Michael Rüth (b. 1938) is a German voice actor who dubbed Rowlf in Die Muppet Show and the German versions of The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Take Manhattan, and A Muppet Family Christmas. He has also dubbed other Muppet characters, such as Howard Tubman (renamed Howard Schinkenschmitz).
Voicing Rowlf again in Die Muppets, he was one of only three remaining voice artists to reprise their original Die Muppet Show roles (the other two being Christina Hoeltel as Scooter and Donald Arthur as Beauregard and Uncle Deadly).
Rüth's other dub credits, largely in animation, include the German voice of Winnie the Pooh in the later films, Grandpa and Barney Gumble on The Simpsons, Mr. Garrison in South Park, various parts in the Asterix features, and two of John Ratzenberger's roles in Pixar films: Hamm in the Toy Story movies and P. T. Flea in A Bug's Life.
Rüth dubbed character actors Ian McNeice (in three films), Jon Polito in Flags of Our Fathers, Glenn Shadix in Sleepwalkers, Jaime Sánchez in Carlito's Way, Stuart Pankin on Knot's Landing, Patrick Newall as Mother on The Avengers, and multiple guest actors on The Incredible Hulk and Doctor Who. On-camera, he appeared in the English-language Thomas Gottschalk comedy Driving Me Crazy (with Dom DeLuise).
Muppet dubbing credits
- Die Muppet Show: Rowlf, Gogalala Jubilee Jugband Singer ("Mississippi Mud" in Folge 114), other singers
- Muppet Movie: Rowlf
- Ich war frei, ich war glücklich (Julie Andrews: One Step Into Spring): Rowlf
- Der Grosse Muppet Krimi (The Great Muppet Caper): Rowlf
- Die Muppets erobern Manhattan (The Muppets Take Manhattan): Rowlf
- Das Hasenpicknick (The Tale of the Bunny Picnic): Father Bunny
- Die Muppets feiern Weihnacht (A Muppet Family Christmas): Rowlf
- Jim Hensons beste Geschichten (The StoryTeller)
- King ("Hans My Hedgehog")
- Half Man ("Fearnot")
- King ("The Luck Child")
- Wolf ("The Heartless Giant")
- Troll ("The True Bride")
- Die Muppets feiern Jim Henson (The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson): Rowlf, Harry the Hipster
- Muppets Sing mit Uns: Kermit & Co.: Rowlf
- Jim Hensons Animal Show mit Stinky und Jake (The Animal Show): Guest animals
- Muppets Tonight: Howard Schinkenschmitz
- Das Grösste Muppet-Weihnachtsspektakel aller Zeiten (It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie): Howard Schinkenschmitz
- Muppets Der Zauberer von Oz (The Muppets' Wizard of Oz): Dr. Teeth, Rat
- Die Muppets: Briefe an den Weihnachtsmann (A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa): Rowlf, Zoot
- Die Muppets: Rowlf
