Noted voice actor Tom Wyner has passed away at the age of 77. His voice was everywhere; he read and recorded 250 audio-books, as well as doing cartoon and video games voices. Perhaps best known for his Power Rangers work, he voice roles in 53 episodes of the TV show Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, in which he was credited with various voices, including Commander Crayfish, Doomstone, and the Plague Sentry. In Power Rangers Wild Force, he was Lion Tamer Org and Samurai Org. He was Farcarfish in Power Rangers Time Force. He voiced Furio in Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy and Power Rangers Lost Galaxy: Return of the Magna Defender. In Power Rangers Turbo, he was Electrovolt, Goldgoyle, and General Havoc. He also provided the voice of the Puppet Master in the English dub version of Ghost in the Shell 2.0 (1997), and 53 episodes of the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series as the Interior Minister, and was the voice of Rengle in 2001’s Cowboy Bebop: The Movie .
Tom Wyner was born Tom Weiner June 16, 1947 in Bexar County, Texas. He also acted under the name Abe Lasser. He died June 30, 2024 in Ashland, Oregon.
Video Games
- EverQuest II: Fallen Dynasty
- EverQuest II: Kingdom of Sky
- Galleon in Suikoden V
- Enchanted Arms
- Narrator in Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
- World of Warcraft
- EverQuest II
- Col. Anderson in Breakdown
- Death in Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
- the Dummy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds
- Berial in Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
- Peasant, Knight, and Rifleman in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
- Nod General #1 in Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun -Firestorm
- Archbishop Geza in Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption
- Sam Gladstone in Soldier of Fortune
- Walla in Silent Bomber
- Nod General #1 in Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun
- Robie Bray in Heavy Gear II
- Bushido ?Blade 2
- The President in Apocalypse
- announcer in Star Wars: Masters of Teras Kasi
- Waterworld
- Poseidon in Herc’s Adventures
- Might and Magic: World of Xeen
- Cmdr. Ellis in Star Trek: Judgment Rites
- Harry Mudd and Cheever in Star Trek: 25th Anniversary
Roles in TV and Movies
- Puppet Master in Ghost in the Shell
- Bison in Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie (1994)
- Jonathan Wolfe in Robotech
- Puppet Master in Ghost in the Shell 2.0
- Abe no Seimei in Otogi Zoshi
- Interior Minister in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
- Quent Yaiden in Wolf’s Rain
- Goro Hoshino in Planetes
- Professor Saotome in New Getter Robo
- Harry McDowell in Gungrave
- Volcamon in Digimon
- Rengle in Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
- Criminalis in Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (2002
- Grimlock in Transformers: Robots in Disguise
- Graxxis and Green Cannon Machine in Bettleborgs
- Hades in Space Armegeddon (1996)
- Warden in Galaxy Express 999: Can You Love Like a Mother (1980)
Tom Wyner’s roles are truly too numerous to list here. Suffice it to say between 1967 and 2016, he had 147 roles, mostly English versions of Japanese anime or video games. Often he was credited only as additional voices. One of his few in front of the camera roles was in the classic western The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966). He voiced 30 villains for the Power Rangers franchise.
Actor John deLancie (Q in Star Trek, and the voice of Discord in My Little Pony) pointed out at MidSouthCon a few years ago that few actors can afford to support themselves and their families just by acting. Most need an additional job, but Tom Weiner filled the gap by being a scriptwriter and producer in addition to his time behind the microphone.
Wyner’s was one of those voices that was everywhere and did everything that came his way in animation, and for us geeks, he is a part of our subcultural heritage. Rest well, Tom.
Susan Macdonald is the author of the children's book "R is for Renaissance Faire", as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in "Alternative Truths", "Swords and Sorceress #30", Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, "Cat Tails" "Under Western Stars", and "Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid". Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio's web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions, Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.
