Philece Sampler voice roles and career
Philece Sampler, the English voice of Mimi Tachikawa in Digimon Adventure, died of a heart attack at her Los Angeles home on July 1, 2021, at age 67. That was two weeks before her 68th birthday. She spent most of the 1980s on daytime soaps before she moved into voice work, and her credits run from the Days of Our Lives Salem Slasher storyline to Toph, Sabine, Goten and Taokaka.
Key takeaways
- Philece Sampler died of a heart attack in 2021, and her friend Nelson Aspen announced it.
- In Digimon she voiced Mimi Tachikawa (Adventure, 02, tri.), Cody Hida (02) and Koromon (Adventure).
- She played Renée DuMonde on Days of Our Lives (1981–84) and Donna Love Hudson on Another World (1987–89) before she moved into dubbing.
- Her late career included Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, Yashahime, Deadly Premonition 2, Demon Slayer and Rune Factory 5.
- Since tri., Kate Higgins, Elsie Lovelock and Suzie Yeung have each voiced Mimi in a different production. IMDb credits Anne Yatco as Sabine Cheng from 2022.
Fact-checked
We checked these key facts against the sources named, on November 12, 2026:
- On July 2, 2021, he posted a tribute calling her “my funny fabulous friend,” and ComicBook.com quoted him as heartbroken to get the call that she had died of a heart attack (source: comicbook.com)
- She graduated from the University of North Texas with a drama degree in 1975, moved to Hollywood and had a contract role on one of the biggest US daytime dramas within six years (source: soapcentral.com)
- Between 2019 and 2021 she also worked on Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files {Rail Zeppelin} Grace note, Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon and Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, where BTVA credits her as Brenda Rucker (source: behindthevoiceactors.com)
Philece Sampler at a glance
Philece Sampler (full name Debra Philece Sampler) was an American actress from San Angelo, Texas. After a decade on soap operas she became one of the busiest women in Los Angeles anime and game dubbing. Digimon fans remember her as Mimi Tachikawa. Younger viewers know her as Sabine Cheng in Miraculous.
| Detail | Fact | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Debra Philece Sampler | Wikipedia |
| Born | July 16, 1953, San Angelo, Texas | Wikipedia, Behind The Voice Actors |
| Education | Drama degree, University of North Texas, 1975 | Soap Central |
| Died | July 1, 2021, Los Angeles, age 67 | Wikipedia, Anime News Network |
| Cause of death | Heart attack at home | ComicBook.com |
| Death announced by | Nelson Aspen, actor and close friend | ComicBook.com |
| Soap roles | Renée DuMonde (Days of Our Lives), Donna Love Hudson (Another World) | Soap Central |
| Signature Digimon role | Mimi Tachikawa (English dub) | Wikipedia, Wikimon |
| Credit count | 142 roles in 101 titles | Behind The Voice Actors |
The birth date conflict and the “Vicky Green” name
Some profiles give her birthday as July 14, 1953, and others give July 16. Wikipedia uses July 16, and that date fits the widely repeated detail that she died 15 days short of her 68th birthday. If you see both, go with July 16.
She also worked under a pseudonym. The Pororo fan wiki credits her as “Vicky Green” for Loopy in Pororo to the Cookie Castle. Dub actors of that era often used alternate names, mostly on non-union jobs, which is why a few databases split her filmography across two names.
What happened to Philece Sampler?
Philece Sampler died of a heart attack at her home in Los Angeles on July 1, 2021, at 67. ComicBook.com reported that her close friend, actor Nelson Aspen, broke the news. Anime News Network covered her death on July 3, 2021, calling her a “TV actress and voice actress,” which sums up her two careers well.
How her death was announced
The news started with Nelson Aspen. On July 2, 2021, he posted a tribute calling her “my funny fabulous friend,” and ComicBook.com quoted him as heartbroken to get the call that she had died of a heart attack. Anime News Network’s report followed the next day. Soap Central’s obituary covered her Days of Our Lives and Another World years, and that’s where many older soap viewers learned that the woman they knew as Renée DuMonde had spent two decades in voice work.
The outlets that covered her show who her audiences were:
| Audience | Outlet type | Roles they focused on |
|---|---|---|
| Anime fans | Anime News Network, ComicBook.com | Mimi, Goten, older Toph |
| Soap viewers | Soap Central | Renée DuMonde, Donna Love Hudson |
| Gamers | Fan communities, game databases | Taokaka, Yuki |
| Cartoon fans | Miraculous fandom | Sabine Cheng |
Tributes from the Digimon and Miraculous fandoms
Most fan tributes came from people who grew up on the Fox Kids Digimon dub. Essays such as “My Digimon Story: A Tribute to Philece Sampler” on Medium described her Mimi as part of their childhood. Over those episodes Mimi goes from pampered and dramatic to one of the most emotionally honest DigiDestined.
Miraculous fans had a more practical worry. She was still voicing Sabine Cheng, Marinette’s mother, so the question was who would take over. IMDb now credits Anne Yatco as Sabine Cheng from 2022 onward. There has been no widely reported official announcement about the handover, so the credit lists are the best record.
From Texas drama student to Salem: her soap opera years
Before anime, Sampler worked on camera. She graduated from the University of North Texas with a drama degree in 1975, moved to Hollywood and had a contract role on one of the biggest US daytime dramas within six years. That training carried over to her voice work: soap actors learn to deliver big emotion fast with little rehearsal, and dubbing asks for the same thing.
Days of Our Lives: Renée DuMonde
From 1981 to 1984, Sampler played Renée DuMonde on NBC’s Days of Our Lives. Her run ended in one of the show’s best-known storylines of the decade. Soap Central notes that Renée was killed by the Salem Slasher, the serial-killer plot that took out several characters in Salem.
Did you know?
Before her anime career, Sampler’s Days of Our Lives character, Renée DuMonde, was murdered by the Salem Slasher, according to Soap Central’s 2021 obituary.
Another World: Donna Love Hudson
From 1987 to 1989 she played Donna Love Hudson on NBC’s Another World. Anna Stuart originated Donna Love, and Soap Central reports that Sampler held the part until Stuart came back. Taking over a long-running character means matching an established performance while making it your own. Dub actors face the same problem with characters the audience has already heard in Japanese.
How the soap career led to the voice career
The move from soaps to dubbing was common for Los Angeles actors of her generation. On-camera work slowed, and anime and game dubbing grew quickly in the late 1990s, helped by Saban’s Fox Kids lineup. Digimon Adventure’s English dub arrived in 1999, and the production needed actors who could take direction fast and hit lip flaps across dozens of episodes. A former soap lead with a bright, flexible voice suited that work. Her Mimi often sounds like a 10-year-old soap heroine: big feelings, played sincerely.
Philece Sampler in Digimon: Mimi, Cody and Koromon
In the English dubs, Philece Sampler voiced Mimi Tachikawa in Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure 02 and Digimon Adventure tri. Wikipedia also credits her with Cody Hida in 02 and Koromon in the original Adventure. Mimi was her longest-running Digimon role, covering almost twenty years of dubs.
| Character | Series/Film | Year | Dub |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mimi Tachikawa | Digimon Adventure | 1999–2000 | Saban English dub |
| Koromon | Digimon Adventure | 1999–2000 | Saban English dub |
| Mimi Tachikawa | Digimon Adventure 02 | 2000–2001 | Saban English dub |
| Cody Hida | Digimon Adventure 02 | 2000–2001 | Saban English dub |
| Mimi Tachikawa | Digimon Adventure tri. | 2016–2018 | English dub of the six films |
If you’re new to the anime and want the big picture first, our beginner’s guide to the Digimon franchise explains how these series fit together.
Mimi Tachikawa (Adventure, 02, tri.)
Mimi Tachikawa (Tachikawa Mimi in Japanese, originally voiced by Ai Maeda) is the DigiDestined of Sincerity, and her partner is Palmon. In the Digimon Adventure anime, Palmon digivolves to Togemon at Champion and later to Lillymon at Ultimate. Mimi starts as the reluctant camper of the group. She complains about the heat, misses home and wants nothing to do with the danger. Over the series she proves to be the most emotionally honest of the eight, the one who cries for enemies and refuses to accept fighting as normal.
Sampler played both sides. The whiny early lines stick because she committed to them, and that commitment gives the later scenes, where Mimi’s empathy becomes her strength, something to pay off. In 02, Mimi has moved to New York and appears as a confident older ally, and Sampler’s performance sounds older to match.
Digimon Adventure tri. brought her back as a teenage Mimi, and Wikimon’s tri. cast list credits Philece Sampler as Tachikawa Mimi. The tri. dub reunited much of the original English cast, though not all of it: Anime News Network reported in 2016 that Johnny Yong Bosch was cast as T.K. and Tara Sands as Kari. tri. was her last appearance as Mimi. The uncut movie re-dubs are a separate production with a different Mimi, so if you want Sampler in the early films, look for the original dub versions.
Tamer tip
To hear her Mimi at its best, watch the original Digimon Adventure dub, then go straight to Digimon Adventure tri. Hearing the same actress play Mimi at 10 and again as a teenager shows how much range she brought to the character.
Cody Hida in Digimon Adventure 02
Yes, the voice of Mimi also voiced Cody. In Digimon Adventure 02, Sampler voiced Cody Hida (Iori Hida in Japanese), the youngest of the new DigiDestined, alongside Mimi. Cody is serious, polite and principled, the opposite of Mimi’s open emotions. His partner is Armadillomon, and he carries the Digi-Egg of Knowledge, which lets Armadillomon armor digivolve to Digmon.
One actor voicing two main characters in the same season was common in dubs of that era, especially for child characters, who were usually voiced by adult women. Fans who rewatch 02 as adults are often surprised. Cody’s careful, formal voice sounds nothing like Mimi, and many viewers never noticed it was the same actress.
Did you know?
In Digimon Adventure 02, Philece Sampler voiced two DigiDestined, Mimi Tachikawa and the much younger Cody Hida, as her Wikipedia filmography records.
Koromon and other Digimon voices
Wikipedia also credits her with Koromon in the original Digimon Adventure dub. Koromon is the In-Training form that digivolves to Agumon in Tai’s line, so it is a small but frequent voice in early episodes and in de-digivolution scenes. Dub actors on long series regularly voiced Baby and In-Training forms on top of their main roles.
Secondhand character lists sometimes scramble the original dub cast, for example swapping Mimi and Izzy credits. A cast-level source such as Wikimon or the official dub credits settles who voiced whom.
Who voiced Mimi after Philece Sampler?
Since tri., three actresses have voiced Mimi in English, each in a different production. None of them is the single “new Mimi” for the whole franchise.
| Actress | Production | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Philece Sampler | Digimon Adventure, 02, tri. | 1999–2018 |
| Kate Higgins | Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna | 2020 |
| Suzie Yeung | Digimon Adventure: (2020 reboot series) | 2020 |
| Elsie Lovelock | Uncut movie re-dubs, including Our War Game! | 2023 |
The Digimon Fandom wiki’s cast list credits Kate Higgins as Mimi in Last Evolution Kizuna, the 2020 film that closed out the original Adventure cast’s story. Suzie Yeung voices Mimi in Digimon Adventure: (2020). That reboot retells the story from the beginning with its own cast and is not a continuation of the Sampler-era dub. Elsie Lovelock is listed for the uncut re-dubs of the early movies, including the 2023 redub of Our War Game!.
Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning (2023) is still an open case. Wikimon notes that its English dub was produced by Toei Animation with ADR by Studiopolis, but no Mimi credit for it has been widely published.
Tamer tip
For the uncut Digimon movie re-dubs, expect Elsie Lovelock as Mimi rather than Sampler. If you want Sampler’s movie performances, look for the original dub versions.
Philece Sampler voices: Toph, Sabine, Goten and Taokaka
Outside Digimon, Sampler’s best-known roles are the older Toph Beifong in The Legend of Korra, Sabine Cheng in Miraculous, Goten in Dragon Ball Super and Taokaka in BlazBlue. Each reached a different audience, which is why her obituaries ran in anime, cartoon, gaming and soap press.
| Character | Title | Year | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loopy (as “Vicky Green”) | Pororo to the Cookie Castle | Animated film | |
| Taokaka | BlazBlue series | 2009–2014 | Video games |
| Toph Beifong (older) | The Legend of Korra | 2014 | TV animation |
| Sabine Cheng | Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir | 2015– | TV animation |
| Goten; young Goku (flashbacks) | Dragon Ball Super (Bang Zoom! dub) | 2017 | Anime dub |
| Rokuta Kamado | Demon Slayer: Mugen Train | 2021 | Anime film dub |
| Yuki | Rune Factory 5 | 2022 | Video game |
Toph Beifong in The Legend of Korra
In 2014, Sampler voiced an older Toph Beifong in Book Four of The Legend of Korra, Wikipedia confirms. This Toph lives in the swamp, still blunt and sharp-tongued, now stubborn in an elderly way. Young Toph in Avatar: The Last Airbender was voiced by Jessie Flower, so Sampler’s Toph is the elderly version only. The gravelly old Toph is a good contrast to her Mimi.
Sabine Cheng in Miraculous
From 2015 she voiced Sabine Cheng, Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s mother, in the English version of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir. She also voiced Sabine in Miraculous World: Shanghai, The Legend of Ladydragon (2021). The Nerd Stash and lists drawn from Wikipedia credit her for Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie (2023). That film came out two years after her death, so treat it as a listed credit rather than a confirmed new performance. The series itself has moved on: IMDb credits Anne Yatco as Sabine Cheng from 2022.
Goten in Dragon Ball Super
In the Bang Zoom! Entertainment English dub of Dragon Ball Super (2017), Sampler voiced Goten, Goku’s younger son, and young Goku in flashbacks. Bang Zoom!’s dub was made for broadcast outside the US, while Funimation’s dub became the standard in North America. That’s why some fans know her Goten and others have never heard it.
Taokaka in BlazBlue
For gamers, she is Taokaka, the hungry, hyperactive catgirl from Arc System Works’ BlazBlue fighting games. MobyGames credits her in BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (including the 2010 Windows version), Continuum Shift and Chrono Phantasma. Taokaka’s sing-song, sentence-mangling speech is about as far from Mimi as she ever went.
Loopy in Pororo
Under the name “Vicky Green,” she voiced Loopy, the shy pink beaver, in Pororo to the Cookie Castle, according to the Pororo fan wiki. The same wiki also credits her as Loopy in Pororo: Treasure Island Adventure, the 2019 film that reached US home release in 2021. Because of the pseudonym, a search for her real name often misses these credits.
Demon Slayer and other late anime work
Anime dubs kept her busy until the end. BTVA lists her as Rokuta Kamado, Tanjiro’s little brother, in the English dub of Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (2021), and MobyGames credits her in Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles, the 2021 game, where BTVA has her in the same role. Between 2019 and 2021 she also worked on Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files {Rail Zeppelin} Grace note, Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon and Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, where BTVA credits her as Brenda Rucker. That workload put her alongside other Los Angeles dub regulars such as Kirk Thornton and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn. Our profiles of Kirk Thornton’s voice roles and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn’s voice roles show how much that group overlapped across Digimon-era productions.
Philece Sampler movies, TV shows and games
Behind The Voice Actors lists 142 roles across 101 titles, including 61 shows, 13 movies and 18 games, with credits running to 2022. The tables below cover the sourced highlights in each medium, sorted by year, including her late and posthumous releases. The complete 142-role list is on her BTVA profile.
TV and anime
| Year | Title | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 1981–1984 | Days of Our Lives | Renée DuMonde (live action) |
| 1987–1989 | Another World | Donna Love Hudson (live action) |
| 1996–1997 | The Incredible Hulk | Betty Ross |
| 1999–2000 | Digimon Adventure | Mimi Tachikawa, Koromon |
| 2000–2001 | Digimon Adventure 02 | Mimi Tachikawa, Cody Hida |
| 2006 | Eureka Seven (English dub) | Tiptory |
| 2008 | Lucky Star (English dub) | Hiyori Tamura |
| 2014 | The Legend of Korra | Toph Beifong (older) |
| 2015– | Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir | Sabine Cheng |
| 2017 | Dragon Ball Super (Bang Zoom! dub) | Goten, young Goku (flashbacks) |
| 2019 | Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files {Rail Zeppelin} Grace note | Inorai Valueleta Atroholm |
| 2020 | Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 | Brenda Rucker |
| 2020 | Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon | Hikomaru, Chiyo’s Grandma |
Wikipedia also lists Beauty in the English dub of Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo among her better-known roles.
Movies
| Year | Title | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Pororo to the Cookie Castle (as “Vicky Green”) | Loopy | |
| 2016–2018 | Digimon Adventure tri. (English dub) | Mimi Tachikawa |
| 2019 | Pororo: Treasure Island Adventure | Loopy |
| 2020 | Tokyo Godfathers (English dub) | Kurumizawa, Yamanouchi |
| 2021 | Miraculous World: Shanghai, The Legend of Ladydragon | Sabine Cheng |
| 2021 | Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (English dub) | Rokuta Kamado |
| 2023 | Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie (listed credit) | Sabine Cheng |
Video games
| Year | Title | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 2009–2010 | BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (Windows 2010) | Taokaka |
| 2010 | BlazBlue: Continuum Shift | Taokaka |
| 2014 | BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma | Taokaka |
| 2020 | Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise | Mrs. Carpenter |
| 2021 | Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles | Rokuta Kamado |
| 2022 | Rune Factory 5 | Yuki |
MobyGames lists Deadly Premonition 2 as a 2020 Nintendo Switch release. Its credit page misspells the title as “Dead2y Premonition,” so search the game by name if you are checking.
Did she finish recording anything that came out after 2021?
Yes. Rune Factory 5 reached Western players in 2022 with her as Yuki, which makes it the clearest posthumous release and her last new role on BTVA’s list. The 2023 Miraculous film credit appears on The Nerd Stash and in lists drawn from Wikipedia. The series recast Sabine from 2022, so that film credit most likely reflects earlier work or a database carryover. Treat it with caution until the film’s own end credits confirm it.
Where to start listening
The quickest way to hear her range is six performances in release order. Each one shows a different side of her voice:
- Mimi and Koromon, Digimon Adventure episodes 1–5 (1999): the dramatic 10-year-old and the tiny In-Training voice beside Agumon.
- Cody Hida, Digimon Adventure 02 (2000): pick an episode with both Cody and Mimi and compare the two.
- Taokaka, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift (2010): feral, purring and nothing like her Digimon work.
- Older Toph, The Legend of Korra Book Four (2014): gruff elderly earthbender.
- Sabine Cheng, early Miraculous (2015): any episode set in the Dupain-Cheng bakery shows her warm, grounded mother voice.
- Yuki, Rune Factory 5 (2022): one of her late releases.
Tamer tip
BTVA’s sound clips are the quickest way to compare her Mimi, Taokaka and Toph without hunting through episodes. The contrast between Taokaka’s purring chaos and old Toph’s gravel is striking.
Her legacy as of November 2026
More than five years on, her main roles have passed to other actors, one production at a time. Mimi has had other English voices since, including Kate Higgins in Kizuna and Elsie Lovelock in the uncut re-dub of Our War Game!. IMDb lists Anne Yatco as Sabine Cheng. Taokaka, Toph and Goten were not recast because of her death, since those productions had already finished or moved to other dubs.
Her original performances are still easy to find. The Saban-era Digimon dub remains a nostalgic favorite, and fans who first meet Mimi through the reboot often find their way back to it, sometimes after hearing Butter-Fly, the Digimon Adventure theme. If you only listen to one Sampler performance, choose a season-one Mimi episode. Then put on a Cody episode from 02 and see how long it takes you to hear that it’s the same actress.
FAQ
What happened to Philece Sampler?
She died of a heart attack at her home in Los Angeles on July 1, 2021, at 67. Her friend, actor Nelson Aspen, announced it, and Anime News Network reported it on July 3, 2021.
What was Philece Sampler’s cause of death?
A heart attack. ComicBook.com reported this from Nelson Aspen’s tribute.
When did Philece Sampler die and how old was she?
She died on July 1, 2021, at 67, about two weeks before what would have been her 68th birthday on July 16.
Is Philece Sampler the same Mimi voice from the original Digimon dub?
Yes. She voiced Mimi Tachikawa in the original 1999 Digimon Adventure dub, in Digimon Adventure 02 and in the Digimon Adventure tri. films.
Did Philece Sampler voice Cody in Digimon?
Yes. She voiced Cody Hida in Digimon Adventure 02 while also playing Mimi, and she voiced Koromon in the original Digimon Adventure.
Who voices Mimi in Digimon now?
It depends on the production. Kate Higgins voiced Mimi in Last Evolution Kizuna (2020), Suzie Yeung voices her in Digimon Adventure: (2020), and Elsie Lovelock voices her in the uncut movie re-dubs, including the 2023 Our War Game! redub.
Did Philece Sampler voice Toph?
She voiced the older Toph Beifong in The Legend of Korra (2014). Jessie Flower voiced young Toph in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Did Philece Sampler voice Goten?
Yes, in the Bang Zoom! Entertainment English dub of Dragon Ball Super (2017). She also voiced young Goku in flashbacks.
Who voiced Sabine in Miraculous?
Philece Sampler voiced Sabine Cheng in English from 2015. IMDb credits Anne Yatco as Sabine Cheng from 2022.
Did Philece Sampler voice Loopy in Pororo?
Yes. The Pororo fan wiki credits her as Loopy in Pororo to the Cookie Castle, under the name “Vicky Green,” and in Pororo: Treasure Island Adventure.
What was Philece Sampler’s last role?
Her last new release was Yuki in Rune Factory 5, which came out in the West in 2022. Her 2021 releases included Rokuta Kamado in Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles.
What movies and TV shows was Philece Sampler in?
Her on-camera work includes Days of Our Lives and Another World. Her voice credits include Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Adventure tri., The Legend of Korra, Miraculous, Dragon Ball Super, Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, Yashahime, Tokyo Godfathers and Demon Slayer: Mugen Train. In games she voiced Taokaka in BlazBlue, Mrs. Carpenter in Deadly Premonition 2 and Yuki in Rune Factory 5.
Was Philece Sampler on Days of Our Lives?
Yes. She played Renée DuMonde from 1981 to 1984, and the Salem Slasher killed the character.
How many roles did Philece Sampler have?
Behind The Voice Actors lists 142 roles across 101 titles, including 61 shows, 13 movies and 18 games.
Article notes
- Fact-checked by Noelle Fairbanks against the sources listed below before publication.
- Published
Sources (8)
- Philece Sampler - Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Philece Sampler, Digimon and The Legend of Korra Star, Dies at 67 - ComicBook.com (comicbook.com)
- TV Actress, Voice Actress Philece Sampler Passes Away - Anime News Network (animenewsnetwork.com)
- Philece Sampler - Behind The Voice Actors (behindthevoiceactors.com)
- Days of Our Lives, Another World alum Philece Sampler dead at 67 - Soap Central (bravo-www.soapcentral.com)
- Digimon Adventure tri. - Wikimon (wikimon.net)
- List of Digimon cast members - Digimon Fandom (digimon.fandom.com)
- Ai Maeda - Dubbing Wikia (dubbing.fandom.com)
