Bruno W. Pantel (1921-1995) was a German actor who dubbed Fozzie Bear on Die Muppet Show and in all Muppet movies and specials through Die Muppets Weihnachtsgeschichte (The Muppet Christmas Carol), and Flange Doozer in the Die Fraggles episodes "All Work and All Play" and "The Doozer Contest."
Originally trained as a driving instructor and medical assistant, Pantel shifted to acting in 1945, performing on the German stage. Moving to film in the 1950s, he played supporting roles in Fritz Lang's The 1000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (1960) and Sherlock Holmes and the Necklace of Death (1962), as the auctioneer in the film's climax. Later on television, he appeared on the popular crime dramas Derrick (usually as a porter or receptionist), Der Alte, and Tatort. English-language co-productions included Before Winter Comes (with John Hurt) and Escape from East Berlin (with Horst Janson).
As an active dub actor, Pantel supplied the German voices of Oliver Hardy in the 1970s TV dubs of the Laurel and Hardy movies, Stuart Saunders in the James Bond film Octopussy, Peter Falk and Jack Benny in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World, John Astin in West Side Story, and Gordon Jackson in The Long Ships. Cartoon roles included Jock in Lady and the Tramp, Sullivan in The Secret of NIMH, Sebastian on the Heidi anime series, and Puck on Maya the Bee. Despite the amputation of one leg in 1973 and the other in 1989, Pantel remained active, on and off camera, through 1992.
Muppet/Henson dubbing credits[]
- as Fozzie unless otherwise noted
- Die Muppet Show
- Muppet Movie (The Muppet Movie)
- Die Muppets in Hollywood (The Muppets Go Hollywood)
- Der Grosse Muppet Krimi (The Great Muppet Caper)
- Die Muppets gehen ins Kino (The Muppets Go to the Movies)
- Die fantastische Miss Piggy Show (The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show)
- Die Fraggles (Fraggle Rock): Flange Doozer
- Die große Muppet-Party (The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years) - first dub only
- Die Muppets erobern Manhattan (The Muppets Take Manhattan)
- Die Muppets feiern Weihnacht (A Muppet Family Christmas)
- Jim Hensons beste Geschichten (The StoryTeller):
- Die Muppets Weihnachtsgeschichte (The Muppet Christmas Carol)
- Die Muppets in Walt Disney World (The Muppets at Walt Disney World)