Erik Bauersfeld facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Erik Bauersfeld
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Bauersfeld at Rhode Island Comic Con in 2015
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| Born | June 28, 1922 Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
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| Died | April 3, 2016 (aged 93) Berkeley, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Radio dramatist, voice actor |
| Years active | 1961–2015 |
Erik Bauersfeld (born June 28, 1922 – died April 3, 2016) was an American radio writer and a voice actor. He was best known for giving voices to two famous characters in the Star Wars movies. These were Admiral Ackbar and Bib Fortuna in Return of the Jedi (1983). He also voiced Admiral Ackbar again in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).
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Early Life and Education
Erik Bauersfeld loved radio work from a very young age. During World War II, he served in the United States Navy. After the war, he went to college. He studied at Cooper Union in New York. Later, he went to the University of California, Berkeley. There, he focused on art and painting.
A Career in Radio and Voice Acting
Bauersfeld started working at a radio station called KPFA-FM in Berkeley, California in 1961. At the time, he was also teaching at the San Francisco Art Institute. He became the Director of KPFA's Drama and Literature Department. He held this job for 31 years!
Outside of his radio work, Erik also did voice acting for movies and video games.
Voicing Star Wars Characters
Erik Bauersfeld was working on a radio project at Lucasfilm. This is the company that makes Star Wars movies. A sound designer named Ben Burtt asked him to try out for a voice part. Burtt showed him a picture of Admiral Ackbar. Erik quickly came up with the voice for the character.
It took him only an hour to record all of Ackbar's lines. This included the famous line, "It's a trap!" He then spent another 30 minutes recording the voice for Bib Fortuna. Bib Fortuna was Jabba the Hutt's main helper. Both of his voices were used in Return of the Jedi. However, Erik did not get a credit on screen for his work at that time.
He also tried out for the voice of Yoda. But that role eventually went to Frank Oz, who was also the puppeteer for Yoda.
Other Voice Work
Erik Bauersfeld also voiced characters in audio plays. These included the 1979 Highbridge productions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
He returned to voice Admiral Ackbar again in several video games. These included Star Wars: X-Wing and Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron. He also voiced Ackbar in the movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Personal Life and Passing
Erik Bauersfeld was good friends with the famous poet and activist Lawrence Ferlinghetti. In 2015, he went to the Star Wars Celebration event in Anaheim, California.
Erik Bauersfeld passed away at his home in Berkeley, California, on April 3, 2016. He was 93 years old.
Film and Game Roles
Here are some of the movies and video games Erik Bauersfeld lent his voice to:
Movies
| Year | Title | Role |
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| 1983 | Return of the Jedi (voice) | Admiral Gial Ackbar / Bib Fortuna |
| 2001 | A.I. Artificial Intelligence | Gardener (voice) |
| 2015 | Crimson Peak | Additional voices |
| Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Admiral Gial Ackbar (voice) |
Video Games
| Year | Title | Voice role |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Star Wars: X-Wing | Admiral Gial Ackbar |
| 2009 | Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron |
