Veteran Iranian voice actor Iraj Rezaei dies at 89
Veteran Iranian voice actor and dubbing director Iraj Rezaei died at the age of 89 due to old age on February 17.
Born in 1935 in the village of Gurab, Rezaei began his dubbing career in 1959 and took on the role of dubbing director in 1979. His voice became iconic through his work in memorable roles, including Albert Foiret (played by Bernard Hepton) in the series ‘Secret Army’, Charnier (played by Fernando Rey) in ‘The French Connection II’, and the deputy sheriff in the animated series of the same name, IRNA reported.
Rezaei’s talent for bringing characters to life made him the voice behind renowned actors such as Bud Spencer in ‘Ace High’, Robert Duvall in ‘True Grit’, Richard Harris in ‘Robin and Marian’, and Peter Sellers in ‘The Party’.
His portrayal of Hercule Poirot in the television series ‘Poirot’, featuring David Suchet, remains etched in the memories of Iranian audiences. He also voiced “Muhammad ibn Hanafiyyah,” played by Mohammad-Reza Sharifinia, in the historical series ‘Mokhtarnameh’.
In addition to his extensive dubbing career, Rezaei contributed to Iranian cinema by writing screenplays for films such as ‘Spring in Autumn’, ‘Greedy’, and ‘The Story of Mahan’.
He also supervised the dubbing of numerous Iranian films, including ‘Zero Heights’, ‘Toy’, ‘The Evil Call’, ‘Temptation’, ‘Travellers of Moonlight’, ‘Helpless’, ‘Grandfather’, ‘The Command’, and ‘Border’.
His work was not limited to Iranian productions. Rezaei also directed the dubbing for foreign films like ‘Gunfight at the O.K. Corral’, ‘The Snows of Kilimanjaro’, and ‘The Towering Inferno’, solidifying his legacy as one of the most versatile figures in the industry.