Origins & Early Life

Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and held around 850 film, television, and video game credits as of 2020, making him one of the most prolific voice actors in history. With his films earning a total worldwide box-office gross of $17.4 billion, he is also amongst the highest-grossing actors as of 2024. Welker voiced Fred Jones from the Scooby-Doo franchise since its inception in 1969 and later Scooby-Doo himself since 2002.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In 2020, Welker reprised the latter role in the animated film Scoob!, the only original voice actor from the series in the film's cast. Besides Scooby-Doo, he voiced Megatron, Soundwave and several characters in the Transformers franchise. Aside from those, he also voiced Garfield from the Garfield franchise since 2007, as well as several characters and creatures in Matt Groening's animated sci-fi sitcom Futurama, including Nibbler. In 2016, he received a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award. He was nominated for the Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice Performance in an Animated Program in 2022.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Franklin Wendell Welker was born on March 12, 1946, in Denver, Colorado...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adam Michnik — Contemporary (Born in 1946) (1946): Prominent Polish intellectual, dissident, and journalist advocating for democracy.
• Ahmed Zewail — Contemporary (Born in 1946) (1946): Pioneering chemist, acclaimed as the 'father of femtochemistry'.
• Al Green — Contemporary (Born in 1946) (1946): Iconic American soul singer, songwriter, and pastor celebrated for his timeless vocal artistry.
• Alexander Mackenzie (explorer) — Shared historical date (03-12 · Died) (1820): Scottish explorer and fur trader famed for crossing North America north of Mexico.
• André Le Nôtre — Shared historical date (03-12 · Born) (1613): Master French landscape architect, famed for the formal gardens of Versailles.
• Alan Rickman — Historical peer (Born in 1946) (1946): Iconic English actor celebrated for his distinctive voice and powerful stage presence.
• Alfred Jodl — Historical peer (Died in 1946) (1946): German general and war criminal, known for his role in the Wehrmacht High Command.
• Alan Parker — Historical peer (Died in 2020) (2020): Acclaimed English filmmaker known for genre versatility and numerous BAFTA and Golden Globe wins.
• Albert Uderzo — Historical peer (Died in 2020) (2020): Pioneering French comic artist, co-creator of the iconic Astérix series.
• Akira Toriyama — Historical peer (Died in 2024) (2024): Pioneering manga artist, creator of Dr. Slump and the global phenomenon, Dragon Ball.
• 1946 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1946
• March 12 (03-12) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on March 12