Paul Frees

Paul Frees Headshot

Actor • Comedian • Impressionist • Vaudevillian

Birth Date: June 22, 1920

Death Date: November 2, 1986 — 66 years old

Birth Place: Chicago, Illinois

With credits on more than 300 film and TV programs, Paul Frees was the embodiment of the highly successful voiceover artist. Not surprisingly, Frees began his career in the world of radio, where he delighted listeners and show producers with his talented vocal impersonations.

He began to work in film in the early 1940s. Often he served as a narrator, but was sometimes called to replace the voices of actors. In "The Ugly Dachshund" (1966), he replaced a performer who died. He later dubbed the voice of Japanese star Toshirô Mifune in "Grand Prix" (1966).

Frees was most famous for voicing many of the beloved cartoon characters of the 1960s and '70s. He played Boris Badenov in the animated "Rocky and His Friends," Inspector Fenwick in "The Dudley Do-Right Show," and a panoply of voices in the stop-motion animated Christmas specials of Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin, Jr. ("Rudolph's Shiny New Year," "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town").

More obscurely, Frees was K.I.T.T.'s four-wheeled nemesis, K.A.R.R., in the 1980s David Hasselhoff series "Knight Rider."

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Credits

The Return of the King

Voice
Orc/Goblin/Uruk-Hai/Captain Shagrat/Lieutenant Snaga/Orc Sergeant/Lord Elrond
Movie
1980
67%

Jack FrostStream

Voice
Father Winter
Special
1979

Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in JulyStream

Voice
Winterbolt/Jack Frost/Policeman
Movie
1979
14%

The Stingiest Man in TownStream

Voice
Special
1978

Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas DonkeyStream

Voice
Olaf
Special
1977
56%

The HobbitStream

Voice
Bombur
Movie
1977
71%

Rudolph's Shiny New YearStream

Voice
Santa Claus/Eon/General Ticker/Seventeen Seventy Six 'Sev'
Special
1976
50%

Frosty's Winter WonderlandStream

Voice
Jack Frost
Special
1976

The Pink Panther ShowStream

Voice
Man talking to Pink Panther
Series
1969

The Little Drummer BoyStream

Voice
Aaron's Father/The Magi
Special
1968

Tom and JerryStream

Voice
Cousin Muscles
Series
1965

The Beatles

Voice
John/George
Series
1965

The Incredible Mr. LimpetStream

Voice
Crusty
Movie
1964
40%

Mister Magoo's Christmas CarolStream

Voice
Stage Director/Charity Man/Fezziwig/Eyepatch Man/Tall Tophat Man
Movie
1962

Rocky & Bullwinkle

Voice
Series
1961

The Time MachineStream

Voice
Talking Rings
Movie
1960
76%

The Shaggy DogStream

Actor
J.W. Galvin
Movie
1959
68%

The Millionaire

Actor
Series
1955

The Millionaire

Voice
John Beresford Tipton
Series
1955

SuddenlyStream

Actor
Benny Conklin
Movie
1954
100%

The Big SkyStream

Actor
Louis MacMasters
Movie
1952
89%

Force of EvilStream

Actor
Elevator operator (uncredited)
Movie
1948
100%