Franz Josef Steffens was a German actor and voice artist, born on December 27, 1923, in Beckum, and died on May 5, 2006, in Hamburg. He began his professional career in the late 1940s after completing formal acting training and performing on stage. His theater work included engagements at prominent venues such as the Bad Hersfelder Festspiele, the Salzburger Festspiele, and the Deutsches Schauspielhaus in Hamburg.

While Steffens had an extensive career in film and television, appearing in productions like the crime series Tatort and the family saga Das Erbe der Guldenburgs, he was particularly renowned for his deep and distinctive voice. This voice led to a prolific career as a voice actor in dubbing and radio plays.

In dubbing, he lent his voice to numerous international actors, including Ernest Borgnine and Anthony Quinn. He was also the German voice for many animated characters, such as the antagonist Dr. Kralle in Inspector Gadget and the wise Dachs in the series Als die Tiere den Wald verließen. His work in radio plays, or Hörspiele, was especially extensive. Over four decades, he contributed to countless productions for major labels like Europa. Among his most notable roles in this medium was the character Balu the bear in the series Das Dschungelbuch 2, which aligns with his role in the anime-influenced series Jungle Book: Shōnen Mowgli. Other prominent radio play roles included Professor Arthur Common in the science fiction series Commander Perkins and Wachtmeister Knurrhahn in Pitje Puck. He also worked under pseudonyms such as Klaus Barth and Hans Meinhardt for some of his many Europa recordings.

Throughout his career, Steffens was a recognizable presence in German audio dramas and dubbing. In 1987, he was awarded the Großer Hersfeld-Preis for his stage performance as Alfred Ill in Friedrich Dürrenmatts play The Visit. He continued to work as a voice actor into his later years, with his last productions dating from 2005 and 2006.