Dave Mallow
A versatile voice actor whose career spanned four decades, giving life to anime villains, video game commanders, and countless other unseen characters.
1948–2025 (age 77)·American voice actor·Birthday: October 19·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dave Mallow's voice was a chameleon in the background of American pop culture for generations. Beginning his career in the late 1970s, he became a stalwart of the Los Angeles voiceover scene, a reliable talent who could deliver everything from sinister authority to frantic comedy. While he never became a household name, his contributions were foundational to the anime localization boom of the 1990s and 2000s. Fans recognized his deep, resonant tones in roles like the cunning Captain Ginyu in 'Dragon Ball Z' and the stoic Mousse in 'Ranma ½.' His work extended far beyond anime, however, into a vast universe of video games ('StarCraft,' 'World of Warcraft'), animated series, and commercials. Mallow's longevity was a testament to his professionalism and adaptability, seamlessly moving between genres and mediums. He was the kind of performer whose name might not ring a bell, but whose voice instantly conjures a specific, memorable character for dedicated fans of animation and gaming.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Dave was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dave Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Dave's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2025Died at 77
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
Key Achievements
- Provided the English voice for Captain Ginyu in the 'Dragon Ball Z' anime series and related media, a role cherished by fans of the franchise.
- Voiced Mousse in the popular anime series 'Ranma ½,' contributing to its success in the English-speaking market.
- Had a prolific career in video game voice acting, including roles in major titles like 'StarCraft II' (Executor Selendis) and 'Diablo III.'
- Maintained a continuous presence in voice acting for over forty years, from the 1970s through the 2020s.
Did You Know?
He was also a skilled singer and performed vocal work for theme songs and musical segments in various anime dubs.
One of his earliest credited roles was in the 1980 animated film 'The Return of the King,' an adaptation of Tolkien's work.
He sometimes used the pseudonym 'Dave Steele' for his voice work.
Mallow was a frequent collaborator with major anime dubbing studios like Funimation and Bang Zoom! Entertainment.
“The voice is a tool to tell someone else's story.”
