Peter Fernandez
Fernandez attending the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Speed Racer, with his grandson
Born	(1927-01-29)January 29, 1927 Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Died	July 15, 2010(2010-07-15) (aged 83) Pomona, New York, U.S.
Cause of death	Lung cancer
Occupation	Actor, voice actor, director, author, child model
Years active	1941–2009
Spouse(s)	Noel Smith (m. 1978; his death 2010)
Children	3

Peter Fernandez (January 29, 1927 – July 15, 2010) was an American actor, voice actor, director, author and child model. Despite a career extending from the 1930s, he is probably best known for his roles in the 1967 anime Speed Racer. Fernandez co-wrote the scripts, was the voice director, and translated the English-language version of the theme song. He was instrumental in introducing many Japanese anime series to English-speaking audiences.^[1][2][3]

Life and career[edit]

Born in Manhattan, New York, one of three children to Pedro and Edna Fernandez. His two siblings were Edward and Jacqueline. He was of Cuban, Irish, and French descent. Fernandez was a child model for the John Robert Power Agency to support his family during the Great Depression. He then appeared on both radio and Broadway, appearing in Lillian Hellman's Watch on the Rhine in 1941.^[4] He was drafted into the United States Army at age 18, late in World War II. His radio appearances included roles on Mr. District Attorney, Let's Pretend, Gangbusters, My Best Girls, Superman, and Suspense, as well as soap operas. After his discharge from the Army in 1946, he became a prolific writer for both radio and pulp fiction. He authored the children's book, Bedtime Stories from the Bible.^{[citation needed]}

Fernandez is known for his voice work, and has been heard in English adaptions of many foreign films. Fernandez is best known as the American voice of the title character—and his brother, Racer X -- in the 1967 anime series Speed Racer. Besides acting in Speed Racer, he was the lyricist of English version of that show's theme song. He returned in the 2008 animated series Speed Racer: The Next Generation to play a middle-aged Headmaster Spritle. In the live-action 2008 film Speed Racer, Fernandez had a small part as a racing announcer. The rapid-fire delivery of dialogue made famous by Speed Racer was devised by Fernandez and his American voice co-stars in order to make the dialogue jibe with the original Japanese mouth movements.^[5]

He was the voice director for Courage the Cowardly Dog, which he has said was his favorite. He made cameos credited as "additional characters" in several episodes, besides his role as the voice of Robot Randy. He was voice director for Robert Mandell's Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers and Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders. Additional voice acting credits include in such dubbed anime titles as Astro Boy, Gigantor, Marine Boy, Star Blazers and Superbook.^[6]

Peter Fernandez (left) with Corinne Orr (right) and a fan at New York Anime Festival 2007

In 2007, he was awarded The Special American Anime Award for Outstanding Achievement. Fernandez was interviewed in 2008 on his activities and voice over work.^[7] His last major public appearance was at the 2009 Seattle, Washington Sakura-Con.

Personal life and death[edit]

Fernandez lived in Pomona, New York with his wife, Noel Smith, whom he married in 1978; together they have three children.^[8][9]

He died on July 15, 2010 after a battle with lung cancer at the age of 83.^[10]

Filmography[edit]

Live-action[edit]

• Captain Video and His Video Rangers


• 
  City Across the River - Frank Cusack


• Pulitzer Prize Playhouse


• 
  Suspense - Miguel


• 
  Leave It to Papa - Son


• Armstrong Circle Theatre


• 
  Speed Racer - Race Commentator


• 
  Kraft Theatre - Harry


• Joseph Schildkraut Presents


• 
  Macbeth - Donalbain


• Crunch and Des


• I Spy

Anime[edit]

• 
  Astro Boy^[11]


• 
  Gigantor - Buttons Brilliant, Johnny


• 
  Kuro Kami: the Animation - Ryuujin Nagamine


• 
  Marine Boy - Dr. Mariner, Piper


• 
  Speed Racer - Speed Racer, Racer X, Additional Voices


• 
  Star Blazers: The Bolar Wars - Mark Venture


• 
  Superbook - Additional Voices


• 
  Thunderbirds 2086 - Additional Voices

Western animation[edit]

• 
  Ace Ventura: Pet Detective - Additional Voices


• 
  Animaniacs - Additional Voices


• 
  Courage the Cowardly Dog - Benton Tarantella, Erroll von Volkheim, Robot Randy, the Spirit of the Harvest Moon, Magic Tree


• 
  Kenny the Shark - Additional Voices


• 
  Speed Racer: The Next Generation - Headmaster Spritle, Speed Racer Sr.


• 
  Tiny Toon Adventures - Additional Voices

Film[edit]

• 
  Alakazam the Great - Alakazam (speaking voice)


• The Enchanted Journey


• 
  Godzilla versus the Sea Monster - Ryota


• 
  Plan Bee - Bellza


• Planet of Storms


• Planet of the Vampires


• 
  Son of Godzilla - Goro


• 
  Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster - Yukio


• 
  Spider's Web: A Pig's Tale - Norman Ja Rahr


• 
  What's Eating Gilbert Grape - ADR Voice

Video games[edit]

• 
  The Longest Journey - Elder Banda, Minstrum Yerin, Old Alatien man

Other works[edit]

• 
  Peter Absolute on the Erie Canal (Audio Book Serial)


• 
  Speed Racer (Theme Song Lyrics)


• 
  X-Minus One (Radio Series)


• 
  Baby Animals Just Want to Have Fun (VHS)

Staff[edit]

Dialogue direction[edit]

• 
  Blood Link (1982)


• 
  Bonheur d'occasion (1983)


• 
  De Stilte rond Christie M. (1982)


• 
  Infra-Man (1976)


• 
  Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd (1982)


• 
  Kenny the Shark (TV series, 2003, episodes 1-13)


• 
  La Diagonale du fou (1984)


• 
  Ultraman (1966)


• 
  Una Magnum Special per Tony Saitta (1976)

Direction[edit]

• 
  Coup de tête (1979, uncredited)


• 
  Schrei - denn ich werde dich töten! (TV, 1999, uncredited)


• 
  The Enchanted Journey (1984, uncredited)

Dubbing direction[edit]

• 
  Nattens engel (1998)

Voice direction[edit]

• 
  2019 - Dopo la caduta di New York (1983)


• 
  Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (TV series, 1996, episodes 27-41)


• 
  Al Andalus (1989)


• 
  Au nom de tous les miens (1983)


• 
  Au nom de tous les miens (TV miniseries, 1985)


• 
  Bidaya wa nihaya (1960)


• 
  Bordella (1976, uncredited)


• 
  Christmas in Cartoontown (OAV, 1996)


• 
  Ciske de Rat (1984, uncredited)


• 
  Coup de torchon (1981)


• 
  Courage the Cowardly Dog (TV series, 1999)


• 
  Dogs of Hell (1982)


• 
  El Nido (1979)


• 
  Fei zhou chao ren (1994)


• 
  Film d'amore e d'anarchia (1973)


• 
  Gandahar (1988)


• 
  Goha (1958)


• 
  Gojira-Ebira-Mosura: Nankai no daiketto (1966, Eng. title: Godzilla versus the Sea Monster)


• 
  Il Corsaro nero (1976)


• 
  Il Deserto dei Tartari (1976)


• 
  Il Segreto del vestito rosso (1965)


• 
  Infra-Man (1976)


• 
  Jalna (TV miniseries)|Jalna (TV miniseries, 1994)


• 
  Jung-Gwok chiu-yan (1975)


• 
  Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Zettai zetsumi (1967)


• 
  L'Anticristo (1974)


• 
  L'Homme de Rio (1964)


• 
  Le Choix des armes (1981)


• 
  Le Grand pardon (1982)


• 
  Les Chevaliers du ciel (TV series, 1967)


• 
  Mimì metallurgico ferito nell'onore (1972, uncredited)


• 
  Nuovo cinema Paradiso (1989)


• 
  Onna hissatsu ken (1974)


• 
  Piedone a Hong Kong (1975)


• 
  Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders (TV series, 1995)


• 
  Puss 'N Boots Travels Around the World (1976)


• 
  Satsujin ken 2 (1974)


• 
  Shaka (1961)


• 
  Stavisky... (1974, uncredited)


• 
  The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers (TV series, 1986)


• 
  The Magic Snowman (1988)


• 
  The Secret of Anastasia (OAV, 1997)


• 
  The Secret of Mulan (OAV, 1998)


• 
  The Space Giants (TV series, 1967)


• 
  Topâzu (1992)


• 
  Tutto a posto e niente in ordine (1973)


• 
  Un amour de Swann (1984)


• 
  Un moment d'égarement (1977)


• 
  Une histoire simple (1978)


• 
  Vabank (1981)

Writing[edit]

• 
  2019 - Dopo la caduta di New York (1983, uncredited)


• 
  Al Andalus (1989, uncredited)


• 
  Au nom de tous les miens (1983, uncredited)


• 
  Ciske de Rat (1984, uncredited)


• 
  Coup de tête (1979, uncredited)


• 
  Coup de tchon (1981, uncredited)


• 
  El Nido (1979, uncredited)


• 
  Faire l'amur - Emmanuelle et ses soeurs" (1971)


• 
  Fei zhou chao ren (1994, uncredited)


• 
  Gandahar (1988, uncredited)


• 
  Gojira-Ebira-Mosura: Nankai no daiketto (1966, Eng. title: Godzilla versus the Sea Monster, uncredited)


• 
  Infra-Man (1976)


• 
  Il Deserto dei Tartari (1976, uncredited)


• 
  Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd (1982, uncredited)


• 
  Jalna (TV miniseries, 1994, uncredited)


• 
  Le Choix des armes (1981, uncredited)


• 
  Le Grand prdon (1982, uncredited)


• 
  Les Chevaliers du ciel (TV series, 1967, uncredited)


• 
  Mélodie en sous-sol (1963, uncredited)


• 
  Mimì metallurgico ferito nell'onore (1972, uncredited)


• 
  Nattens engel (1998, uncredited)


• 
  Onna hissatsu ken (1974, uncredited)


• 
  Puss 'N Boots Travels Around the World (1976)


• 
  Satsujin ken 2 (1974, uncredited)


• 
  Schrei - denn ich werde dich töten! (TV, 1999, uncredited)


• 
  Stavisky... (1974, uncredited)


• 
  Tatsu no ko Tarô (1979, uncredited)


• 
  The Alley Cats (1968)


• 
  The Dirty Girls (1964)


• 
  The Enchanted Journey (1984)


• 
  The Mad Doctor Hump (1969)


• 
  The Night the Animals Talked (1970)


• 
  The Space Giants (TV series, 1967, uncredited)


• 
  Topâzu (1992, uncredited)


• 
  Ultraman (TV series, 1966)


• Une histoire simple


• Un moment d'égarement


• Un amour de Swann


• 
  Woof! (1989)

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Recent commercial voice work by Fernandez


• 
  Peter Fernandez on IMDb


• 
  Peter Fernandez convention appearances on AnimeCons.com


• Peter Fernandez's interview at Otakon 2008