worked extensively in dubbing. I claim no particular pride for this; there is no reason to.
Trained at the National Superior Conservatory of Dramatic Art in Paris, Éric Legrand had explored all disciplines of the profession: theater, television, radio, café-theater, but it was dubbing that, according to his own words, “literally came to seek me out. And then it kept me…” In addition to his performances in Japanese animation, he was the regular French voice of Anglo-Saxon actors such as Owen Wilson or John Slattery (Mad Men, Avengers), and participated in numerous dubbings of American films and series. In video games, he lent his voice to characters like Samuels in Alien Isolation or Zero in Borderlands, demonstrating an ability to adapt to all registers, from the most epic to the most intimate.
With the passing of Eric Legrand, a significant chapter in the childhood and adolescence of millions of viewers has come to an end. His voice, characterized by force and intensity in Vegeta’s battles and in Seiya’s silences, will endure through the series and films he profoundly marked with his distinctive vocal imprint. Though Eric Legrand has departed from us, his voice remains an enduring legacy that cannot be extinguished…
