With the passing of Patrick Stewart over the last week, legions of fans worldwide eulogized the legendary actor and recounted their fondest memories of his performance. He could balance gravitas with his signature baritone voice in the captain’s chair for Star Trek: The Next Generation, and provided distinguished renditions of classic literary characters like Captain Ahab or Ebenezer Scrooge. He could even change up to gut-bustingly hilarious comedy using that same voice, taking the stage for Just for Laughs or playing a positively unhinged deputy director of the CIA in American Dad! The man had range, but one role can often go overlooked.
Originally released in 1984, Hayao Miyazaki directed Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, the film that’d eventually be considered the prototypical example of Studio Ghibli’s signature quality before the company’s own inception. It’s a story rather typical of Ghibli, telling a young princess’ sudden quest to protect her kingdom from the conflicts beginning to rise as neighboring kingdoms seek the power of an ancient weapon. First announced in 2003, Disney’s English dub of Nausicaä would feature the likes of Stewart, being the voice of Lord Yupa.
Patrick Stewart Has One Often-Overlooked Voiceover Role Worth More Recognition
Stewart’s role as Lord Yupa was, in essence, similar to his other major franchise characters, taking advantage of his iconic voice to deliver a strong performance. He’s the mentor to the titular princess Nausicaä, highlighting her noteworthy compassion while acting as her stalwart defender. In a complicated story in which humanity must not only find peace amongst its various factions but with nature itself, Yupa is a strong warrior and a force for reason. As Nausicaä faces a deadly plot risking the destruction of the Sea of Decay (dubbed Toxic Jungle in English), Stewart, as Yupa, witnesses Nausicaä’s findings about what’s truly making the jungle toxic.
Itself the result of the Seven Days of Fire, a catastrophic war from a thousand years ago, the Toxic Jungle is seen as a dangerous, poisonous forest. On one hand, there are those who would see it burned, such as Princess Kushana by using the ancient weapon, the Giant Warrior, upon it maturing from its embryo state. But on the other stands Nausicaa, the prophesied savior of that same jungle, “clothed in blue robes, descending upon a field of gold.” It hits similar notes to what’d become classic staples of Ghibli films, namely anti-war and pacifistic viewpoints, environmentalism, a prevailing fixation on the wonders of animated flight, and an iconic, strong female lead character. But that’s not all Nausicaä brings to the table.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’s Dub Has An Underrated Powerhouse Cast
- Credit: IMDB
Credit: IMDB
Led by Alison Lohman as Nausicaä and the aforementioned Stewart as Yupa, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind has a stellar cast of highly distinctive voices. It’s not even Stewart’s baritone voice featuring among the cast, as Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica) and Tony Jay (ReBoot) feature as Mito and the Narrator, respectively. Ghibli English dubs commonly have impressive, big-name talent behind their biggest roles, but not all are necessarily as known for having such distinctive, powerful voices in the booths.
The English dub cast of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is as follows:
Given Mark Hamill’s storied voiceover career, it’s perhaps less surprising to see him among the cast, as well as other noteworthy voice actors like James Arnold Taylor. But hearing the voice of ReBoot’s MegaByte open the film with his smooth, powerful voice, while fans are treated to familiar-sounding actors like Shia LaBeouf after Even Stevens and Holes but before his particular stardom, and other massive talent of the era like Uma Thurman, is a total treat. The notion of Patrick Stewart remaining as an emotional and psychological anchor in this terrific film, though, makes Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind an absolute must-watch as fans around the globe celebrate his life and work.
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Birthdate
July 13, 1940
Birthplace
Mirfield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Height
5 feet 10 inches
Notable Projects
Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Picard
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Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
PG
Animation
Adventure
Sci-Fi
109.8/10
Release Date
March 11, 1984
Runtime
117 Minutes
Cast
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Sumi Shimamoto
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Gorô Naya
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