FRANK WELKER

'Franklin W. Welker' (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He is responsible for a broad spectrum of character voices, noises, and other vocal effects that have appeared over the last 40 years in American television and motion pictures. He is listed as the number one "All Time Top 100 Stars at the Box office" in terms of the total revenue the films he has participated in have generated. His work in over 90 films has put him ahead of Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks and Samuel L. Jackson. [1]

Contents

Early life

On-camera actor

Voice actor

''Transformers''

Partial filmography

External links

Early life

Welker was born in Denver, Colorado. He attended college in California where he began his professional career as an actor appearing in commercials. While in college he appeared in numerous plays, and developed a stand up comedy act which got him started on the concert circuit touring with, The Righteous Brothers, and Sergio Mendes. He continued with stand up and in addition to touring the country, he appeared in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe as the opening act for headliners like Sonny and Cher, Diana Ross, Loretta Lynn, Ann Margaret, Neil Sedaka and others.

On-camera actor

Welker began his career as an on camera actor and stand up comedian. His first film role was as a bar fight participant in Stan Dragoti’s ''Dirty Little Billy.'' He played a college kid from Rutgers in the Elvis Presley picture ''The Trouble with Girls.'' He later co-starred with Don Knotts playing his sidekick and garbage truck driver friend in Universal’s ''How to Frame a Figg.'' Welker also participated in two Disney classic movies, ''The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes'' and ''Now You See Him, Now You Don't'' playing one of Dexter Riley's (Kurt Russell) classmates.
His on camera television appearances were numerous including, ''Love American Style,'' ''The Partridge Family,'' ''The Don Knotts Show,'' He played a prosecutor in highly acclaimed ABC special, ''The Trial of General Yamashita'' and another military role as Captain Pace beside Richard Dreyfuss's Yosarian in Paramount television’s pilot, ''Catch 22.'' He appeared on ''Laugh In,'' ''The Dean Martin Roast,'' ''The Mike Douglas Show,'' ''The Tonight Show,'' ''Merv Griffin,'' ''The Smothers Brothers Show,'' ''The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour,'' and ''Laugh Trax'' were he was a cast member along side Jim Staahl and Howie Mandel.

Voice actor

Welker has been referred to as a "voice acting god" (by John DiMaggio and Billy West in the DVD commentary for ''Futurama'') in Hollywood for the sheer number of voices he has done — over 1,200 — ranging from his work on ''Scooby-Doo'' to the present day with his many roles in cartoons (''Curious George''), films (''The Cat in the Hat''), and computer games (the ''Baldur's Gate'' series), the voice of King Bowser in the Nintendo DS video game, New Super Mario Bros and Clown Freak in the Midway's ''CarnEvil''.
In the ''Transformers'' television series, he voiced eight of the original fourteen Decepticons. With the release of the animated film in 1986, he took on the role of the Autobot Wheelie, and afterwards, took over the role of Galvatron (a rebuilt version of Megatron, a role originated by Welker) from Leonard Nimoy. Having already provided the screams for Nimoy's character Mr. Spock in '', this marked the second time he had inherited a role from Nimoy.
Welker did more live action movies during the 1990s. Among his work includes vocal effects for the character Goro in 1995's ''Mortal Kombat'', the movie being based on Midway's popular fighting game, and Welker voiced the Devil Malebolgia in 1997's ''Spawn'', the movie based on the very popular Todd McFarlane comic books. Welker also provided the voice (both speaking and non-speaking) of Nibbler in the cartoon TV series ''Futurama''.
Frank was also the voice of Snot Tiger, a cat who always sneezes and the Fox kits, and another band in the 2006 Walt Disney animated film ''The Fox and the Hound 2''.
As of 2002, Welker is the voice of both Fred Jones and Scooby-Doo in ''What's New, Scooby-Doo?'', and the latest series-based spinoff of ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'', ''Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!''.

''Transformers''

In the 1980s, Welker voiced many recurring characters in the ''Transformers'' animated series, most famously Decepticon leader Megatron and the echoing, monotone Soundwave. Welker was asked to audition to reprise his original role of Megatron in the live action Transformers movie. Apparently due to conflict in schedules, Welker never met with the producers or the director, Michael Bay. Bay, however, had Welker send him a couple of recorded lines and concluded Welker's Megatron did not fit his new interpretation of the character. Eventually, the role was voiced by Hugo Weaving, disappointing many fans who had been hopeful for a 'reunion' with Peter Cullen, who had already been signed on to reprise the role of Optimus Prime. Although this did not occur in the film itself, Welker reunited with Cullen in '', with both returning to voice their signature roles.
Welker also returned to his two most famous ''Transformers'' roles when he portrayed Megatron and Soundwave as part of a spoof in the third season episode of Robot Chicken, aired shortly after the release of the live action film.

Partial filmography

★ '' - Thunderbolt, Steven, Scorch, Cynde

★ '' - Goddard

★ ''Aladdin'', ''The Return of Jafar'' and ''Aladdin and the King of Thieves'' - Abu

★ ''Aladdin'' (TV series) - Abu, Xerxes, additional voices

★ ''Animaniacs'' - Runt, Flavio Hippo, Buttons, Ralph the Guard, Thaddeus Plotz, and Chicken Boo

★ ''Bonkers'' - Fall-Apart Rabbit, Toots, Roderick the Toon Radio, Toon Handbag, Cadet Quark, Elmo, additional voices

★ ''The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour'' - Regular Cast Member

★ ''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command'' - Grubs

★ '' - Game Boy (Seasons 2 & 3)

★ ''Cats Don't Dance'' - Farley Wink

★ ''Challenge of the Gobots'' - Scooter, Zeemon, Blaster, Rest-Q

★ ''Challenge of the Superfriends''- The Toyman

★ ''Clay Fighter 63 1/3'' - Blob, Icky Bod Clay, Lockjaw Pooch and the Zappa Yow Yow Boyz

★ ''Cro'' - Gogg, Bobb, Earle, Big Red

★ ''Curious George'' - voice of George

★ ''Dexter's Laboratory'' - Monkey, Quackor, The Infraggible Krunk and Mr. Luzinsky

★ ''The Don Knotts Show'' - Regular Cast Member

★ ''DuckTales'' - Bigtime and Baggy Beagle, Bubba, Tootsie and Poe De Spell

★ ''Dungeons & Dragons'' - Uni and Tiamat

★ ''Dynomutt, Dog Wonder'' - Dynomutt, the dog wonder

★ ''Futurama'' - Nibbler, both talking and non-talking versions, Seymour, and numerous other animal and humanoid voices

★ ''The Fairly Oddparents'' - Doidle, Dinkledog, The Sewer Gator

★ ''G.I. Joe'' - Copperhead, Flash, Freedom, Junkyard, Polly, Short-Fuse, Timber, Torch, and Wild Bill

★ ''Garfield and Friends'' - Booker, Sheldon, Bo, Mort, Fred Duck, Dr. Garbanzo Bean

★ ''Gargoyles'' - Bronx and Baby Alex

★ ''Goof Troop'' - Waffles and Chainsaw

★ ''Gremlins'' - Stripe and other Mogwai and Gremlins

★ '' - Mohawk, Daffy, Lenny, George, and other Gremlins.

★ '' - Pegasus, Additional Voices

★ ''Inspector Gadget'' - Brain, Doctor Claw, and Mad Cat

★ ''Jabberjaw'' - Jabberjaw

★ ''The Jetsons'' - Orbity (Seasons 2 & 3, 1984-1987)

★ ''Jim Henson's Muppet Babies'' - Kermit, Beaker, and Skeeter (1985-1990)

★ ''The Land Before Time''

★
★ '' - Velociraptor

★
★ '' - Tickles

★ ''The Pagemaster'' - Voice of Horror, Dragon, Parrot

★ ''The Pirates of Dark Water'' - Niddler, Dark Dweller, Morpho, Lugg Brother #2

★ ''Pocahontas'' - Flit

★ ''Rambo: The Force of Freedom'' - Mad Dog

★ ''The Real Ghostbusters'' - Ray Stantz, Samhaine, The Bogeyman and Slimer

★ ''Roger Rabbit''

★
★ ''Roller Coaster Rabbit'' - Bull

★
★ ''Trail Mix-Up'' - Beaver / Bear

★ ''SeaQuest DSV'' - voice of Darwin the Dolphin

★ ''Scooby-Doo'' - Freddy Jones (1969-present) and Scooby-Doo (for the 2002 series ''What's New, Scooby-Doo?'')

★ ''Scooby's All-Star Laff-a-Lympics''- Tinker, Yakky Doodle, Magic Rabbit, Sooey Pig, Dynomutt

★ ''The Simpsons'' - Santa's Little Helper and Snowball II, among others

★ ''The Smurfs'' - Clockwork Smurf, Hefty Smurf, Peewit, Poet Smurf, Puppy

★ ''The Snorks'' - Occy, Tooter

★ ''Spawn'' - Malebolgia

★ ''Species'' - Alien Sil's vocal effects

★ ''Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends'' - Bobby Drake/Iceman, Flash Thompson, Ms. Lion (Firestar's pet Dog)

★ ''Stargate'' - mastadge pack animal

★ '' - Darkseid, Kalibak, Mr Mxyzptlk, Dollmaker

★ '' - Darkseid, Kalibak, Mr. Mxyzptlk

★ '' - Tokka and Rahzar

★ ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' - Gogo Dodo, Little Beeper, Calamity Coyote, and Furrball

★ ''Transformers'' - Megatron, Galvatron, Soundwave, Trailbreaker, Mirage, Teletraan II, Ravage, Rumble, Frenzy, Laserbeak, Skywarp, and many others

★ ''Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch'' - Wheelie and Chopper

★ ''Mortal Kombat'' - Voice of Shao Kahn (provided vocal effects for Goro)

★ ''Yogi's Great Escape'' - Bopper, Yapper, the Real Ghost

External links

★ Frank Welker website

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★ Frank Welker The Numbers