- Born
- Died
- Birth nameRichard Norton Tufeld
- Height6′ 2″ (1.88 m)
- The first words heard in the Irwin Allen's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea tv series belonged to Dick Tufeld: "This is the Seaview, the most extraordinary submarine in all the seven seas". The first words heard in the Irwin Allen's Lost In Space tv series belonged to Dick Tufeld: "This is the beginning, this is the day, you are watching the unfolding of one of history's great adventures..." Tufeld was also heard at the start of several episodes of Irwin Allen's The Time Tunnel: "Two American scientists are lost..."
Tufeld's totally unique energy charged deep voice put viewers in the right frame of mind for what was to come. Irwin Allen tv was about showmanship and Tufeld was a true showman. Tufeld and Irwin Allen had crossed paths long before "The Big Four" Irwin Allen tv shows of the 1960s. However, when Irwin asked Tufeld to do a "Robot voice" for Lost In Space, Irwin found it hard to explain the type of voice he wanted for the robot and Tufeld almost missed out on getting the job because he could not understand what Irwin wanted. However, it all worked out in the end.
By the 1990s, the Lost In Space fan base was big enough to keep Dick Tufeld very busy. He went around the world talking about Lost In Space, in 1996 he even went as far as Australia to talk to fans, and in 1998 he was able to do his "Robot voice" once again in the Lost In Space motion picture...oddly enough he sounded much the same as he did in the 1960s.- IMDb Mini Biography By: StuOz
- SpouseAdrienne Blumberg(1948 - March 20, 2004) (her death, 4 children)
- The voice of the Robot from "Lost in Space" and all spinoffs thereof except the cartoon series (Robot voiced by Don Messick)
- Dick developed a tumor paralyzing one of his vocal cords. He was unable to speak at all for some time. He eventually had vocal cord surgery in Los Angeles and his voice was so improved that he's been told over and over again that he now speaks with the voice he had in the 1960s.
- Best known for voicing the Robot from the Lost In Space TV series and the movie, as well as many TV show announcer spots.
- He graduated with a Bachelor's Degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois where he studied speech.
- He is survived by two daughters, Lynn Tufeld and Melissa Tufeld-Gerber; Bruce Tufeld and Craig Tufeld; brother, Howard "Bud" Tufeld; and six grandchildren.
- Dick was the VO for Gallo wines. They switched agencies and held a audition for new announcers. Dick wasn't invited, was miffed, and secretly submitted an audition tape to the recording studio under an assumed name. Shortly thereafter, he met the Gallo ad manager who, embarrassed because Dick hadn't been asked to audition, asked him to record. The studio later told Dick he was two out of the three finalists, and Gallo decided not to change the VO talent.
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