Derek Stephen Prince
A versatile voice actor who gave life to a menagerie of digital monsters and Power Rangers villains for a generation of fans.
Born 1969 (age 57)·American voice actor (1994–present)·Birthday: February 5·Generation X
Biography
Derek Stephen Prince operates in the vibrant, character-driven underbelly of animation and live-action kids' TV, building a career on distinctive, often quirky vocal performances. While his name might not be instantly recognizable, his characters—from the scheming Digimon emperor Ken Ichijouji to the mischievous villain Elgar in Power Rangers—are etched into 90s pop culture memory. Prince's voice work is defined by its range, allowing him to shift from heroic leads to unhinged antagonists with ease. He became a staple at anime dubbing studios, contributing to the English-language versions of series like Bleach and Naruto, ensuring his voice became a familiar thread in the tapestry of after-school television for millions.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Derek was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Derek Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Derek's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
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
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Provided the voice of Ken Ichijouji (the Digimon Emperor) and Wormmon in the English dub of Digimon Adventure 02.
- Voiced multiple characters across the Digimon franchise, including Impmon and Beelzemon in Digimon Tamers.
- Played the live-action role of Elgar, the bumbling villain, in Power Rangers Turbo and Power Rangers in Space.
- Had recurring voice roles in major anime series such as Bleach (Uryū Ishida) and Naruto (Kankurō).
- Maintained a consistent presence in voice acting for over three decades, contributing to hundreds of episodes of television.
Did You Know?
He is also a musician and has performed in bands.
Prince provided additional voices for the video game Kingdom Hearts II.
He initially studied to be an actor in theater before moving into voice work.
His early voice work included dubbing for Japanese anime series released directly to video.
“I've voiced everything from heroes to villains to sentient slime.”
