Kenneth Mars

Kenneth Mars (born April 14, 1936, died February 12, 2011) was an American television, movie and voice actor. Best known for his roles in several Mel Brooks films, the most memorable being the insane Nazi playwright of Springtime for Hitler, Franz Liebkind, in 1968's The Producers and the relentless Police Inspector Hans Wilhelm Fredrich Kemp in 1974's Young Frankenstein.

Mars had the role of the friendly fireman neighbor Harry Zarakartos on the television sitcom He & She, and has also been 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.

Mars had often played characters with exaggerated accents. He was German in The Producers, Young Frankenstein (he has described himself as "Mel Brooks's house kraut"), and Malcolm in the Middle, and was the Croatian musicologist Hugh Simon in What's Up, Doc?. His voice work is most remembered for his role of Ariel's father King Triton in Disney's animated feature The Little Mermaid and Littlefoot's Grandpa Longneck in the Land Before Time movie series.

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. Although not a commercial success, it was a more than adequate showcase for Mars' talents as a mimic.

Filmography

 * 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–present) - 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
 * 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)
 * 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

Illness and death
In 2006, Mars was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer which had already spread beyond his pancreas.His cancer made him so ill that he could not reprise his role as King Triton for The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, so Jim Cummings took over the role. As well as not being able to voice Triton, he could not voice Grandpa Longneck in The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends (Grandpa does appear in the film, but has no lines) and couldn't return to reprise his role as Otto in season 6 of Malcolm in the Middle.

He died from the disease on February 12, 2011 at the age of 75.