Who Voiced Lawliet L In The English Anime Dub?

I still get a little thrilled every time L speaks in the English track of 'Death Note'—that deadpan, slightly tired cadence that somehow makes every deduction feel inevitable. The voice actor who brought L (Lawliet) to life in the English dub is Alessandro Juliani. I first noticed his work because I was bingeing the series late one night and kept pausing to admire how the English performance captured L’s odd rhythms and childlike-but-weary personality without turning him into a caricature.

Juliani’s take isn’t a line-for-line copy of Kappei Yamaguchi’s Japanese performance; instead he leans into a quieter, more measured delivery that suits the dub and the pacing of the English script. If you know him from outside anime, he’s also recognizable from live-action work like 'Battlestar Galactica' (he played Felix Gaeta), and you can hear that same grounded presence in his anime roles. I enjoy comparing both versions: Yamaguchi gives L a twitchy, fragile energy, while Juliani brings a slightly more contemplative, world-weary tone. Both are brilliant in different ways.

If you’re hunting for clips, the Viz Media English dub is the most widely available for North American viewers, and Juliani’s performance appears across the original anime episodes. I sometimes rewatch particular L-centric scenes — the first meeting with Light, the interrogation moments, or any time he’s doing those slow, observant monologues — just to listen to the voice work. It’s one of those rare cases where the dub adds its own flavor without losing the character’s essence, and Juliani’s L sits perfectly in that space. If you like voice acting breakdowns, try listening to a scene in both languages back-to-back; the differences are small but telling, and they’ll give you a deeper appreciation for how much an actor can shape a character.

Okay, quick and friendly take: L in the English dub of 'Death Note' is voiced by Alessandro Juliani. I’ve heard fans debate which L they prefer—Kappei Yamaguchi’s original or Juliani’s dub—but to me Juliani nails the brainy, antisocial vibe while still sounding human.

A fun little thing I do is flip between the Japanese and English tracks when I’m rewatching; Juliani’s voice has this calm, dry quality that works really well with the translation rhythm. Also worth noting if you only know L from the 2017 Netflix film: that’s a different portrayal by Lakeith Stanfield, so keep expectations aligned depending on which version you’re checking out. If you like voice actor deep-dives, tracking Juliani’s other roles is neat — you’ll spot the same steady presence in a bunch of shows.