James Carter Cathcart

James Carter Cathcart (March 8, 1954 – July 8, 2025), also known as Jimmy Zoppi, was an American voice actor, script adaptor, voice director, pianist and vocalist. He was best known for providing the English voices for Gary Oak, James, Meowth and Professor Oak in the Pokémon franchise.

James Carter Cathcart
Born	(1954-03-08)March 8, 1954 Michigan City, Indiana, U.S.
Died	July 8, 2025(2025-07-08) (aged 71) New York City, U.S.
Other names	Billy Beach Carter Cathcart Nicole Cathcart Jimmy Zoppe Jimmy Zoppi[1]
Occupations	Voice actor script adaptor voice director pianist vocalist
Years active	1981–2023
Spouse	Martha Jacobi[2]
Mother	Lyn Wilde[3]
Musical career
Genres	Rock pop
Instruments	Keyboard guitar vocals

Life and career

Cathcart was born in Michigan City, Indiana, on March 8, 1954.^[1][4] He played with bands from the time he was in high school, including The Laughing Dogs who released two albums on Columbia in 1979–80.^[5]

Cathcart began his voice acting career in the 1980s when he played the character Cap'n O. G. Readmore on the ABC Weekend Special anthology series.^[6] He was best known for his roles in the Pokémon franchise as characters such as Gary Oak, James, Meowth and Professor Oak. He appeared in over 15 Pokémon films and over 700 episodes of the Pokémon anime.^[7] He also acted in shows such as Sonic X, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, One Piece, Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mission Odyssey and others.^[8] He also performed in the video game Shadow the Hedgehog.^[7]

Cathcart, who was married to Martha Jacobi, retired from voice acting in 2023 following a diagnosis of throat cancer.^[9] He died on July 8, 2025, while receiving hospice care at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, New York City. He was 71.^[10] He had three children: Nicole Zoppi, Mackenzie, and Carter.^[4]