Kenneth Mars

Kenneth Mars
Kenneth Mars in 1967
Born	(1935-04-04)April 4, 1935 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	February 12, 2011(2011-02-12) (aged 75) Granada Hills, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Pancreatic cancer
Other names	Ken Mars
Alma mater	Northwestern University
Occupation	Actor, voice actor
Years active	1962–2008
Spouse(s)	Barbara Newborn (m. 1977; his death 2011)
Children	2

Kenneth Mars (April 4, 1935 – February 12, 2011) was an American television, film and voice actor, who specialized in comedic roles. He had roles in two Mel Brooks films: as the Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind in The Producers (1968) and Police Inspector Hans Wilhelm Friedrich Kemp in Young Frankenstein (1974).

Mars appeared in two seasons of Malcolm in the Middle as Otto, Francis's well-meaning but dim-witted boss. He voiced King Triton, Ariel's father, in the 1989 Disney animated film The Little Mermaid and its sequel, the television series and the Kingdom Hearts series. He also did several other animated voice over film roles such as Littlefoot's grandfather in the Land Before Time series and that of Professor Screweyes in We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (1993), and King Colbert (Prince Cornelius's father) in Thumbelina (1994).

Mars was born in Chicago. His father, Bernard "Sonny" Mars, was a radio and television personality. He studied fine arts and acting at Northwestern University.

After graduation he began acting in the early 1960s, then did small roles in theatre followed by TV and film. In 1977, he married Barbara Newborn. They had two daughters, Susannah and Rebecca, and six grandchildren. The marriage lasted until his death in 2011.

Mars made his acting debut in 1962 as a book publisher on Car 54, Where Are You?. He later appeared on such television series as Gunsmoke, Get Smart, McMillan & Wife, and The Bob Crane Show. He also appeared in dramatic roles, such as Will Turner, a former FBI agent, in Warren Beatty's The Parallax View.