If you’re familiar with the Teen Titans member Beast Boy, then there’s a strong chance you’ve heard Greg Cipes’ portrayal of him, if not immediately associate his voice with the character. Cipes began voicing Beast Boy for the original Teen Titans animated that premiered in 2003, and he continues to do so on the hit show Teen Titans Go!. Unfortunately, the actor announced a few weeks ago that he’s been diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease, and now he has an update for fans about how things are going for him.
With April being Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Cipes took to Instagram and his other social media platforms to share with fans how much support he’s received since revealing his diagnosis, as well as to give a reminder to other people who have Parkinson’s or different health struggles. In his words:
It’s Parkinson’s Awareness Month, and I wanted to take a moment to thank Warner Bros. The studio’s totally got my back. The cast got my back. You all got my back. And I got your back. Whether you have Parkinson’s or any other disease, just know that you’re never, ever alone.
Greg Cipes accompanied this message with some lyrics from the song “Fade Away,” which he originally wrote for his band Cipes and the People in 2007, then later performed a modified version as Beast Boy for Teen Titans Go!. Cipes’ dog Wingman also made a special appearance in the video, which you can watch below:
This is the latest of many health shakeups that Cipes has dealt with in over the years. Back in 2023, he informed me that he also “had COVID really bad” when he was recording his lines for Young Justice. Cipes also mentioned in his original announcement about his Parkinson’s that he’s also had skin cancer, heavy metal poisoning and “chronic disease in the bones.” While there’s no question Parkinson’s is a serious disease, and I’m sending positive vibes for his journey of healing, I’m also glad to hear so many people are in his corner to support him through this new chapter of his life.
So far Greg Cipes has voiced three different versions of Beast Boy: the original version from Teen Titans, the more cartoonish version from Teen Titans Go!, and the serious version who struggled with PTSD and addiction to pharmaceuticals in Young Justice’s latter two seasons. Amusingly, those latter two versions ended up crossing over during Young Justice: Outsiders. Cipes’ other recent voice credits include Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, DuckTales, The Mighty Ones, Cleopatra in Space and Puppy Dog Pals.
Fingers crossed that Greg Cipes is able to continue voicing Beast Boy and tackle other roles as he’s dealing with Parkinson’s disease. And hey, with a Teen Titans feature reportedly in the works for the DC Universe franchise, maybe the filmmakers involved can squeeze his voice into the upcoming DC movie when the time comes.