Charles Fleischer
Encyclopedia
Charles Fleischer is an American actor
, stand-up comedian and voice artist
.
As a child, he is reported to have spent several summers at Kamp Kewanee in La Plume, Pennsylvania, where he started practicing his stand-up routine at age nine. He attended Southampton College of Long Island University, and studied acting at Chicago's Goodman Theatre. He moved to Los Angeles in 1970 to pursue his comedy career.
His stand-up routines are known for their intelligent and unusual bent, discussing such obscure topics as merkin
s and his mathematical formula, "moleeds." He has a knack for voices and manic facial expressions reminiscent of a mad scientist.
He is best known as the voices of Roger Rabbit, Benny The Cab, Greasy and Psycho in Disney
and Amblin Entertainment
's 1988 live action/animated hybrid murder mystery noir film Who Framed Roger Rabbit
. After that film's success, Fleischer continued to perform the voice of Roger in several Disney television and theme park appearances at several of the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
, and in three follow-up short subjects to the original film. Other voice roles for Fleischer include The Polar Express
and We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story
. On-screen roles include Back to the Future Part II
and Gridlock'd
.
Fleischer has had roles on TV shows: he has had a recurring role on the 1970s hit TV series Welcome Back, Kotter
as Carvelli, as Chuck on the hit ABC
series Laverne & Shirley
, and on the popular Disney cartoon series House of Mouse as the voice of Benny The Cab. He guest starred in The Weird Al Show
as a guy in a band. He also appeared on the short lived Saturday morning show Wacko
.
He is also a musician and songwriter. He performed as a guest on harmonica with the group Blues Traveler
at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles on November 22, 1995.
Fleischer is now the part-owner of a multi-media company in Southern California and a writer for TV and movies. He still does stand-up gigs occasionally. Since December 2010 he is hosting his own weekly webshow Fleischer's Universe on Ustream.tv, produced by Brad Wyman
.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, stand-up comedian and voice artist
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
.
Life and career
Fleischer was born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
As a child, he is reported to have spent several summers at Kamp Kewanee in La Plume, Pennsylvania, where he started practicing his stand-up routine at age nine. He attended Southampton College of Long Island University, and studied acting at Chicago's Goodman Theatre. He moved to Los Angeles in 1970 to pursue his comedy career.
His stand-up routines are known for their intelligent and unusual bent, discussing such obscure topics as merkin
Merkin
A merkin is a pubic wig. Merkins were originally worn by prostitutes after shaving their genitalia, and are now used as decorative items, erotic devices, or in films, by both men and women.-Origin of term:...
s and his mathematical formula, "moleeds." He has a knack for voices and manic facial expressions reminiscent of a mad scientist.
He is best known as the voices of Roger Rabbit, Benny The Cab, Greasy and Psycho in Disney
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
and Amblin Entertainment
Amblin Entertainment
Amblin Entertainment is an American film and television production company founded by director and producer Steven Spielberg and film producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall in 1981. Amblin is only a production company, and has never distributed its own movies, nor has it fully financed its...
's 1988 live action/animated hybrid murder mystery noir film Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters...
. After that film's success, Fleischer continued to perform the voice of Roger in several Disney television and theme park appearances at several of the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is the segment of The Walt Disney Company that conceives, builds, and manages the company's theme parks and holiday resorts, as well as a variety of additional family-oriented leisure enterprises...
, and in three follow-up short subjects to the original film. Other voice roles for Fleischer include The Polar Express
The Polar Express (film)
The Polar Express is a 2004 motion capture computer-animated film based on the children's book of the same title by Chris Van Allsburg. Written, produced, and directed by Robert Zemeckis, the human characters in the film were animated using live action performance capture technique, with the...
and We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story
We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (film)
We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story is a 1993 American animated film, produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblimation animation studio, distributed by Universal Pictures, and originally released to theaters on November 24, 1993 for the United States. It was rated G by the MPAA...
. On-screen roles include Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part II is a 1989 American science fiction comedy film and the second installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Thomas F. Wilson and Lea Thompson...
and Gridlock'd
Gridlock'd
Gridlock'd is a 1995 crime dramedy starring Tupac Shakur, Tim Roth, and Thandie Newton. It was the directorial debut of Vondie Curtis-Hall, who also wrote the story and screenplay. The film's opening was relatively low, despite critical acclaim; its opening weekend netted only $2,678,372 and it...
.
Fleischer has had roles on TV shows: he has had a recurring role on the 1970s hit TV series Welcome Back, Kotter
Welcome Back, Kotter
Welcome Back, Kotter was an American television sitcom starring Gabe Kaplan and featuring a young John Travolta.It originally aired on the ABC network from September 9, 1975 to June 8, 1979.-Premise:...
as Carvelli, as Chuck on the hit ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
series Laverne & Shirley
Laverne & Shirley
Laverne & Shirley is an American television situation comedy that ran on ABC from January 26, 1976, to May 10, 1983...
, and on the popular Disney cartoon series House of Mouse as the voice of Benny The Cab. He guest starred in The Weird Al Show
The Weird Al Show
The Weird Al Show is a television show hosted by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Produced in association with Dick Clark Productions, it aired Saturday mornings on the CBS TV network from September to December 1997. The show was released on DVD on August 15, 2006...
as a guy in a band. He also appeared on the short lived Saturday morning show Wacko
Wacko (TV series)
Wacko was a half-hour children's television series that aired on CBS on Saturday mornings. The show was a live action variety show featuring skits and musical numbers...
.
He is also a musician and songwriter. He performed as a guest on harmonica with the group Blues Traveler
Blues Traveler
Blues Traveler is a rock band, formed in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987. The band has been influenced by a variety of genres, including blues-rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock, soul, and Southern rock...
at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles on November 22, 1995.
Fleischer is now the part-owner of a multi-media company in Southern California and a writer for TV and movies. He still does stand-up gigs occasionally. Since December 2010 he is hosting his own weekly webshow Fleischer's Universe on Ustream.tv, produced by Brad Wyman
Brad Wyman
Brad Hibbs Wyman is an American film producer, best known for producing Monster. His first film was White of the Eye, and later worked on Freeway, Trees Lounge, The Dark Backward, The Chase, and Barb Wire. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California...
.
Filmography
- RangoRangoRango was a Western situation comedy starring comedian Tim Conway which was broadcast in the United States on the ABC television network in 1967....
(2011) - Funny PeopleFunny PeopleFunny People is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written, co-produced and directed by Judd Apatow, and starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Leslie Mann. The film was released on 31 July 2009 in North America, and on 28 August 2009 in the United Kingdom. Funny People uses considerably more...
(2009) - ZodiacZodiac (film)Zodiac is a 2007 American mystery-thriller film directed by David Fincher and based on Robert Graysmith's non-fiction book of the same name. The Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros...
(2007) - The Polar ExpressThe Polar Express (film)The Polar Express is a 2004 motion capture computer-animated film based on the children's book of the same title by Chris Van Allsburg. Written, produced, and directed by Robert Zemeckis, the human characters in the film were animated using live action performance capture technique, with the...
(2004) (voice) - Balto III: Wings of ChangeBalto III: Wings of ChangeBalto III: Wings of Change is a 2004 straight-to-video sequel to Universal Studios' 2002 animated film Balto II: Wolf Quest.-Plot:Balto's son Kodi works for the US Mail. Kodi loves his job and his new friends, - Dusty , Kirby and Ralph...
(2004) (voice) - Big Kiss (2004)
- Balto II: Wolf QuestBalto II: Wolf QuestBalto II: Wolf Quest is a 2002 straight-to-DVD fictional sequel to Universal Studios' 1995 animated film Balto.-Plot:Balto and his mate Jenna have a new family of six puppies...
(2002) (voice) - Bel AirBel AirBel Air or Bel-Air may refer to:Places in the United States:* Bel Air, Los Angeles, a district of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States* Bel Air, Alabama* Bel-Air , a placename in Seminole County, Florida, United States...
(2000) - Genius (1999)
- Rusty: A Dog's Tale (1998)
- Permanent MidnightPermanent MidnightPermanent Midnight is a 1998 biographical romantic comedy-drama film directed by David Veloz starring Ben Stiller. The film is based on Jerry Stahl's autobiographical book of the same name, and tells the story of Stahl's rise from a small-time television writer to his success as a comedy writer...
(1998) - Gridlock'dGridlock'dGridlock'd is a 1995 crime dramedy starring Tupac Shakur, Tim Roth, and Thandie Newton. It was the directorial debut of Vondie Curtis-Hall, who also wrote the story and screenplay. The film's opening was relatively low, despite critical acclaim; its opening weekend netted only $2,678,372 and it...
(1997) - Demon KnightDemon KnightDemon Knight is a 1995 American horror film directed by Ernest Dickerson, starring Billy Zane, William Sadler, and Jada Pinkett Smith...
(1995) - My Girl 2My Girl 2My Girl 2 is a 1994 comedy-drama film starring Anna Chlumsky, Dan Aykroyd, Christine Ebersole, Jamie Lee Curtis, Richard Masur, Austin O'Brien, and Roland Thomson. This was a sequel to 1991's My Girl.-Plot:...
(1994) - We're Back! A Dinosaur's StoryWe're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (film)We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story is a 1993 American animated film, produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblimation animation studio, distributed by Universal Pictures, and originally released to theaters on November 24, 1993 for the United States. It was rated G by the MPAA...
(1993) (voice) - Trail Mix-Up (1993) (voice)
- Carry On ColumbusCarry On ColumbusCarry On Columbus is the 31st and last film in the Carry On series, following 1978's Carry On Emmannuelle. The only main series regulars present are Jim Dale , Bernard Cribbins , Leslie Phillips , Jon Pertwee and June Whitfield...
(1992) - Straight TalkStraight TalkStraight Talk is an 1992 American comedy-film distributed by Hollywood Pictures, directed by Barnet Kellman and starring Dolly Parton and James Woods. Parton did not receive star-billing in any other theatrically-released films until the 2012 film Joyful Noise, alongside Queen Latifah...
(1992) - Dick Tracy (1990)
- Roller Coaster Rabbit (1990) (voice)
- Back to the Future Part IIBack to the Future Part IIBack to the Future Part II is a 1989 American science fiction comedy film and the second installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Thomas F. Wilson and Lea Thompson...
(1989) - Tummy Trouble (1989) (voice)
- Gross Anatomy (1989)
- Mickey's 60th BirthdayMickey's 60th BirthdayMickey's 60th Birthday is the 1988 television special broadcast on the Walt Disney anthology television series on November 13, 1988 on NBC. As the title suggests, it was produced for the 60th anniversary of the Mickey Mouse character...
(1988) (voice) (role: Roger Rabbit) - Who Framed Roger RabbitWho Framed Roger RabbitWho Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters...
(1988) (voice) - Bad DreamsBad Dreams (film)-Plot:It is the mid-1970s. A sinister hippy cult called Unity Fields commits mass suicide in a horrific manner - by fire - at the behest of its psychopathic leader, Franklin Harris . Only one young woman named Cynthia survives to tell the tale...
(1988) - Deadly FriendDeadly FriendDeadly Friend is a 1986 science fiction horror film directed by Wes Craven. It is based on the novel entitled Friend by Diana Henstell, which was adapted for the screen by Bruce Joel Rubin.-Plot:...
(1986) (voice) - A Nightmare On Elm StreetA Nightmare on Elm StreetA Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 American slasher film directed and written by Wes Craven, and the first film of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The film features Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Amanda Wyss, Jsu Garcia, Robert Englund, and Johnny Depp in his feature film...
(1984) - Night ShiftNight Shift (film)Night Shift is a 1982 comedy film, one of Ron Howard's earliest directorial efforts. It stars Howard's Happy Days co-star Henry Winkler along with Michael Keaton, in his first starring role, and Shelley Long, who later in the year would star as Diane Chambers in the popular sitcom Cheers. Also...
(1982) - Die Laughing (1980)