Kenneth Mars

Kenneth Mars, born on April 4, 1935 in Chicago, Illinois, was an American actor known for his exceptional talent. He made major appearances in two Mel Brooks films: 'The Producers' (1967) and 'Young Frankenstein' (1974) apart from starring in notable films like Peter Bogdanovich's 'What's Up Doc?' (1972) as well as Woody Allen's 'Radio Days' (1987) and 'Shadows and Fog' (1991). He also voiced multiple characters in popular animated films and series like King Triton in The Little Mermaid series, Littlefoot's grandfather in The Land Before Time series, and Tuskernini from Darkwing Duck. His father, Bernard 'Sonny' Mars, a radio and television personality, likely influenced his interest in the performing arts. His acting journey began with a debut in 1962 on 'Car 54, Where Are You?', demonstrated his versatility across a range of television series including 'Gunsmoke', 'Get Smart', 'McMillan & Wife', and 'Columbo'.

As his career progressed, Mars played a series of memorable roles: his 1969 role as a marshal in 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid', to his often-accented characters like German characters in 'The Producers' and 'Young Frankenstein', and a Croatian musicologist, Hugh Simon, in 'What's Up, Doc?'. His voice acting extended to video games with roles like Ariel's father King Triton in the video games 'Kingdom Hearts' and 'Kingdom Hearts II'. Sadly, in 2008 Mars retired from acting due to pancreatic cancer, and passed away on February 12, 2011.