Born in New York City, Fernandez was a child model for the John Robert Power Agency. He then appeared on both radio and Broadway, appearing in Lillian Hellman's Watch on the Rhine in 1941. His radio appearances included roles on Mr. District Attorney, Let's Pretend, Gangbusters, My Best Girls, Superman, and Suspense, as well as soap operas. He was drafted into the United States Army at age 18, late in World War II. After his discharge from the Army in 1946, he became a prolific writer for both radio and pulp fiction.
Fernandez is best known for his voice work and has been heard in English adaptions of many foreign films and anime. Fernandez is best known as the American voice of the title character in the 1967 anime series Speed Racer, along with many other roles, including Racer X. Besides acting in Speed Racer, he not only voice directed and wrote the English adaptation, he was also the lyricist for the English version of the show's theme song. The rapid-fire delivery of dialogue made famous by Speed Racer was devised by Fernandez and his American voice co-stars in order to make the dialogue jibe with the original Japanese mouth movements.
He returned in the 2008 animated series Speed Racer: The Next Generation to play a middle-aged Headmaster Spritle. In the live-action 2008 film Speed Racer, Fernandez had a small part as a racing announcer.
He was also responsible for writing and voice acting for other dubbed anime titles such as Astro Boy, Gigantor, Marine Boy, Star Blazers and Superbook. He was the voice director for Courage the Cowardly Dog, which he has said was his favorite. He was also voice director for Robert Mandell's Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers and Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders.
In 2007, he was awarded The Special American Anime Award for Outstanding Achievement. Fernandez was interviewed in 2008 on his activities and voice over work. His last major public appearance was at the 2009 Seattle, Washington Sakura-Con.
Fernandez died of lung cancer on July 15, 2010 in Pomona, New York, U.S.A. He was 83.
FERNANDEZ, Peter [1/29/1927, New York City, New York, U.S.A. - 7/15/2010, Pomona, New York, U.S.A. (lung cancer)] – child model, director, author, writer, actor, voice actor, brother of child model Jacqueline Fernandez, voice actor Edward Fernandez, married to Noel Smith (1978-2010) father of April Fernandez, Peter Fernandez, Elizabeth Fernandez.
Peter Fernandez’s Euro-western English dubbing:
Apache Gold” – 1963 (voice of ?)
Last of the Renegades – 1964 (voice of ?)
Fistful of Dollars – 1964 [dubbing director]
For a Few Dollars More -1965[dubbing director] (voice of Kurt Zips)
[submitted by Michael Ferguson]
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