Harvey Atkin
Encyclopedia
Harvey Atkin is a Canadian
voice actor who has worked in feature films and television
. He has also done voice-over
s, and has voiced animation
s.
, steeped his young grandson in the old country's ways, which included the Yiddish language
. Atkin claims that to this day, his late grandfather is still a major influence on him. He and his parents lived with him for several years before finally getting their own house – around the corner from his grandfather's.
Atkin's father, for his part, played an equally important role in his son's upbringing. It was he who taught Atkin about the business world. However, at this time, it seemed that Atkin's "job description" was "class clown".
Owing to Atkin's continual clowning in school, he was encouraged to join the school's drama club. This, and his winning a best actor award at a local drama festival, drove him into a career in acting. A stint at a summer camp for the performing arts
also helped in his choice of career.
, and also played Mario
's and Luigi
's arch enemy Bowser Koopa on DiC Entertainment
's cartoon version of Super Mario Bros. (notably, he is the first English voice actor for the character). Playing Bowser in all three Mario animated series, he is the only voice actor to appear in all three series as the same character. Harvey also did the voice of Mr. Mushnik on Little Shop
, loosely based on the movie Little Shop of Horrors. He also played characters in shows like Beetlejuice
, Bad Dog
and Ruby Gloom
.
Harvey Atkin has appeared in more than 75 films, and has appeared hundreds of times in episodic television shows. He has done voice-over work in literally thousands of television and radio commercials, for which he has won three Clio awards
.
He played the desk sergeant in the television series Cagney & Lacey
, and the hapless, heavily sleeping camp director and practical joke
victim Morty in the 1979 film Meatballs
(in the film, the characters call him "Mickey" to annoy him), for which performance he earned a Genie
nomination.
Harvey Atkin is currently a regular on the television drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
, and is the voice-over in Leon's
and "Buy Israel Bonds" commercials in Canada. He also made a cameo playing a bus driver in the classic film Atlantic City starring Burt Lancaster
, and is the voice for Morty in the television series Jacob Two-Two
.
He made a guest appearance in 2010 as a rabbi on the CBC TV series 18 to Life
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
voice actor who has worked in feature films and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. He has also done voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
s, and has voiced animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
s.
Early life
From an early age he was exposed to many things that would shape his view of life. His grandfather, an immigrant from RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, steeped his young grandson in the old country's ways, which included the Yiddish language
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
. Atkin claims that to this day, his late grandfather is still a major influence on him. He and his parents lived with him for several years before finally getting their own house – around the corner from his grandfather's.
Atkin's father, for his part, played an equally important role in his son's upbringing. It was he who taught Atkin about the business world. However, at this time, it seemed that Atkin's "job description" was "class clown".
Owing to Atkin's continual clowning in school, he was encouraged to join the school's drama club. This, and his winning a best actor award at a local drama festival, drove him into a career in acting. A stint at a summer camp for the performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
also helped in his choice of career.
Career
Harvey played Sam in The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance PoliceThe Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police
The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police or Sam & Max: Freelance Police!!! is an American animated television series starring Sam & Max, a duo of private investigators composed of Sam, an anthropomorphic dog, and Max, a lagomorph or "hyperkinetic rabbity-thing." The show was created by Steve...
, and also played Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
's and Luigi
Luigi
is a fictional character, featured in video games and related media released by Nintendo. Created by prominent game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Luigi is portrayed as the slightly younger fraternal twin brother of Nintendo's mascot Mario, and appears in many games throughout the Mario series,...
's arch enemy Bowser Koopa on DiC Entertainment
DiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
's cartoon version of Super Mario Bros. (notably, he is the first English voice actor for the character). Playing Bowser in all three Mario animated series, he is the only voice actor to appear in all three series as the same character. Harvey also did the voice of Mr. Mushnik on Little Shop
Little Shop
Little Shop is a 1991 animated television series about a teenager and a giant talking plant that eats everything in sight. Little Shop was based on the off-broadway musical Little Shop of Horrors, which was based on the 1960 Roger Corman film The Little Shop of Horrors...
, loosely based on the movie Little Shop of Horrors. He also played characters in shows like Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice is a 1988 American comedy horror film directed by Tim Burton, produced by The Geffen Film Company and distributed by Warner Bros...
, Bad Dog
Bad Dog
Bad Dog may refer to:*Bad Dog an Acousti-Punk / Lo-Fi Performer Bad Dog Frankie Pointless*"Bad Dog" *"Bad Dog" , an episode of Frasier*Bad Dog , a short-lived cartoon series...
and Ruby Gloom
Ruby Gloom
Ruby Gloom is an animated television show based on an apparel franchise. The show is produced by Nelvana and began airing on October 13, 2006 in Canada on the network YTV...
.
Harvey Atkin has appeared in more than 75 films, and has appeared hundreds of times in episodic television shows. He has done voice-over work in literally thousands of television and radio commercials, for which he has won three Clio awards
Clio Awards
The Clio Awards are annual awards bestowed to reward innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design and communication. The categories include work in nearly all types of media, and the judges are advertising professionals from around the world....
.
He played the desk sergeant in the television series Cagney & Lacey
Cagney & Lacey
Cagney & Lacey is an American television series that originally aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from October 8, 1981 to May 16, 1988...
, and the hapless, heavily sleeping camp director and practical joke
Practical joke
A practical joke is a mischievous trick played on someone, typically causing the victim to experience embarrassment, indignity, or discomfort. Practical jokes differ from confidence tricks in that the victim finds out, or is let in on the joke, rather than being fooled into handing over money or...
victim Morty in the 1979 film Meatballs
Meatballs (film)
Meatballs is a 1979 Canadian comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman. It is noted for the first film appearance of Bill Murray in a starring role and for launching Reitman into a distinguished career of financially successful comedies including Stripes and Ghostbusters , both starring Murray...
(in the film, the characters call him "Mickey" to annoy him), for which performance he earned a Genie
Genie Award
Genie Awards are given out to recognize the best of Canadian cinema by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. From 1949-1979, the awards were named the Canadian Film Awards...
nomination.
Harvey Atkin is currently a regular on the television drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
, and is the voice-over in Leon's
Leon's
Leon's Furniture Limited Meubles Léon Limité in Québec is a Canadian furniture superstore which first opened its store in 1909 in Welland, Ontario. The controlling interest in the company is owned by the Leon family, while some shares are traded publicly on the Toronto Stock Exchange...
and "Buy Israel Bonds" commercials in Canada. He also made a cameo playing a bus driver in the classic film Atlantic City starring Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
, and is the voice for Morty in the television series Jacob Two-Two
Jacob Two-Two (TV series)
Jacob Two-Two is a Canadian animated TV series based on a trilogy of books written by Mordecai Richler that first aired on Canadian children's channel YTV and aired on the French Canadian VRAK.TV as Jacob Jacob and in Spanish on Telemundo as Jacobo Dos Dos. It was produced by Nelvana; before being...
.
He made a guest appearance in 2010 as a rabbi on the CBC TV series 18 to Life
18 to Life
18 to Life is a Canadian television sitcom that debuted on January 4, 2010 on CBC Television. The series is shown in Quebec on Vrak.TV with the title Majeurs et mariés.-Synopsis:...
.