Ryunosuke Kimura

Ryunosuke Kimura (GoAnimate), 2021.

***Ryunosuke Kimura*** (Japanese: 木村竜之介, born July 10, 1960), also known by his nickname ***Sterling Holloway II***, is an American voice actor living in Sanford, Florida. He is the second oldest of the Kimura family, the oldest of the first-generation Kimura family, with Patrick Kimura B. Cummings being the youngest.

## Early Life and Career

Ryunosuke Kimura was born on July 10, 1960 in Cedartown, Georgia, to first-generation Japanese immigrants. His father was born in Atlanta, and his mother was born in Conyers. Raised in Sterling Holloway's birthplace, Ryunosuke always wanted to become a voice actor just like him. His father (William Ray Kimura, born April 17, 1946) showed Ryunosuke some of the Winnie the Pooh books created by A. A. Milne, and surprised him with a visit from the former Winnie the Pooh voice actor, Sterling Holloway. He was so starstruck of Sterling Holloway that he wished that one day he will become just like the former Winnie the Pooh voice actor. His mother (Barbara Hughes Kimura, born March 2, 1946) gave him a piece of paper to write notes to Sterling Holloway. His father usually sent his notes by the mailbox around Sterling Holloway's house. When Ryunosuke was aged 7 years old, on October 13, 1967, his grandfather died of cardiac arrest at age 96. His grandfather's (Toshihiro Kimura, April 8, 1871 - October 13, 1967) body remains were cremated, and ashes were scattered in the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Canaveral, Florida per request. He enrolled in Cedartown High School at age 16 and made a friend during his high school days. His name was Hiroyasu Ben Kimura (born May 16, 1958 in Cedartown, Georgia), and he was from the third-generation Kimura family in northwestern Georgia. On October 17, 1978, his class offered a visit to meet Sterling Holloway, whom Ryunosuke adored him so much. Sterling gave him a Pooh Bear plush to hold on to him for as long as he lived. On May 14, 1980, Ryunosuke was graduated early from Cedartown High School.

#### **Working with the first-generation Kimura family**

Ryunosuke started working with the first-generation Kimura family by setting up Hironobu Kimura's house in Bainbridge, Georgia.

#### **The start of Ryunosuke's career as a voice actor**

Ryunosuke started his career as Sterling Holloway's substitute part-time voice actor on September 12, 1988. He would suddenly change his dates to Saturdays and Sundays for his voice acting roles. At the age of 32, his job changed from part-time to full-time voice actor beginning on November 22, 1992 to promote Sterling Holloway's death. He is best known for voicing Winnie the Pooh in Kimura Associates's *Ready to Read with Pooh*, installed to Windows PCs and laptops on December 29, 2020.

## Personal Life

Ryunosuke is a proud Democrat. In his life, he adored for Sterling Holloway by watching some of the animated movies from Disney's Winnie the Pooh series. His relationship with Sterling Holloway ended abruptly on November 22, 1992 at the age of 32, when Sterling Holloway died of a cardiac arrest in a hospital near Los Angeles, California. In Sterling Holloway's funeral, he quoted Holloway as the *"Brother of my dreams"*, eventually giving him the nickname of ***Sterling Holloway II***, meaning he is the second cousin of Sterling Holloway. However, he did adopt his son, Yoshinori Kimura (born March 25, 1993 in Cedartown, Georgia).

## The meaning of ***Sterling Holloway II***

***Sterling Holloway II*** is a given nickname to Ryunosuke Kimura, coined on November 22, 1992. The voice actor of Winnie the Pooh (Jim Cummings) gave him the nickname because of his collaboration with Sterling Holloway and his love for the former Winnie the Pooh voice actor ever since he was 2 years old. Ryunosuke's most wispy quality of a voice even shocked Jim Cummings with his restored Winnie the Pooh voice. William Ray quoted: "Sterling Holloway would be proud of him when I heard his voice. He is like a godsend to Heaven."

#### **Relationship with Makoto Kimura**

When Ryunosuke Kimura met with Makoto Kimura on May 15, 1993, Ryunosuke came up with a nickname. Makoto was given by the nickname of ***Jim Cummings II***, meaning he is the second cousin of Jim Cummings. Sadly, his relationship with Makoto Kimura ended on May 29, 2018 when Makoto was aged 92.