Kenneth Mars
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Kenneth Mars (April 14, 1936 – February 12, 2011) was an American television, movie and voice actor. He may be best-remembered for his roles in several Mel Brooks films: the insane Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind in 1968's The Producers, and the relentless Police Inspector Hans Wilhelm Fredrich Kemp in 1974's Young Frankenstein.
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Early life
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Mars made his acting debut in 1962 as a book publisher on the comedy series Car 54, Where Are You?. Afterwards, he appeared on such television series as Gunsmoke, Get Smart, McMillan & Wife and The Bob Crane Show. Mars played Harry Zarakartos on the television sitcom He & She, and was featured in a number of small roles in programs such as the Misfits of Science pilot episode, the audio program Adventures in Odyssey, and the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Shadowplay". He was cast opposite Bette Davis in Hello Mother, Goodbye!, a 1973 television pilot that was aired by NBC but never added to its schedule. From 1970 till 1974 he guest starred in 5 episodes of Love, American Style, playing random characters. In 1977, he became a series regular on Fernwood 2-Night, playing "Bud Prize" on the fictional comedy talk show and later appeared on America 2-Night in the same role.
Career
Film roles
Mars often played characters with exaggerated accents. He was German in The Producers, Young Frankenstein and was the Croatian musicologist Hugh Simon in What's Up, Doc?.
Comedy Albums
In 1975, ABC/Dunhill released a comedy LP produced by Earl Doud titled "Henry the First" featuring Mars in a number of comedy bits as Henry Kissinger, including a cover version of the Bachman–Turner Overdrive song, Takin' Care of Business.
Voice acting roles
Mars cultivated his voice-over career, launching it by voicing several characters on Uncle Croc's Block. He voiced the roles of Ariel's father King Triton in The Little Mermaid, and Littlefoot's Grandpa Longneck in The Land Before Time movie series and the spin-off television series.
Filmography
- The Land Before Time (2007-2011) - Grandpa Longneck
- Hannah Montana (TV) (2007) - Gunther the Innkeeper
- Kingdom Hearts II (VG) (2006) (voice) - King Triton
- Kingdom Hearts (VG) (2002) (voice) - King Triton
- Malcolm in the Middle (TV) (2002–2004) - Otto Mannkusser
- Becker (TV) - (2001) Melvin (3 Episodes)
- The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (voice) (2000) - King Triton
- Batman: The Animated Series (voice) (1995) - M2 (In the episode "The Lion and the Unicorn")
- The Land Before Time series (II-present) (voice) (1994–2011) - Grandpa
- Thumbelina (voice) (1994) - King Colbert
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1994) - Colyus
- Batman: The Animated Series (voice) (1994) - Richard (In the episode "Sideshow")
- Animaniacs (voice) (1993) - Ludwig van Beethoven (In the episode "Roll Over Beethoven")
- We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (voice) (1993) - Professor Screweyes
- Shadows and Fog (1992) - Armstead the Magician
- A Different World (1992) - Homeless Man
- Darkwing Duck (TV) (voice) (1991–1995) - Tuskerninni
- Freakazoid! (TV) (voice) Dr. Gunter Hunter Hanker
- Tale Spin (TV) (voice) (1990–1994) - Heimlich Menudo, Prof. Buzz
- The Little Mermaid (voice) (1989) - King Triton
- Police Academy 6: City Under Siege (1989) - The Mayor/The Mastermind
- Get Smart, Again! (1989) (TV) - Cmdr. Drury
- The Smurfs (1989) season (TV) - additional voices
- Rented Lips (1988) - Reverend Farrell
- For Keeps? (1988) - Mr. Bobrucz
- Illegally Yours (1988) - Hal B. Keeler
- A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (TV) (voice) (1988–1991) - Dogcatcher Ghost
- Radio Days (1987) - Rabbi Baumel
- The Adventures of the American Rabbit (voice) (1986) - Voltor/Buzzard
- Misfits of Science (TV) (1985) - Sen. Donner
- Beer (film) (1985) - Adolphe Norbecker
- Fletch (1985) - Stanton Boyd
- Yellowbeard (1983) - Mr. Crisp and Senior Verdugo
- Full Moon High (1981) - Coach Cleveland / Principal Cleveland
- The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979) - Marshal Woolly Bill Hitchcock
- Heaven Only Knows (TV) (1979)
- Night Moves (1975) - Nick
- Wonder Woman (TV) (1975) - Col. Oberst Von Blasko (1 episode)
- Young Frankenstein (1974) - Police Inspector Hans Wilhelm Friedrich Kemp
- The Parallax View (1974) - Former FBI Agent Will
- Guess Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1973) (TV) - Mitchell Bernard
- What's Up, Doc? (1972) - Hugh Simon
- Desperate Characters (1971) - Otto Bentwood
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - Marshal
- The April Fools (1969) - Les Hopkins
- The Producers (1968) - Franz Liebkind
- He & She (TV) (1967–1968) - Harry Zarakartos