Photo of Paul Frees
Acting

Paul Frees

Profession
Acting
Born
June 22, 1920 · Chicago, Illinois, USA
Died
November 2, 1986

Biography

Solomon Hersh Frees (June 22, 1920 – November 2, 1986), known professionally as Paul Frees, was an American actor, voice actor, impressionist and screenwriter. He is best known for his voice work in cartoons during the Golden Age of Animation. Like Mel Blanc, he was sometimes referred to as "The Man of a Thousand Voices". Born in Chicago, Illinois, Frees started his entertainment career as a vaudeville impressionist and in 1942 began working on Hollywood radio series. After being drafted into the U.S. Army in World War II, he was wounded in action and eventually resumed his work in radio upon his return to the states. Frees appeared in over 250 films, cartoons and TV episodes, although he had few on-screen appearances and often went uncredited. He was also frequently enlisted to re-dub actors' performances, such as Tony Curtis' dialogue as Josephine in the 1959 film Some Like it Hot. That same year, Frees co-wrote and directed the film The Beatniks, his only feature film. Frees had a long career with Walt Disney Studios, providing the voice for Ludwig Von Drake and other characters, narrating short films, and supplying many voices for Disney theme park attractions, most notably the Ghost Host in The Haunted Mansion, various voices in Pirates of the Caribbean, and the narrator for both Adventure Thru Innerspace and Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln. On TV, Frees worked with Jay Ward Productions, providing the voice of Boris Badenov and other characters in various series, and also supplied many voices for Rankin/Bass cartoon specials. He also appeared in TV commercials and was the original voice of the Pillsbury Doughboy and the second voice of Froot Loops mascot Toucan Sam (after Mel Blanc). Frees was married five times and had two children via his third wife, voice actress Joyce Schultz. In his later years, Frees suffered from multiple health issues. He died in Tiburon, California, on November 2, 1986, at age 66, from an overdose of pain medication. He was cremated and his remains were scattered over the Pacific Ocean.

Known for

One Hundred and One Dalmatians poster
One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Film · 1961 · ★ 7.2
Some Like It Hot poster
Some Like It Hot
Film · 1959 · ★ 8.1
Beneath the Planet of the Apes poster
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
Film · 1970 · ★ 6.1
Knight Rider poster
Knight Rider
Series · 1982 · ★ 7.5
Patton poster
Patton
Film · 1970 · ★ 7.4
The Flintstones poster
The Flintstones
Series · 1960 · ★ 7.4
The Time Machine poster
The Time Machine
Film · 1960 · ★ 7.4
The Manchurian Candidate poster
The Manchurian Candidate
Film · 1962 · ★ 7.5
The War of the Worlds poster
The War of the Worlds
Film · 1953 · ★ 6.8
The Thing from Another World poster
The Thing from Another World
Film · 1951 · ★ 6.7
Tora! Tora! Tora! poster
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Film · 1970 · ★ 7.2
The Last Unicorn poster
The Last Unicorn
Film · 1982 · ★ 7.3

Filmography