Hans Hessling

Hans Hessling (1903-1995) was a German voice actor who was heard on Sesamstrasse, dubbing one of the Anything Muppet dwarfs encountered by Snow White. The sketch was included on the album Sesamstrasse, Folge 3. Hessling also narrated German live-action sketch inserts by Christoph Busse featuring the Tramp.
Hessling began as a stage actor and made his film debut in Das Mädchen Johanna (1935). He was also one of the earliest German dubbing actors, heard in several MGM dubs, including Rose-Marie, before America entered World War II. Hessling continued his acting career, appearing in the Nazi propaganda film U-Boote westwärts! and starring in a 1941 version of The Brave Little Tailor as the title character. After the war, as film imports returned to the country, the high-pitched Hessling dubbed character actors such as John Carradine in Western Union, John Brown in Strangers on a Train, Frank McHugh in Mighty Joe Young, Robby the Robot in Forbidden Planet, and rare leads such as Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator, Mickey Rooney in The Big Operator, and James Cagney in Shake Hands with the Devil (and later in three other films). 
He lent his voice to Burgess Meredith in the 1966 Batman film and the first two Rocky movies, Malcolm Dixon in Time Bandits, Donald Pleasence as The Devil in The Greatest Story Ever Told, Fulton MacKay in Local Hero, Howard Morris in Splash, and Douglas Seale as Santa Claus in Ernest Saves Christmas. On TV, he dubbed Geoffrey Bayldon on Catweazle and assorted guest stars on Bonanza, Mannix, and Gunsmoke. In animation, he dubbed Archimedes in The Sword in the Stone, which was followed by Friend Owl in Disney's Bambi (first a 1969 album and then the 1973 redub), as well as voicing Asterix in three feature films. His voice was heard in over 100 radio plays (including Shakespeare, Shaw, and Brecht) and record/cassette audio dramas, such as The Three Investigators and The Famous Five series.
On-camera, Hessling stayed active as a character actor, often cast as doctors, professors, priests, and other kindly types. Films include the second part of the Buddenbrooks movies (with Liselotte Pulver), Der Traum von Lieschen Müller (with Peter Weck), and Der Pfarrer von St. Pauli (with Werner Schumacher). On TV, he appeared on Tatort, Derrick, Grossstadtrevier, and in scores of TV movies and televised plays. In a 1985 TV version of Harvey, he played Judge Omar Gaffney, having years earlier dubbed actor William Lynn in the same role in the film version.
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Category:International Voice Actors