John Donald Fiedler (February 3, 1925 - June 25, 2005) was an American actor and voice actor who was slight, balding, and bespectacled, with a distinctive, high-pitched voice. His career lasted more than 55 years in stage, film, television and radio. He is best known for four roles: the nervous Juror #2 in 12 Angry Men; the voice of Piglet in Disney's Winnie-the-Pooh productions; Vinnie, the meek poker player in the film version of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple; and Mr. Peterson, the hen-pecked milquetoast on The Bob Newhart Show.

Early life

Fiedler was born in Platteville, Wisconsin, a son of Donald Fiedler, a beer salesman, and his wife Margaret (née Phelan). He was of German and Irish descent.

His family moved to Shorewood, Wisconsin in 1930, where he graduated from Shorewood High School in 1943. He enlisted in the United States Navy and served until the end of World War II.

Acting career

After his discharge from the Navy, Fiedler began acting in New York City, appearing on the radio comedy The Aldrich Family as Homer Brown. He appeared on early television and played Cadet Alfie Higgins on the 1950s show Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, and he made his film debut in 1957 in 12 Angry Men, as Juror #2. Most of his roles were playing gentle or nervous individuals, though he appeared as the lawyer J. Noble Daggett in True Grit (1969 film) and in the original Star Trek episode "Wolf in the Fold" as Mr. Hengist, a Chief Administrator possessed by the spirit of Jack the Ripper.

Fiedler was in the original cast of A Raisin in the Sun (as housing committee representative Lindner, a role he would play in both the 1961 film version and the 1988 TV version), and The Odd Couple (as poker player Vinnie). He appeared in the films True Grit, The Cannonball Run, and Harper Valley PTA. His many guest appearances on TV included Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Perry Mason, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, My Favorite Martian, Bewitched, Get Smart, A Touch of Grace, The Rockford Files, Star Trek, The Golden Girls and Cheers.

He had a recurring role on Kolchak: The Night Stalker as morgue attendant Gordy "The Ghoul" Spangler. He also played Mr. Peterson, one of Bob's regular patients, on the The Bob Newhart Show, and Mr. Dundee in the 47th episode of the Twilight Zone, "The Night of the Meek". Fiedler's voice was heard or appears in the Disney features The Rescuers, The Fox and the Hound, Robin Hood, The Emperor's New Groove, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Tigger Movie, Piglet's Big Movie, Pooh's Heffalump Movie, Rascal and The Shaggy D.A., and in the Square Enix/Disney video game Kingdom Hearts. His last film was a voice appearance in Kronk's New Groove. Fiedler was also the narrator of several McDonaldland commercials during the 1980s, including when Birdie the Early Bird learns to fly and how the Hamburglar got his stripes.

Death

Unmarried, Fiedler died of cancer on June 25, 2005 in Englewood, New Jersey, at the Lillian Booth Actors Home, a residence for retired entertainers sponsored by the Actors' Fund of America, only one day after the death of his good friend, Paul Winchell, who was the voice of another Winnie-the-Pooh character, Tigger. His ashes were sprinkled into the Atlantic Ocean off Long Island, New York. After Fiedler's death, Travis Oates took over the role of Piglet.

Filmography

Film

• Twelve Angry Men - Juror #2
• A Raisin in the Sun - Karl Lindner
• The Odd Couple - Vinnie
• True Grit - Lawyer Daggett
• Robin Hood - Sexton
• The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh - Piglet
• The Fox and the Hound - Porcupine
• The Emperor's New Groove - Old Man
• The Tigger Movie - Piglet
• Winnie-the-Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year - Piglet
• Piglet's Big Movie - Piglet
• Springtime with Roo - Piglet
• Pooh's Heffalump Movie - Piglet
• Kronk's New Groove - Rudy

Television

• Tom Corbett, Space Cadet as Alfie Higgins (two episodes)
• The Munsters as postman Warren "Tiger" Bloom (episode "My Fair Munster")
• Get Smart as KAOS agent Mr. Hercules (episode "Classification: Dead") and as KAOS agent Felix (episode: "Age Before Duty")
• Star Trek as Chief Hengist (episode "Wolf in the Fold")
• Columbo (episode "Blueprint for Murder", 1972)
• A Touch of Grace (1973) as the Desk Clerk (episode "The Weekend")
• House of Mouse - Piglet
• Bob Newhart Show - Mr. Peterson
• The Twilight Zone - Mr. Dundee (episode "Night of the Meek")
• Cheers - Fred (episode "The Tortelli Tort")
• Three's Company - Morris Morris (episode "Jack Looks for a Job")

Video games

• Kingdom Hearts - Piglet

[ Source: Wikipedia ]