Jeremy Inman
Jeremy Inman (born January 11, 1974) is an American voice actor and ADR director best known for his work in English dubs of anime series and video games.[1] He gained prominence for voicing Android 16 in the English version of Dragon Ball Z and related media, a role he began in 2000 after auditioning with Funimation Entertainment.[2] Inman has since contributed to over 160 voice roles, including standout performances as Taurus in Fairy Tail, Akitaru Obi in Fire Force, and Heymans Breda in the Fullmetal Alchemist series.[3][2] Beyond acting, Inman has directed dubbing efforts for numerous anime, serving as ADR director on projects such as Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, all seasons of Golden Kamuy, and Saga of Tanya the Evil.[2] His professional background also includes work as a firefighter and paramedic, which he pursued alongside his entertainment career.[2] Inman's contributions have helped shape the landscape of English anime localization, particularly through his long association with Funimation (now part of Crunchyroll).[2]Early life
Birth and family
Jeremy Inman was born on January 11, 1974, in Simi Valley, California, USA.[1] He grew up in an American household, though limited public information is available regarding his parents, siblings, or specific family influences during his early years.[1]Education and early interests
Jeremy Inman was raised in Simi Valley, California, attending local schools during his childhood and adolescence.[1] Specific details about his formal education, including high school or higher education institutions, are not widely documented in public records. Inman showed no early exposure to anime or voice acting.[4] Prior to entering the profession, Inman lacked any formal training in acting or voice work, relying instead on innate talent discovered through an impromptu audition opportunity.[4]Professional beginnings
Pre-voice acting career
Prior to entering the field of voice acting, Jeremy Inman worked as a firefighter and paramedic, a profession he held from around 2000 into the mid-2000s. In 2000, while employed in this capacity, he had no prior experience in entertainment and auditioned on a whim for what he understood to be a cartoon role.[5][2]Entry into anime dubbing
Prior to entering voice acting, Jeremy Inman had relocated to Dallas, Texas, after unsuccessful attempts at acting in Los Angeles, where he subsequently worked as a firefighter and paramedic. In 2000, while attending paramedic school, a friend with industry connections encouraged him to audition for Funimation Entertainment's English dub of the anime series Dragon Ball Z, though Inman was initially unaware of anime and believed it to be an ordinary cartoon audition. He performed the audition in a makeshift setup inside a file room equipped with only a microphone, demonstrating his deep, resonant voice without prior professional voice acting experience.[6][7] Two months after the audition, Inman was cast as Android 16, the stoic yet compassionate android character, marking his professional debut in anime dubbing around 2000. He worked as a firefighter and paramedic for approximately eight years while voice acting on the side. Inman's transition to full-time voice acting occurred after a back injury necessitated surgery and ended his emergency services career around 2008, allowing him to commit fully to Funimation's opportunities in Texas. His prior experience as a paramedic enhanced his adaptability to high-pressure performances, aiding quick adjustments in the booth. Early challenges encompassed mastering anime-specific techniques, such as syncing English dialogue to pre-recorded Japanese animation and lip movements, while gradually building a portfolio through these introductory sessions to establish credibility in the industry.[6][8]Voice acting career
Anime series roles
Jeremy Inman's voice acting in anime television series spans over two decades, with a focus on portraying strong, authoritative characters often using his distinctive gravelly tone to convey power and intensity.[3] His breakthrough role came in the early 2000s as Android 16 in Dragon Ball Z (1996–2003) and its remake Dragon Ball Z Kai (2009–2015), where he voiced the stoic android across multiple arcs, contributing to the character's memorable presence in the long-running action series.[9][2] In the late 2000s, Inman took on supporting roles in prominent shōnen adaptations, including Heymans Breda in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009–2010), a loyal military officer whose strategic mind and gravelly delivery highlighted Inman's skill in authoritative figures.[10] He also voiced the celestial spirit Taurus in Fairy Tail (2009–2019), appearing recurrently as the minotaur-like warrior with a boisterous, beastly timbre that suited the series' ensemble cast dynamics.[11] The 2010s saw Inman expand into ongoing epic narratives, notably as Magellan in One Piece (1999–present), voicing the imposing Impel Down warden starting from the Impel Down Arc in the 2010s and continuing in subsequent episodes, where his deep, menacing growl emphasized the character's toxic authority.[12] In 2016, he provided the voice for Jean-Jacques "JJ" Leroy in Yuri!!! on Ice, capturing the flamboyant yet competitive figure skater's energetic persona with a confident edge.[13] Around the same period, Inman voiced the villainous Magne in My Hero Academia (2016–present), appearing in Seasons 3 and 4 (2018–2019) as a member of the League of Villains, using a rough, imposing tone to underscore her magnetic quirk and antagonistic role.[2] In the late 2010s and early 2020s, Inman starred as Akitaru Obi in Fire Force (2019–2022), leading the 8th Special Fire Brigade across all three seasons with a commanding, inspirational delivery that reflected the captain's heroic resolve and physical prowess. His contributions to these series often involved recurring appearances that enhanced ensemble narratives, showcasing his versatility in gravelly, authoritative performances while occasionally providing additional voices in other episodes. In recent years as of 2025, he has continued voicing roles in series such as Wind Breaker (2024).[3][1]Anime films and OVAs
Jeremy Inman has contributed to several anime films and original video animations (OVAs), most notably reprising his role as Android 16 in later Dragon Ball Z productions, ensuring vocal continuity with the character's appearances in the television series.[3] Inman's portrayal extended to the 2013 film Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods and Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' (2015), where the character participates in large-scale confrontations involving gods and revived villains, underscoring his enduring role in the franchise's cinematic expansions.[3] Beyond the Dragon Ball series, Inman provided additional voices for the 2015 Studio Chizu feature film The Boy and the Beast, directed by Mamoru Hosoda, contributing to the English dub's ensemble of background characters in this tale of a boy raised by a beast in a parallel world.[14] He also lent additional voices to the 2015 cyberpunk thriller Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie, enhancing the atmospheric depth of its futuristic narrative involving Major Motoko Kusanagi and her team. Dubbing for anime films and OVAs presents unique challenges compared to television series, particularly in syncing performances to the tighter pacing required for theatrical releases or standalone formats, where timing must align precisely with visual cues to preserve emotional intensity and narrative flow.[8]| Title | Year | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie | 2015 | Additional Voices |
| The Boy and the Beast | 2015 | Additional Voices |
| Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods | 2013 | Android 16 |
| Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' | 2015 | Android 16 |