John Fiedler - Acting Career

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, appeared on early television and was very popular as Cadet Alfie Higgins on the 1950s show Tom Corbett, Space Cadet and 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 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, which 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, My Favorite Martian, Bewitched, Get Smart, 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, 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. In 1988, Fiedler was the narrator of a McDonald's commercial where Birdie the early bird learns to fly.