Ultimate Pop Culture Wiki
Don't have an account?
Register
Advertisement
Register
in: Pages with script errors, All articles with dead external links, Articles with dead external links from April 2017,
and 23 more

John Kassir

Sign in to edit

John Kassir
John Kassir
Kassir holding a picture of the Crypt Keeper on November 11, 2006
Born
John Edward Kassir

(1957-10-24) October 24, 1957 (age 66)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
OccupationActor, voice actor, comedian
Years active1982–present
Spouse(s)Julie Benz
 (m. 1998–2007)

John Edward Kassir (Arabic: جون ادوارد قصير‎; born October 24, 1957) is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is known as the voice of the Crypt Keeper in HBO's Tales from the Crypt franchise.[1] Kassir is also known for his role as Ralph in the Off-Broadway show Reefer Madness, as well as its film adaptation, as well as his voice over work as Buster Bunny (taking over for Charlie Adler late in the final season of Tiny Toon Adventures), Ray "Raymundo" Rocket on Rocket Power, the mischievous raccoon Meeko in Pocahontas and its direct-to-video sequel, Jibolba in the Tak and the Power of Juju video game series, Pete Puma in The Looney Tunes Show, and Deadpool in X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse and the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance series. He has also done the voice of Rizzo for the Spyro game, Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure, and voiced Ghost Roaster in Skylanders: Giants, as well as Short Cut in Skylanders: Trap Team and Pit Boss in Skylanders: Imaginators. He is also known for his various roles in season 1 of The Amanda Show. He voiced the Ice King in the original Adventure Time pilot, but was replaced by Tom Kenny for the series. He also provided additional voice over work for Sonic the Hedgehog, Eek! The Cat, The Brothers Flub, Dead Rising, Casper's Scare School, Spider-Man 3, Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey!, Diablo III, Monsters University, The Prophet, Halo 5: Guardians and The Secret Life of Pets.

Career[]

Kassir first became known in 1985, when he defeated Sinbad for best stand-up comic on Star Search.[2]

He then played the Bulgarian kicker, Zagreb Shkenusky, for 7 years in the HBO comedy series 1st & Ten, about a fictional football team. His other live-action credits include sketch-acting on The Amanda Show and a portrayal of Shemp Howard in the 2000 TV biopic The Three Stooges, produced by Mel Gibson, and Ralph in Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical. He was also able to get his own Pee-wee Herman style show in 1997 called Johnnytime, which aired for two seasons on the USA network. He also appeared as The Atom in the Justice League of America pilot episode, which, despite not being picked up, was released as a film in some markets. John has appeared in over a dozen feature films, starred in eight TV pilots (six of which went to series and two of which lasted on air for over six years each) and guest starred in dozens of TV series in both comic and dramatic roles.

Kassir beat out both Michael Winslow and Charles Fleischer to become the voice of the Crypt Keeper.

As a standup comic, he has opened for the likes of Lou Rawls, Tom Jones, The Temptations and Four Tops on their TNT Tour, Bobby Vinton, Richard Belzer, U2, and Harry Blackstone, Jr. among others. John has also appeared on stage performing improvisation with Robin Williams.

More recently, John has specialized in voice-over work for animation, video games, and other productions. Notable in this regard has been his acting the roles of Ray "Raymundo" Rocket on Rocket Power. He also provided the voice for the mercenary Deadpool in the video games X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, as well as for Sauron and Pyro, two other well-known characters. He was also featured in the very first commercial for the Nintendo cornerstone video game series The Legend of Zelda in the United States in 1987.[3]

A few of his many theater credits include: originating the role of Kenny in Three Guys Naked From The Waist Down (also starring Scott Bakula), for which he was nominated for both a Drama Desk and an Outer Critics Circle award. John also originated the role of Ralph in the musical Reefer Madness, on stage and in the film version.

He provided the vocal effects of the mischievous raccoon Meeko in Disney's 1995 animated feature Pocahontas and Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World. Also, he provided the voice of Buster Bunny in four Tiny Toon Adventures cartoons (following Charlie Adler's departure from the role). He played the villainous Scuttlebutt in An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island. He also made one voice appearance in an episode of Ben 10, (Last Laugh) as Zombozo. He voiced the character Adam MacIntyre and provided Additional voice over work in the video game Dead Rising.[4] Recently, his voice is featured in the games Shadows of the Damned and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance as Hell demons and Desperado Enforcement captain Monsoon, respectively.

In 2011, he voiced Crazy Smurf in the live-action/animated film The Smurfs, and in 2012, he voiced Jealousy as well as Gumball, Penny, Leslie, Carrie & Darwin when he possesses them in The Amazing World of Gumball episode "The Flower". Kassir appeared in Bryan Singer's Jack the Giant Slayer (2013), along with Bill Nighy, as Fallon, the two-headed leader of the giants; Nighy played the big head while Kassir played the small head.[5]

Personal life[]

Kassir was born in Baltimore, Maryland to an Iraqi father from Mosul and a Syrian mother. [6]He married actress Julie Benz on May 30, 1998, the marriage lasted for nine years until Benz filed for divorce in December 2007, and was finalized later in the month.[7][8]


Filmography[]

Live-action[]

  • 1st & Ten – Zagreb Shkenusky
  • Ask Harriet – Kenny
  • Beethoven's Christmas Adventure – Stray Dog
  • Bizarre Transmissions from the Bermuda Triangle – Himself
  • Bones – Lawrence Melvoy
  • Boston Common – Frankie
  • Brotherly Love – The Crypt Keeper
  • Bump and Grind (pilot) – Dick Scorvo
  • Castle – Mr. Dreyfus
  • Charmed – The Alchemist
  • Cold Case – Kip Crowley (Episode: "Greed")
  • CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – Hotel Guest (Episode: "Assume Nothing")
  • Dream On – Chuck (Episode: "The Guilty Party")
  • Dysfunctional with No Filter Paul and Denise – Himself (2016)
  • Early Edition – Jersy Carpathian
  • Friends – Stanley
  • FM – Don Tupsouni
  • Grounded for Life – Musgrove
  • Hangin' with Mr. Cooper – Photographer
  • Hot in Cleveland – The Pope
  • In Living Color – Himself
  • Jenny – Chaz
  • Joan of Arcadia – Mime God
  • Johnnytime – Johnny
  • Last Chance Lloyd – Teacher
  • Lenny – Max
  • Love Boat: The Next Wave – Dmitri Shishtokovich
  • Malcolm & Eddie – Rooster
  • Moonlighting – Police Detective (Episode: "Yours, Very Deadly")
  • Mr. Rhodes – Mr. Kotter
  • Mystic Cosmic Patrol – Martini Bot
  • NCIS – Perry Swan
  • Philly – Arnie Kellogg
  • Secrets of the Cryptkeeper's Haunted House – The Crypt Keeper
  • Showtime at the Apollo – Himself
  • Sliders – Arnold Potts
  • Star Search – Himself
  • Star Trek: Voyager – Gar (Episode: "Critical Care")
  • Tales from the Crypt – The Crypt Keeper[9]
  • Team Knight Rider – Plato[9]
  • The Amanda Show – Regular Performer
  • The Facts of Life (1 episode) – Andre
  • The Handler – Charlie
  • The New Mike Hammer – Ventriloquist
  • The Single Guy – Maitre 'D, Waiter
  • The Vistor – Himself
  • Two Minutes to Midnight – Bob
  • Tour of Duty – Lenny Pilchowski

Animation[]

<templatestyles src="Div col/styles.css"/>

Movies[]

  • An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island – Scuttlebutt[9]
  • And Then There Was Eve – G. Alexander
  • Bayonetta: Bloody Fate – Enzo[9]
  • Beethoven's Christmas Adventure – Stray Dog[9]
  • Casper – The Crypt Keeper
  • Casper's Scare School – P.A. Voice, Additional Voices[9]
  • Chance Manifest – Ronnie
  • Channels – Walter
  • Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey! – Additional Voices
  • Cyber-Tracker 2 – Tripwire
  • Despicable Me 3 – Additional voices
  • Donner Pass – James Michael Epstein
  • Dr. Rage – Moe Moebius
  • Encino Woman – Jean Michel
  • Felidae – Cult Member (unconfirmed)
  • George of the Jungle 2 – Voice of Rocky, Armando
  • Heartstoppers: Horror at the Movies – Voice Over Announcer
  • Jack the Giant Slayer – General Fallon's Small Head[9]
  • Justice League of America – Atom/Ray Palmer
  • McBride: Tune in for Murder – Danny Doyle
  • Minions – Additional Voices
  • Minkow – Jim Cowell
  • Mockingbird Lane – Tim (uncredited)
  • Monster Mash: The Movie – Igor
  • Monster Mutt – Pet Shop Pete
  • Monsters University – Additional Voices
  • Nothing Special – Marty
  • No York City –
  • Pete's Dragon – Elliot's Vocals[14]
  • Pirate Camp – Blackbeard's Head
  • Planes – Additional Voices
  • Pocahontas – Meeko[9]
  • Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World – Meeko
  • Race to Witch Mountain – Chuck
  • Tales from the Crypt Presents: Bordello of Blood – The Voice of The Crypt Keeper
  • Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight – The Crypt Keeper
  • Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical – Ralph Wiley, Uncle Sam
  • Tales from the Crypt Presents: Ritual – The Crypt Keeper
  • Sing – Additional Voices
  • Smothered – Himself
  • Soccer Dog: European Cup – Quint
  • Spaced Out! – Himself
  • Spy Hard – Rancor Guard at Intercom
  • Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight – Crypt Keeper
  • Tales from the Crypt: New Year's Shockin' Eve – The Cryptkeeper
  • The Dog Days of Winter - Coffee Shop Manager
  • The Glass Jar – John
  • The Gunrunner Billy Kane – Machinist
  • The Horror Hall of Fame II – The Crypt Keeper
  • The Midget Stays in the Picture – B List Director
  • The Misunderstanding of Carl Jr. – Boots, Berko
  • The Princess and the Frog – Additional Voices
  • The Prophet – Additional Voices
  • The Secret Life of Pets – Additional Voices
  • The Smurfs – Crazy Smurf[9]
  • The Smurfs 2 – Crazy Smurf[9]
  • The Taker – John
  • The Tale of Tillie's Dragon – Herman[9]
  • The Three Stooges – Shemp Howard
  • The Wild –
  • The Wild Thornberrys Movie – Squirrel #1[9]
  • Tiny Toons' Night Ghoulery – Buster Bunny
  • Tiny Toons Spring Break – Buster Bunny
  • Vidiots – Lester Plotz

Video games[]

Documentary[]

  • American Scary – Himself – Crypt Keeper
  • New Wave Comedy – Himself

Documentary shorts[]

  • Reefer Madness: Grass Roots – Himself

References[]

  1. ↑ John Kassir + More join the TRINITY OF TERRORS![dead link]
  2. ↑ "John Kassir". Retrieved 13 December 2016.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  3. ↑ "John Kassir in the Legend of Zelda commercial". YouTube.com. 2006-05-18. Retrieved 2015-01-26.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  4. ↑ John Kassir: Demo reel at voicebank.net Archived 2008-12-18 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ Kit, Borys (2011-02-09). "Stanley Tucci Set for Villain in 'Jack the Giant Killer'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2011-03-03. Retrieved 2011-03-02.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  6. ↑ https://www.staufferfuneralhome.com/notices/Albert-Kassir
  7. ↑ "Angel – Interviews – Julie Benz and John Kassir". BBC Online.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  8. ↑ "Julie Benz engaged to Rich Orosco". KABC-TV. http://abc7.com/archive/8217903/. Retrieved 12 November 2014. "She obtained Bamboo when he was a puppy just after she and actor John Kassir split four years ago. He and Benz were married between 1998 and 2007. The two have no children..." 
  9. ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 9.16 9.17 9.18 9.19 9.20 9.21 9.22 9.23 9.24 9.25 9.26 9.27 9.28 9.29 9.30 9.31 9.32 9.33 9.34 9.35 9.36 9.37 9.38 9.39 "Behind The Voice Actors – John Kassir". Retrieved March 21, 2015.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  10. ↑ "Viking Ducks/Birthday Bread". Breadwinners. episode 5. season 2. May 24, 2015. Nickelodeon. 
  11. ↑ "Trash Bandit/Eat at Pumpers". Breadwinners. episode 8. season 2. November 15, 2015. Nickelodeon. 
  12. ↑ "In Dreams". Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. episode 5. season 3. November 14, 2014. Nickelodeon. 
  13. ↑ "Time Squad (2001, Animated Series) Voice Cast". Retrieved 13 December 2016.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  14. ↑ Ehrlich, David. "Pete's Dragon Review: An Old Disney Movie Becomes A New Disney Classic – IndieWire". Retrieved 13 December 2016.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  15. ↑ "Batman: Arkham Origins (2013, Video Game) Voice Cast". Retrieved 13 December 2016.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  16. ↑ 343 Industries. Halo 5: Guardians. Scene: Closing credits, 7:01 in Additional Voices. (2015)
  17. ↑ Vicarious Visions. Skylanders: SuperChargers. (Activision). Scene: Closing credits, 7:13 in, Voice Actors. (2015)
  18. ↑ Toys for Bob. Skylanders: Trap Team. (Activision). Scene: Closing credits, 8:40 in, Voice Actors. (2014)
  19. ↑ "Skylanders: Trap Team (2014, Video Game) Voice Cast". Retrieved 13 December 2016.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>

External links[]

Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
Advertisement

Fan Feed

More Ultimate Pop Culture Wiki