Friedhelm Ptok passed away on February 13 at the age of 92. The well-known German actor, voice actor and radio play and audiobook narrator was the German voice of Palpatine in the Star Wars universe, from the prequels through The Clone Wars and other TV series to the sequels. We also had another connection to him.
An obituary for Friedhelm by Andreas
With the death of Friedhelm Ptok, we lose not only one of the most distinctive voices in German dubbing, but above all an impressive, warm-hearted person. While many saw him as "the Emperor", I got to know him privately, as someone who was the complete opposite of his dark film role.
I still vividly remember visiting him at home to record dialogue for a fan film project. When I arrived, I was welcomed by his partner Sabine, since Friedhelm was still busy getting his small boat ready for winter on a lake outside Berlin. So the wait was easily bridged with coffee and great conversation, until Friedhelm finally joined us and completed the group.
I was particularly impressed by his easygoing manner: he was immediately open to my idea of doing the recordings right there at his home instead of driving to some anonymous studio. Friedhelm was as accommodating as you could ever wish for, a winning personality, polite, professional and with a presence that always made me regret never having seen him live on a theater stage.
For us as Team Saberproject , Friedhelm was a great supporter as well. He contributed some voice recordings to our film Rise of the Last Intern . Even though they were only short snippets, they really packed a punch. His unmistakable voice instantly gave the whole thing an epic depth that only he could create.
Over the years our paths crossed by chance every now and then, whether with Sabine together or when I later met her on her own at the Avatarpremiere in Berlin, where we again had a lovely chat. Another special moment was a later encounter at the Outpost One. It was a nice surprise, and not only for us as a team, to see that even his daughter has real talent and a soft spot for lightsabers. In that moment, things came full circle for me personally.
Personally, and as a team, we are happy and grateful to have known Friedhelm. He not only supported us with his voice, but deeply impressed us with his approachable nature.
Our thoughts and deepest sympathy go out to Sabine, his daughter and all his loved ones. We wish you much strength in this difficult time.
