The man who provided the voice for Peppy Hare and Andross in Star Fox 64 has passed away at the age of 79 due to the coronavirus, it has been revealed.

Rick May – who uttered the immortal "do a barrel roll" line in the classic N64 game – suffered from a stroke in February of this year and was moved to a nursing home in order to recuperate. He contracted Covid-19 during his time there, and sadly died after being transferred to a Swedish hospital.

As well as his fine work on Star Fox 64, he also worked on titles such as Team Fortress 2, Age of Empires 2, Sly 2: Honor Among Thieves and SOCOM II. His most notable movie role is one he wasn't even credited for at the time – he briefly appears in George Lucas' American Graffiti, the film he directed before he made his fortune with Star Wars.

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Outside of voice acting, Rick was a a teacher at the Rekindle School, which has a dedicated email address for anyone who wishes to send their condolences to Rick's family. Simply email your messages to [email protected] and they will be passed on.

We'd like to take this moment to offer our own condolences to Rick's family and friends. He will be missed.