Background
The son of famed Hollywood art director Leo K. Kuter and silent screen actress Evelyn Edler, Kuter was born in Los Angeles, California.
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Kay E. Kuter
Edit ProfileEducation
Student, Pomona College, 1943; student, University of California at Los Angeles, 1944; Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama, Carnegie Institute Technology, 1949; Bachelor of Fine Arts, Carnegie Institute Technology, 1949.
Career
He is mostly recognized for his role as farmer Newt Kiley on the Columbia Broadcasting System sitcoms Green Acres and Petticoat Junction, which shared several characters. He performed mostly as a serious actor or "heavy" in many 1960s series, often in a beard, before taking a recurring roles on the two series. He appeared in many films, including The Last Starfighter as Enduran, Warlock and Gross Anatomy.
His last film role was in the 2004 film Forbidden Warrior.
He also provided voice work for kids" films, including providing the voice of Santa Claus in Annabelle"s Wish and the voice of Grimsby in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, replacing Ben Wright, who died in 1989. In his later years, he did extensive voice acting in video games, including playing the bartender Griswold Goodsoup in The Curse of Monkey Island and Dockmaster Velasco in Grim Fandango, both well-known LucasArts Adventure games of the 1990s.
He was probably best known to video game fans as Werner Huber in The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery. He was the voice of "Hershey"s Kisses" commercials for 14 years.
He made guest appearances on many television series, including Bonanza, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, Star Trek: The Next Generation as a Cytherian in the season four episode "The Nth Degree", and in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as the Bajoran Sirah in the first season episode "The Storyteller".
He also appeared on Emergency, the Charmed episode "Happily Ever After", the Outer Limits episode "The Premonition" as a "Limbo Being" caught in time, Seinfeld as the Latvian Orthodox priest, The X-Files episode "The Calusari" as the head Calusari, and Frasier as a vagrant who wants a kiss from Martin Crane. Kuter died on November 12, 2003, from pulmonary complications at Saint Joseph"s Hospital in Burbank, California. He was 78, and his death came only four months after his mother"s passing at age 103.
He is buried in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery.
Achievements
Membership
Board directors Family Service of Los Angeles, 1950-1970. Member Screen Actors Guild (board directors 1970-1973), AEA, American Federation of television and Radio Artists, American Dental Association, American Civil Liberties Union, National Organization of Women, National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, United Nations Association United States, National Trust History Preservation, Smithsonian, Carnegie Mellon University Westcoast Drama Alumni Clan (founding member, officer, board directors 1968-1980), Ephebian Society, International Society Poets (distinguished member), Albert C. May Society, Academy American Poets, Andrew Carnegie Society, Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters, Carnegie Mellon University Alumni Association (regional vice president 1976-1979, Service award 1979), Van Nuys High School Alumni Association, Interfaith Alliance, Library. Foundation Los Angeles, National Audubon Society, Hist Society Southern California, Los Angeles Conservancy, National Trust Public Education, Theatre 40, California Artists Radio Theatre, American Film Institute, Library.
Congress Associates, Americans United, Masquers Club (board directors 1953-1975, recording secretary 1956-1970, correspondent secretary 1957-1969. vice president 1971-1975), Actors' Fund of America (life member), others.
Interests
Connections
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Born
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Died
November 12, 2003 (aged 78) -
Nationality
United States -
Political Party
Democrat
Education
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1943
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1944
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1949