Ricardo Schnetzer dead: The Godfather and Star Wars icon dies after devastating diagnosis
The star made their condition public in January this year.
Ricardo Schnetzer, who was Al Pacino's Brazilian voice including in the epic 1979 movie The Godfather, and also dubbed Temura Morrison's Star Wars character died on Wednesday, February 4, at the age of 72. The star had been battling the degenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The news was confirmed by actor Wirley Contaifer in an Instagram post. Alongside a picture of the pair, he wrote: "Silence. Ricardo Schnetzer is gone...His heart stopped, but his voice will continue; it will shout around the time to come and to be! (...) To my idol, first dubbing director and one of my best friends...I love you every day and hour! Thank you for having existed and in advance for continuing to exist! (...) Rest in light and peace, Ricardo; your pain has ceased!"
The symptoms of ALS include progressive muscle weakness, twitching, cramping and stiffness, and it impacts mobility, breathing and communication. Although diagnosed in 2025, he had only made his condition public in January this year when he requested financial assistance.
READ MORE: Beloved actress dies aged 28 as family tried to save her from tragic illness
READ MORE: Dirty Dozen and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane legend dies as fans pay tribute
Actor and voice artist Victor Vaz, who shared a video on Schnetzer’s social media profiles explaining that he required a constant caregiver alongside specialised physiotherapy treatments in order to manage the debilitating effects of the disease.
"We came up with the idea of launching an online fundraiser to support Ricardo Schnetzer during this challenging period," he said. "His retirement pension, unfortunately, is insufficient to cover the extensive costs associated with his current medical and personal care needs."
Alongside dubbing Al Pacino in Brazil, he was also the voice in the territory of Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, Richard Gere, Patrick Swayze and Daniel Day-Lewis, to name just a few. On TV, he dubbed Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones, and Jonathan Kent in Smallville, which were just two of the characters he lent his voice to.
He also had a long career in theatre and voiced many beloved animated and video game characters.
Tributes flooded in for the star as the news broke. "His voice acting was iconic. What a shame. Rest in peace," one fan wrote on Facebook. "One of my favourite voice actors! I once mentioned on Instagram, how much I admired his work, citing my favourites, and he gave me his full attention and thanked me for my affection! Yes, our idols are leaving us, and we are getting old! Rest in peace!" another added.
A third chimed in: "Great voice, great loss for dubbing! He was part of the memory of many generations and left his legacy! He gave voice to many memorable characters; many films wouldn't have the same charm without the voices of these great voice actors!"
A fourth shared: "Legendary. I've followed his work since the 80s. He left a fantastic legacy, providing fun and entertainment to several generations." A fifth commented: "The eternal voice of Al Pacino, Jango, Boba Fett, and the Clones in the Star Wars films and series... he was a monster at dubbing!!!"
Meanwhile, a sixth wrote: "No!!! Wow, just yesterday I was watching [a show], and I immediately thought to myself: "Wow, that's the Luis Miguel dubbing from the soap opera..." Wow, may he rest in peace."
