John Karlsen (October 20, 1919 - July 5, 2017) was a New Zealander actor, voice actor and director.
Biography[]
Contrary to some sources, John Karlsen wasn't born in New Zealand, but on a ship from Singapore on October 20, 1919, headed to London and diverted to Australia. Karlsen eventually left his home country and soon became owner of a repertory company in Camborne, Cornwall. Based on the success of their plays, Karlsen was invited to direct an English-language production of Noël Coward's Private Lives in Naples. Then, the production moved to Rome, where John Karlsen was spotted by a casting director and started to work in Italian cinema.[1]
As an actor, Karlsen worked more frequently in movies, rather than dubbing, albeit uncredited, most of the time. He played in Dino Risi's A Difficult Life, which also featured Carolyn De Fonseca, and 1961's Cleopatra, which also had Robert Sommer in a small part. Karlsen was often cast in films by Federico Fellini, such as Satyrico and Casanova.[1] Ironically, John Karlsen was often dubbed over by other actors in English. Walter Williams dubbed him in The Witch’s Curse and Terror in the Crypt and Michael Tor provided Karlsen's voice in Face to Face.[2][3]
During his time in Rome, Karlsen directed several plays at the Crypt Theatre, which was situated beneath St. Paul's Within the Walls, the first protestant church in Rome.[1]
He seems to have ceased his dubbing activity in the late 1980s, though he stayed active in film. In 1989, Karlsen appeared opposite of Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Heath Ledger in 2003's The Order. Sometime in the late 2000s, he returned to New Zealand, where he died on July 5, 2017.
Filmography[]
Live-Action Dubbing[]
Films[]
- Puss 'n Boots (1955) - Royal Physician #1
- Gamera vs. Gyaos (1967) - Police Chief (AIP Dub)
- Amarcord (1973) - Lawyer
- The Cynic, the Rat & the Fist (1977) - Accountant
- The Heroin Busters (1977) - Cannabis Dealer
- Suspiria (1977) - Professor Milius
- I'm for the Hippopotamus (1979) - Police Captain
Anime Dubbing[]
Anime Films[]
- A Thousand and One Nights (1969) - Royal Courtier
References[]
External links[]
- John Karlsen at the Internet Movie Database