Lennie Weinrib

Lennie Weinrib (April 29, 1935 – June 28, 2006) was an American actor, voice actor and writer. He is best known for playing the title role in the children's television show H.R. Pufnstuf, the title role in Inch High, Private Eye, the original voice of Scrappy-Doo on Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, Hunk and Prince Lotor in Voltron, and Bigmouth in The Smurfs.

He was also known as Lenny Weinrib, Leonard Weinrib, and Len Weinrib.

Career
A native of the Bronx, Weinrib got his start in show business working with Spike Jones, then later in The Billy Barnes Revue. He made guest appearances on The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Burke's Law and The Munsters.

As voice actor
Weinrib is probably best known for his voice acting work. Starting with The Jetsons, Weinrib provided numerous voices for such animated series as Inch High, Private Eye, The New Adventures of Batman, Tarzan and the Super 7, and Hong Kong Phooey. He was the voice for both Roland and Ratfink in that series of cartoon shorts. He also provided the voice of Timer in the 1970s Time for Timer series of educational spots shown on ABC. In Voltron: Defender of the Universe, he voiced Hunk and the villain Prince Lotor in the "Lion Voltron series" as well as Captain Newley and Cliff in the "Vehicle Voltron" series. He also voiced a secretary bird and a king lion in the animated sequence of Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Another Disney role Weinrib voiced was an evil sorcerer named Zorlok on a notable episode of Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears.

He voiced Shaggy's great-uncle Nathaniel and Redbeard on The New Scooby Doo Movies and Cap'n Noah Smitty in Yogi's Ark Lark.

Weinrib played H.R. Pufnstuf throughout the show's entire run from 1969 through 1971, and he also wrote every episode of the series. In The Krofft Supershow he played the title character in Magic Mongo. He also appeared as H.R. Pufnstuf when he was a guest on The Dating Game in Christmas 1972 and on one episode of the TV show CHiPs in 1977. He did the voices for Moonrock and Sergeant Boulder on The Flintstone Comedy Show. In 1986, he was the original voice of Freddy Flintstone on The Flintstone Kids, before Scott Menville replaced him the following season. In 1991, he voiced Max the Mole on the all-star Hanna-Barbera animated series Yo Yogi!.

Weinrib retired from acting in the 1990s and moved to Santiago, Chile.

Family Guy executive producer Seth MacFarlane, who had a reputation of parodying cartoon characters using their original voice actors on his show, had approached Weinrib with an offer to spoof his role of "Time for Timer" in the episode "Petarded". However, Weinrib declined, stating that he failed to have a strong enough memory of Timer to reprise the role.

As director
Weinrib's directing career consists of three feature films, all in the beach party genre: Beach Ball for Paramount in 1965, and Wild Wild Winter and Out of Sight, both for Universal in 1966.

Death
Lennie Weinrib died in a hospital near his home on June 28, 2006, after suffering a stroke.

Family
His elder daughter Linda Bendik and grandchildren Lauren Bendik and Steven Bendik are voice actors.

His younger daughter Heidi Weinrib has performed as part of the ensemble cast of Rojo de Chile, a Chilean talent competition broadcast by Television Nacional de Chile.

Animation

 * Buford and the Galloping Ghost - Additional Voices
 * CB Bears - King, Rattle, Yukayuka
 * Dynomutt, Dog Wonder - Additional Voices
 * Galaxy Goof-Ups - Additional Voices
 * Hong Kong Phooey - Additional Voices
 * Inch High, Private Eye - Inch High
 * Jabberjaw - Additional Voices
 * Kissyfur - Charles, Lennie
 * My Little Pony and Friends - Additional Voices
 * Pac-Man - Additional Voices
 * Rambo and the Forces of Freedom - Gripper
 * Scooby and Scrappy-Doo - Scrappy-Doo
 * Space Stars - Dipper
 * The Addams Family - Gomez Addams
 * The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda - Additional Voices
 * The All-New Popeye Hour - Additional Voices
 * The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan - Stanley Chan
 * ''The Most Important Person"- Various Voices
 * The Flintstone Comedy Hour - Announcer, Moonrock
 * The Flintstone Comedy Show - Moonrock, Sgt. Boulder
 * The Flintstone Kids - Fred Flintstone (1986-1987), Commissioner
 * The Great Grape Ape Show - Additional Voices
 * The Jetsons - Additional Voices (1985)
 * The Kwicky Koala Show - Additional Voices
 * The Little Rascals - Additional Voices
 * The Mumbly Cartoon Show - Additional Voices
 * The New Adventures of Batman - Joker, Clayface, Mr. Freeze, Chameleon, Moonman, Professor Bubbles, Sweet Tooth, Zarbor
 * The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show - Additional Voices
 * The New Scooby-Doo Movies - Additional Voices
 * The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show - Bronto, Moonrock
 * The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show - Additional Voices
 * The Scooby-Doo Show - Additional Voices
 * The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour - Additional Voices
 * The Smurfs-Bigmouth
 * The Super Globetrotters - Additional Voices
 * The Tom and Jerry Show - Additional Voices
 * These Are the Days - Additional Voices
 * Uncle Croc's Block - Billy the Kit, Captain Eddie Cattenbakker, Captain Kitt, Jasper Catdaver, Kitty Wizard, Sir Walter Cat ("Fraidy Cat" segments)
 * Voltron - Hunk Garrett, Prince Lotor
 * Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - Chet Boyle
 * Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch - Hi-Riser
 * Yo Yogi! - Max the Mole
 * Yogi's Gang - Smokestack Smog
 * Yogi's Space Race - Additional Voices
 * Yogi's Treasure Hunt - Additional Voices

Live-Action Roles

 * H.R. Pufnstuf - Voices of H.R. Pufnstuf, Bela Lugosi Tree, Dr. Blinky's Talking Book, Orson Vulture, Polka Dotted Horse, Stupid Bat, Pop Lolly, West Wind
 * Lidsville - Voices of Admiral Scuttlebutt, Bela the Vampire's Cowl, Big Chief Sitting Duck, Boris the Executioner's Hood, Hiram the Farmer's Hat, Hoo Doo's Parrot, Raunchy Rabbit, Jack of Clubs
 * The Krofft Supershow - Magic Mungo
 * The Krofft Superstar Hour - Voices of H.R. Pufnstuf, Orson Vulture, Stupid Bat
 * The Skatebirds - Voice of Knock-Knock the Woodpecker ("Skatebirds" segment)

Film Roles

 * Bedknobs and Broomsticks - King Lion, Secretary Bird
 * It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World - Police Radio Voices
 * Rikki-Tikki-Tavi - Darzee the Tailorbird
 * Yogi's Ark Lark - Cap'n Noah Smitty

Commercial Roles

 * McDonald's McDonaldland Commercials - Captain Crook (voice)
 * Time for Timer - Timer