Fred Maire was a German actor and voice actor, renowned for his extensive work in dubbing international film and television productions for the German-speaking market. Born on May 20, 1932, he began his career as a stage actor, performing in major German cities including Berlin, Munich, Basel, Bremen, and Cologne. In the 1970s, he traveled to Indonesia and collaborated with director Julie Taymor on a theater project with a Balinese-Javanese ensemble. Upon returning to Germany, he continued his work in theater and voice acting, a field he entered in 1965. Fred Maire passed away on December 19, 2020, at the age of 88.

Maire's voice became widely recognized through his dubbing of numerous prominent international actors. He was the regular German voice for actors such as Klaus Kinski, Dennis Hopper, Harvey Keitel, and Lee Van Cleef. He also dubbed David McCallum in the series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and later took over the role of Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard in NCIS. His film dubbing credits include voicing Argus Filch in the Harry Potter film series, Carl Fredricksen in the Pixar film Up, the Cleaner in Toy Story 2, and Yoda in the later Star Wars films. He also dubbed Leonard Nimoy as Spock in Star Trek Into Darkness and John Hurt in Doctor Who.

Beyond his work dubbing live-action films, Maire was highly active in voicing animated characters. In the realm of anime, he voiced the fox in the 1974 anime adaptation of Pinocchio, titled Kashi no Ki Mokku, which was broadcast in Germany. He also provided the German voice for the character Wolf in the anime series Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs. His work extended to American animation as well, where he was the voice of characters like Wile E. Coyote and Witch Hazel in Looney Tunes productions.

Maire frequently collaborated with dubbing director Eberhard Storeck, working on numerous projects including various Muppet productions and the German dubs of anime series such as Pinocchio and Maya the Bee. He was also known for his work on German radio dramas and had occasional on-screen roles in German television series like Das Kriminalmuseum, Hamburg Transit, and Der Alte. His daughter, Laura Maire, also became a well-known actress and voice actor.