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| Kenneth Mars | |
|---|---|
| Name | Kenneth Mars |
| Caption | Mars in 1970 |
| Birth date | 13 April 1935 |
| Birth place | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Death date | 12 February 2011 |
| Death place | Granada Hills, Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Actor, voice actor |
| Years active | 1961–2011 |
| Spouse | Barbara Newborn (m. 1962–2011) |
Kenneth Mars was an American character actor and voice artist known for comic supporting roles in film, television, and animation. He achieved prominence through collaborations with directors such as Mel Brooks and appeared in popular series including The Office (U.S. TV series), while providing voice work for franchises like The Little Mermaid and The Land Before Time. Mars's career spanned stage beginnings in Broadway to recurring roles on Saturday Night Live-era television and major Hollywood comedies.
Mars was born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in a family with roots in Brooklyn, New York City. He attended Drake University before studying drama at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign and later trained at the Juilliard School in New York City. Early theatrical influences included productions associated with the Guthrie Theater and summer stock at the Strand Theatre. His classmates and contemporaries interacted with emerging talents connected to Off-Broadway movements and institutions like The Actors Studio.
Mars began his career on stage, transitioning to television and film in the early 1960s. He worked with producers and directors from Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, and 20th Century Fox. Television appearances included guest roles on series produced by William S. Paley-era networks such as CBS, NBC, and ABC. He collaborated with writers and performers from shows connected to Saturday Night Live, The Carol Burnett Show, and the sketch tradition advanced by National Lampoon. His screen persona—often befuddled, officious, or eccentric—made him a sought-after character actor in comedies and family features.
Mars's filmography includes roles in major studio comedies and dramas. He is noted for parts in The Producers (1967) productions and later Mel Brooks films produced under 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures. He appeared alongside actors such as Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Zero Mostel, Gene Hackman, and Peter Falk. Other credits span movies released by Universal Pictures and independent projects associated with producers from New Line Cinema and Orion Pictures. His film work includes collaborations with directors like Steven Spielberg-adjacent creative teams and contributors from the American Film Institute circles.
On television, Mars guest-starred in anthology and sitcom formats produced by companies such as MTM Enterprises, Carsey-Werner Productions, and 70s/80s syndication houses. He made appearances on series with casts including Lucille Ball, Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Burnett, and performers from Three's Company. He held recurring parts on workplace comedies akin to The Office (U.S. TV series) and appeared in episodes of procedural and comedic imports tied to Law & Order-style franchises and daytime programming associated with CBS Daytime. He also worked with showrunners who had credits on Cheers and Seinfeld.
Mars found substantial success as a voice actor in animated features and television series produced by studios such as Walt Disney Animation Studios, Don Bluth Entertainment, Hanna-Barbera, and Warner Bros. Animation. He voiced characters in The Little Mermaid-era projects and in entries in The Land Before Time franchise, collaborating with composers and animation teams linked to Alan Menken and John Musker. His animation credits include voices for series broadcast on Fox Kids and The Disney Channel, as well as roles in specials associated with Rankin/Bass and theatrical shorts distributed by Universal Pictures.
Mars married casting director Barbara Newborn in 1962; the couple had two children and resided in the Los Angeles area, participating in community activities connected to the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and benefiting from professional networks tied to The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He was known among peers from The Actors Studio and frequently attended events hosted by organizations including The Paley Center for Media and Film Independent.
Mars was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer and underwent treatment in Los Angeles County. He died at his home in Granada Hills, Los Angeles on February 12, 2011. His passing was noted by institutions such as The Hollywood Reporter, Variety (magazine), and memorialized by colleagues from Mel Brooks' productions and voice cast members from Walt Disney Animation Studios projects.
Category:1935 births Category:2011 deaths Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:American male voice actors