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Douglas Seale

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Voice Actor

The Resume

    (October 28, 1913-June 13, 1999)
    Born in London, England, United Kingdom
    British dramatist, actor, and producer
    Voiced the Sultan in Disney's 'Aladdin' and Krebs the Koala in 'Rescuers Down Under'
    Portrayed Santa Claus, aka Seth Applegate, in 'Ernest Saves Christmas' (1988)
    Also acted in 'Ghostbusters II,' 'Almost an Angel,' 'Mr. Destiny,' 'For Love or Money,' and 'Palookaville'
    Guest starred on episodes of 'The Golden Girls','Cheers,' 'Amazing Stories,' and 'Growing Pains'

Why he might be annoying:

    He was married three times.
    He took a 34 year break from recorded acting jobs.
    He didn't make his Broadway debut until the age of sixty.
    He was fictionally arrested while playing Santa Claus on two separate occasions, in 'Amazing Stories' and in 'Ernest Saves Christmas.'
    His Santa in 'Ernest' is probably the better known portrayal of the two, as is his constant expressing of his need to 'find his sack' (insert innuendo jokes here).
    Like Tony Jay he had an extensive background in Shakespearean theater, but only really was recognized until he started doing voice work for Disney.
    Worse yet, no one seemed to really notice when he was changed over as the voice of the Sultan for the sequels and television series, without explanation (likely due to his poor health).

Why he might not be annoying:

    His kindly and affectionate speaking voice was instantly recognizable and loved.
    He studied for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
    He served with the British Army, during WWII, and was commissioned in the Royal Signals.
    He received a Tony nomination for Best Actor for 'Noises Off' (1984).
    He received the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Director of a Play for his staging of George Bernard Shaw's 'Heartbreak House' (1970).
    He modeled his voicing of the Sultan on Miles Malleson's Sultan in Alexander Korda's adventure film, 'Thief of Baghdad.'
    The Nostalgia Chick ranked his Santa in 'Ernest' #1 in his Top 12 Best Santa Clauses list.
    His staging of Shakespeare's 'King John' was widely praised.
    Brooks Atkinson, of The New York Times, wrote in his review, 'If you decide to put on one of Shakespeare's dull plays, send for Douglas Seale on the double.'

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 6 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 14 Votes: 71.43% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 112 Votes: 41.96% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 114 Votes: 45.61% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 11 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 12 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 25 Votes: 44.00% Annoying