Japanese actress Sayaka Kanda, who voiced the character of Anna in Disney’s Japanese dub of “Frozen,” has died. She was 35.
Kanda was found unconscious at approximately 1 p.m. Saturday outside her hotel in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo. She was taken to a hospital but could not be saved.
Representatives for the late actress believe she fell from her room on the 14th story of the 22-floor hotel, local publication Kyodo News reported.
Police are investigating the case as probable suicide but have not yet ruled out foul play, the outlet added.
The actress had been at a rehearsal for a performance of the musical “My Fair Lady” as recently as Friday but missed a Saturday rehearsal, her producers noted.
“I would like to report to everyone who has supported Sayaka Kanda so far. Kanda Sayaka (35 years old) died suddenly at 9:40 pm on December 18, 2021,” Kamaichi Mitsuhisa, the CEO of Kanda’s agency Robe Co., wrote in a statement according to Yahoo. “We are very sorry to give such a report to all the fans who supported us and all the people who took care of us.”
In addition to Japan’s “Frozen” adaption, Kanda was also known for her voice roles in the video games “Kingdom Hearts II” and “Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony.” A second-generation performer, she was the daughter of 70-year-old actor Masaki Kanda and 59-year-old singer Seiko Matsuda.
Kanda’s career began at the age of 20 when she’d begun acting in musicals. She was set to play the role of Maetel in the musical “Galaxy Express 999” next April, according to Kyodo.
Takako Matsu, who co-starred alongside Kanda in the Japanese “Frozen” dub as Elsa, said news of Kanda’s death left her “speechless,” according to Yahoo.
“[The] time we spent together is an irreplaceable treasure for me.”
