Michelle Ruff is an American voice actress known for her work in
anime
is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
and
video game
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
s. In her early voice acting career, she used her mother's name, Georgette Rose, as a pseudonym.
Some of her roles include
Rukia Kuchiki
is a fictional character in the anime and manga series ''Bleach (manga), Bleach'' created by Tite Kubo. In the series, she is a Soul Reaper, (死神, Shinigami, literally 'Death God'), in charge of slaying and eradicating corrupted souls called ...
in ''
Bleach
Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color from (i.e. to whiten) fabric or fiber (in a process called bleaching) or to disinfect after cleaning. It often refers specifically t ...
'',
Yuki Nagato
This is a list of the characters featured in the '' Haruhi Suzumiya'' franchise, written by Nagaru Tanigawa and illustrated by Noizi Ito, which contains a multitude of other secondary, and minor characters who are introduced throughout the cou ...
in ''
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya'',
Yoko Littner in ''
Gurren Lagann
''Gurren Lagann'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese mecha anime television series animated by Gainax and co-produced by Aniplex and Konami. It ran for 27 episodes on TV Tokyo between April and September 2007. It was directed by Hiroyu ...
'',
Fujiko Mine in ''
Lupin the Third
, also written as ''Lupin the Third'', ''Lupin the 3rd'', or ''Lupin the IIIrd'', is a Japanese media franchise created by Monkey Punch. The series follows the endeavors of master thief Lupin III, grandson of gentleman thief Arsène Lupin, jo ...
'',
Chi in ''
Chobits'',
Aoi Sakuraba in ''
Ai Yori Aoshi
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kou Fumizuki. The manga was serialized in Hakusensha's manga magazine '' Young Animal'' magazine from 1998 to 2005 and the chapters collected into 17 volumes. It is a love story b ...
'',
Elie in ''
Rave Master'', Nat in ''
The Promised Neverland
is a Japanese manga series written by Kaiu Shirai and illustrated by Posuka Demizu. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from August 2016 to June 2020, with its chapters collected in 20 volumes. I ...
'', and
Sinon
In Greek mythology, Sinon (Ancient Greek: Σίνων, from the verb "σίνομαι"—''sinomai'', "to harm, to hurt") or Sinopos was a Greek warrior during the Trojan War.
He is not mentioned by Homer, but his story is given in the ''Aene ...
in ''
Sword Art Online
is a Japanese light novel series written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec. The series takes place in the 2020s and focuses on protagonists Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya and Asuna Yuuki as they play through various virtual re ...
''.
In video games, she is the voice of
Jill Valentine in the ''
Resident Evil
''Resident Evil'', known as in Japan, is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...
'' series, Yukari Takeba and Sadayo Kawakami in the ''
Persona
A persona (plural personae or personas) is a strategic mask of identity in public, the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional Character (arts), character. It is also considered "an intermediary ...
'' series, Cream the Rabbit in the ''
Sonic the Hedgehog
is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese developers Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battle ...
'' series and Crimson Viper in the ''
Street Fighter
is a Media mix, Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Capcom. Street Fighter 1, The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by List of Street Fighter video games, six other ma ...
'' series.
Career
Ruff grew up in
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
and graduated from
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...
. While she was there, she worked at a talent agency and attended a radio audition, which marked her first venture into the voiceover business.
In
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, she studied with
Second City,
Players Workshop
Created in 1971 by Josephine Forsberg, The Players Workshop was Chicago's only official school of improvisation for over a decade. Although it was never officially a part of The Second City cabaret theater, The Players Workshop was often referred ...
and
Improv Olympic
iO, or iO Chicago, (formerly known as ImprovOlympic) is an improv theater and training center in central Chicago. The theater teaches and hosts performances of improvisational comedy. It was founded in 1981 by Del Close and Charna Halpern. ...
.
After moving to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, she worked with some directors on looping and voice work for films and TV shows. In an ''Anime Dream'' interview, Ruff credits
Richard Epcar,
Steve Kramer and
Michael Sorich for training her to dub anime.
In the ''
Digimon
, short for "Digital Monsters" ( ''Dejitaru Monsutā''), is a Japanese media franchise, which encompasses virtual pet toys, anime, manga, video games, films, and a trading card game. The franchise focuses on the eponymous creatures who inhabit a ...
'' series, she was referred by director
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn to audition for Lopmon and Antylamon in ''
Digimon Tamers
is a Japanese anime television series and the third television series in the ''Digimon'' franchise, produced by Toei Animation. The series takes place in a new setting separate from the preceding series, '' Digimon Adventure'' and ''Digimon ...
'', and in ''
Digimon Frontier
is the fourth anime television series in the ''Digimon'' franchise, produced by Toei Animation. Unlike the previous series, the main characters can merge with ancient spirits known as the "Legendary Warriors" to become Digimon themselves.
T ...
'', she landed the lead role of Zoe Orimoto. Ruff said that it was her first show that made it to TV, and a show that let her "work my acting muscle".
She played tomboy-ish characters
Miyao in ''
Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran'' and
Kiki Rosita in ''
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team''.
In 2007, Ruff received two nominations for the
American Anime Awards, one for Best Actress for her work in ''Bleach'' and ''Lupin the 3rd'', and one for Best Actress in a Comedy for ''Lupin the 3rd'', but lost to
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and
Debi Derryberry
Debi Derryberry (''née'' Greenberg; born September 27, 1960) is an American voice actress who has provided voices for a number of animations and video games. She is best known for voicing Jimmy Neutron, the titular protagonist of the Jimmy Neutr ...
, respectively.
["American Anime Awards Finalists Announced"](_blank)
''Anime News Network''. February 7, 2007. Retrieved May 5, 2010. In 2009, the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation gave her an SPJA Industry Award for Best Voice Actress (English) for her work as Rukia Kuchiki in the ''Bleach'' movie ''
Memories of Nobody''.
Personal life
Ruff is married to
ADR Engineer Eddie Correa.
Filmography
Anime
Animation
Films
Video games
Other
Notes
References
External links
*
*
*
Michelle Ruffat the CrystalAcids Anime Voice Actor Database
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruff, Michelle
Year of birth missing (living people)
Place of birth missing (living people)
Actresses from Detroit
American video game actresses
American voice actresses
Living people
Michigan State University alumni
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Los Angeles