Gerald Paradies was a German actor and voice actor known for his extensive work in dubbing, providing the German voices for thousands of characters in film, television, and animation. Born on March 23, 1956, he trained at the Schauspielstudio Edith Hildebrandt in Berlin and began his career on stage, performing at venues such as the Landesbühne Rheinland-Pfalz and the Hansa-Theater in Hamburg before dedicating himself to voice acting from 1980 onward. He passed away on June 20, 2016, in Berlin at the age of sixty after a long illness.

Paradies was a prolific presence in the world of German dubbing, with his voice becoming familiar to audiences across a wide spectrum of genres, including a significant number of anime and animation productions. Among his notable roles in this field, he voiced Lord of Mangetsu in the Black Jack OVA series, Liesse in the science fiction series Appleseed XIII, Arges in the film Appleseed: Ex Machina, and Levine in the movie Welcome to THE SPACE SHOW. He also lent his voice to the character Clamp Grosky, the energetic inspector from Scotland Yard, in the film Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva.

Beyond the specific titles mentioned, his work in anime and international animation was remarkably broad. He was the German voice of the Saiyan warrior Nappa in various iterations of the Dragon Ball franchise, including Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Z Kai. He voiced the outlaw Hondo Ohnaka in the series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, and the Decepticon Starscream in Transformers: Prime. His other credits included roles in Code Geass, Elfen Lied, Digimon Adventure, Ghost in the Shell, and Blue Dragon, among many others. He also provided voices for American animated series, such as Fluttershy in the German version of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.

Paradies's dubbing career was characterized by its extraordinary range and volume. He was frequently heard in recurring collaborations, providing the German voice for actors such as Vinnie Jones, Danny Trejo, M. C. Gainey, and Denis Leary across numerous films. In the realm of television, he took on prominent roles like security chief Zack Allan in Babylon 5 and gave a new voice to Richard Dawson's character in an early German adaptation of Hogan's Heroes. His legacy is that of a foundational figure in German dubbing, whose work over several decades brought a vast array of international characters to life for German-speaking audiences, leaving an indelible mark on the industry through an estimated several thousand voice performances.