Denis Savignat was a French actor and voice actor born on May 3, 1937 in Vanves, France. He trained at the Conservatoire de Paris and was a pensionnaire of the Comédie-Française from 1960 to 1966 before embarking on a career that spanned both on-screen performances and extensive voice work. In addition to his birth name, he is sometimes credited as Danis Savignat de la Comédie Française.

Savignat was a prolific figure in French dubbing, providing voices for numerous foreign films and television series. In the world of animation, he is well-remembered for his roles in several classic anime and cartoon series. His performance as the voice of Atlas in the 1981 series Ulysses 31 remains one of his most recognized anime roles; in the same series, he also voiced the Oracle and Triplos.

Beyond Ulysses 31, his other significant voice roles in animation include Professor Chassard in the series Les Minipouss, the character Elrond in the 1978 French version of The Lord of the Rings, Phasir and Minos in the Aladdin television series, and General Li in the French dub of Mulan. He was also the narrator for the 1985 film The Black Cauldron (Taram et le Chaudron magique) and voiced roles in series such as Thunderbirds and San Ku Kaï.

In addition to his animation work, Savignat had a very active career dubbing live-action films and series. He served as a regular French voice for several major Hollywood actors, including Clint Eastwood in films like Where Eagles Dare and Kelly's Heroes, as well as George Peppard and James Coburn. His dubbing portfolio also includes providing voices for actors such as Yul Brynner, Terence Hill, William Shatner (as Captain Kirk in Star Trek: Generations), and Charles Bronson. On television, he was the French voice of Mr. X in The X-Files and Number 2 in an episode of The Prisoner.

Concurrent with his voice work, Savignat maintained an on-screen acting career. He appeared in several television series and films, most notably playing the role of Armand Berg in the popular French television drama Châteauvallon in 1985. His early film appearances include roles in Soleil noir (1966) and C'est bon pour la santé (1975). He was also a regular cast member on the series Cas de divorce, playing Judge Martinaud. Denis Savignat passed away from cancer on October 5, 1998, in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, at the age of 61.