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American male child actors
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Male actors from New York City
Deaths from lung cancer
Deaths from cancer in New York (state)
American male video game actors
American people of Spanish descent
People from Pomona, New York
Not to be confused with Pedro Fernández.
Fernandez attending the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Speed Racer, with his grandson
July 15, 2010(2010-07-15) (aged 83)
Pomona, New York, U.S.
Actor, voice actor, director, author, child model
Noel Smith (m. 1978; his death 2010)
Peter Fernandez (January 29, 1927 – July 15, 2010) was an American actor, voice actor, director, author and child model. Despite a career extending from the 1930s, he is probably best known for his roles in the 1967 anime Speed Racer. Fernandez co-wrote the scripts, was the voice director, and translated the English-language version of the theme song. He was instrumental in introducing many Japanese anime series to English-speaking audiences.[1][2][3]
2 Personal life and death
3.1 Anime roles
3.2 Western animation roles
3.3 Video game roles
3.4 Movie roles
3.5 Other works
4.1 Dialogue direction
4.2 Direction
4.3 Dubbing direction
4.4 Voice direction
4.5 Writing
Life and career
Born in New York City, Fernandez was a child model for the John Robert Power Agency. He then appeared on both radio and Broadway, appearing in Lillian Hellman's Watch on the Rhine in 1941.[4] He was drafted into the United States Army at age 18, late in World War II. His radio appearances included roles on Mr. District Attorney, Let's Pretend, Gangbusters, My Best Girls, Superman, and Suspense, as well as soap operas. After his discharge from the Army in 1946, he became a prolific writer for both radio and pulp fiction. He authored the children's book, Bedtime Stories from the Bible.[citation needed]
Fernandez is known for his voice work, and has been heard in English adaptions of many foreign films. Fernandez is best known as the American voice of the title character—and his brother, Racer X -- in the 1967 anime series Speed Racer. Besides acting in Speed Racer, he was the lyricist of English version of that show's theme song. He returned in the 2008 animated series Speed Racer: The Next Generation to play a middle-aged Headmaster Spritle. In the live-action 2008 film Speed Racer, Fernandez had a small part as a racing announcer. The rapid-fire delivery of dialogue made famous by Speed Racer was devised by Fernandez and his American voice co-stars in order to make the dialogue jibe with the original Japanese mouth movements.[5]
He was the voice director for Courage the Cowardly Dog, which he has said was his favorite. He made cameos credited as "additional characters" in several episodes, besides his role as the voice of Robot Randy. He was voice director for Robert Mandell's Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers and Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders. Additional voice acting credits include in such dubbed anime titles as Astro Boy, Gigantor, Marine Boy, Star Blazers and Superbook.[6]
Peter Fernandez (left) with Corinne Orr (right) and a fan at New York Anime Festival 2007
In 2007, he was awarded The Special American Anime Award for Outstanding Achievement. Fernandez was interviewed in 2008 on his activities and voice over work.[7] His last major public appearance was at the 2009 Seattle, Washington Sakura-Con.
Personal life and death
Fernandez lived in Pomona, New York with his wife, Noel Smith, whom he married in 1978; together they have three children.[8][9]
He died on July 15, 2010 after a battle with lung cancer at the age of 83.[10]
Anime roles
Astro Boy[11]
Gigantor - Buttons Brilliant, Johnny
Kagaku Kyujotai Techno Voyager
Kuro Kami: the Animation - Ryuujin Nagamine
Marine Boy - Dr. Mariner, Piper
Speed Racer - Speed Racer, Racer X, Additional Voices
Star Blazers: The Bolar Wars - Mark Venture
Superbook Additional Voices
Under Sea Boy Marine - Dr. Mariner, Piper
Western animation roles
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective - Additional Voices
Animaniacs - Additional Voices
Courage the Cowardly Dog - Benton Tarantella, Erroll von Volkheim, Robot Randy, the Spirit of the Harvest Moon, Magic Tree
Kenny the Shark - Additional Voices
Speed Racer: The Next Generation - Headmaster Spritle, Speed Racer Sr.
Tiny Toon Adventures - Additional Voices
Video game roles
The Longest Journey - Elder Banda, Minstrum Yerin, Old Alatien man
Movie roles
Castle in the Sky - Narrator (Streamline dub)
Alakazam the Great - Alakazam (speaking voice)
The Enchanted Journey
Godzilla versus the Sea Monster - Ryota
Plan Bee - Bellza
Planet of Storms
Planet of the Vampires
Speed Racer - Race Commentator
Son of Godzilla - Goro
Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster - Yukio
Spider's Web: A Pig's Tale - Norman Ja Rahr
What's Eating Gilbert Grape - ADR Voice
Peter Absolute on the Erie Canal (Audio Book Serial)
Speed Racer (Theme Song Lyrics)
X-Minus One (Radio Series)
Dialogue direction
Blood Link (1982)
Bonheur d'occasion (1983)
De Stilte rond Christie M. (1982)
Infra-Man (1976)
Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd (1982)
Kenny the Shark (TV series, 2003, episodes 1-13)
La Diagonale du fou (1984)
Ultraman (1966)
Una Magnum Special per Tony Saitta (1976)
Coup de tête (1979, uncredited)
Schrei - denn ich werde dich töten! (TV, 1999, uncredited)
The Enchanted Journey (1984, uncredited)
Dubbing direction
Nattens engel (1998)
Voice direction
2019 - Dopo la caduta di New York (1983)
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (TV series, 1996, episodes 27-41)
Al Andalus (1989)
Au nom de tous les miens (1983)
Au nom de tous les miens (TV miniseries, 1985)
Bidaya wa nihaya (1960)
Bordella (1976, uncredited)
Christmas in Cartoontown (OAV, 1996)
Ciske de Rat (1984, uncredited)
Coup de torchon (1981)
Courage the Cowardly Dog (TV series, 1999)
El Nido (1979)
Fei zhou chao ren (1994)
Film d'amore e d'anarchia (1973)
Gandahar (1988)
Goha (1958)
Gojira-Ebira-Mosura: Nankai no daiketto (1966, Eng. title: Godzilla versus the Sea Monster)
Il Corsaro nero (1976)
Il Deserto dei Tartari (1976)
Il Segreto del vestito rosso (1965)
Jalna (TV miniseries)|Jalna (TV miniseries, 1994)
Jung-Gwok chiu-yan (1975)
Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Zettai zetsumi (1967)
L'Anticristo (1974)
L'Homme de Rio (1964)
Le Choix des armes (1981)
Le Grand pardon (1982)
Les Chevaliers du ciel (TV series, 1967)
Mimì metallurgico ferito nell'onore (1972, uncredited)
Nuovo cinema Paradiso (1989)
Onna hissatsu ken (1974)
Piedone a Hong Kong (1975)
Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders (TV series, 1995)
Puss 'N Boots Travels Around the World (1976)
Satsujin ken 2 (1974)
Shaka (1961)
Stavisky... (1974, uncredited)
The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers (TV series, 1986)
The Magic Snowman (1988)
The Secret of Anastasia (OAV, 1997)
The Secret of Mulan (OAV, 1998)
The Space Giants (TV series, 1967)
Topâzu (1992)
Tutto a posto e niente in ordine (1973)
Un amour de Swann (1984)
Un moment d'égarement (1977)
Une histoire simple (1978)
Vabank (1981)
2019 - Dopo la caduta di New York (1983, uncredited)
Al Andalus (1989, uncredited)
Au nom de tous les miens (1983, uncredited)
Coup de tchon (1981, uncredited)
El Nido (1979, uncredited)
Faire l'amur - Emmanuelle et ses soeurs" (1971)
Fei zhou chao ren (1994, uncredited)
Gandahar (1988, uncredited)
Gojira-Ebira-Mosura: Nankai no daiketto (1966, Eng. title: Godzilla versus the Sea Monster, uncredited)
Il Deserto dei Tartari (1976, uncredited)
Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd (1982, uncredited)
Jalna (TV miniseries, 1994, uncredited)
Le Choix des armes (1981, uncredited)
Le Grand prdon (1982, uncredited)
Les Chevaliers du ciel (TV series, 1967, uncredited)
Mélodie en sous-sol (1963, uncredited)
Nattens engel (1998, uncredited)
Onna hissatsu ken (1974, uncredited)
Satsujin ken 2 (1974, uncredited)
Tatsu no ko Tarô (1979, uncredited)
The Alley Cats (1968)
The Dirty Girls (1964)
The Enchanted Journey (1984)
The Mad Doctor Hump (1969)
The Night the Animals Talked (1970)
The Space Giants (TV series, 1967, uncredited)
Topâzu (1992, uncredited)
Ultraman (TV series, 1966)
Un moment d'égarement
Un amour de Swann
Woof! (1989)
↑ "'Speed Racer': drawing on an anime legend". Japan Times. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ff20080703r1.html. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
↑ "'Americanizing' a cartoon classic". Japan Times. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ff20080703r2.html. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
↑ Nelson, Valerie J. (2010-07-25). "Peter Fernandez dies at 83; helped bring Japanese animation to American audiences". LA Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/25/local/la-me-peter-fernandez-20100726. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
↑ Watch on the Rhine at the Internet Broadway Database
↑ "Peter Fernandez, voice of Speed Racer, dead at 83", forum.bcdb.com; July 15, 2010.
↑ "Peter Fernandez: The Voice of SPEED RACER Dies July 15, 2010". EInsiders. http://www.einsiders.com/hollywood-obituaries/peter-fernandez-the-voice-of-speed-racer-dies-july-15-2010.html. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
↑ "Speed Racer Interview". About.com. http://animatedtv.about.com/od/dvdandvideoreviews/a/fernandez.htm. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
↑ Hevesi, Dennis (2010-07-17). "Peter Fernandez, Voice of Speed Racer in the U.S., Dies at 83". The News York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/17/arts/television/17fernandez.html?_r=1. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
↑ http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/25/local/la-me-peter-fernandez-20100726
↑ "Speed Racer Voice Actor Peter Fernandez Passes Away (Updated)". Anime News Network. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-07-15/speed-racer-voice-actor-peter-fernandez-passes-away. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
↑ "Return Laps for the First Voice of Speed Racer". New York Times. 2008-05-10. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/10/movies/10speed.html?scp=28&sq=astro%20boy&st=cse. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
Recent commercial voice work by Fernandez
Peter Fernandez at the Internet Movie Database
Peter Fernandez convention appearances on AnimeCons.com
Peter Fernandez's interview at Otakon 2008