Peter Fernandez

Peter Fernandez (January 29, 1927 – July 15, 2010) was an American 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. He is also the narrator in the audio version of "It Looked Like Spilt Milk".
Life and career.
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. 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".
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 "" 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.
He provided the voice for Benton Tarantella, a resurrected film 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 a 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".
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. His last major public appearance was at the 2009 Seattle, Washington Sakura-Con.
Personal life.
Fernandez lived in Pomona, New York with his wife, Noel Smith, whom he married in 1978; together they had three children.
Death.
He died on July 15, 2010 after a battle with lung cancer at the age of 83.