Francisco Colmenero, whose full name is José Francisco Colmenero y Villanueva, is a highly influential Mexican voice actor and voice director born on February 28, 1932, in Mexico City. He is a foundational figure in Latin American dubbing, with a career that began in 1954 and has spanned over seven decades, making him a familiar voice to multiple generations.

His entry into the world of dubbing was serendipitous. He initially worked as a driver for his brother-in-law, Edmundo Santos, a pioneering voice director. Santos encouraged him to try voice acting, leading to his debut in the series The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin. He quickly advanced, becoming a voice director in 1959. Following Santos's death in 1977, Colmenero took over the dubbing company Grabaciones y Doblajes, S.A..

Colmenero is perhaps best known for his extensive work with The Walt Disney Company, earning him the informal title of the voice of Disney in Mexico and across Latin America. For two decades, he served as the official Spanish-language voice of Mickey Mouse and also voiced Goofy for many years until the series Goof Troop. One of his most iconic Disney roles is that of Pumbaa the warthog from The Lion King, a character he has voiced in its film and series appearances. He also provided the Spanish narration for numerous classic Disney films, including Beauty and the Beast, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Sleeping Beauty. His later Disney and Pixar roles include the Sheriff in Cars and Don Hidalgo in Coco.

Beyond Disney, Colmenero's filmography is vast, covering some of the most beloved characters in animation and live-action dubbing. In the realm of anime, which is the focus of this profile, he provided the voice for Alm-Öhi, known as Onji, the grandfather of the title character in the classic series Heidi: A Girl of the Alps. He also served as the dubbing director for this production. Other anime roles in his career include the Narrator for Nouvelle Fantasia Gulliverboy, Nobutsunuke Seike in Bleach, Philip Gargantos Armstrong in Fullmetal Alchemist, and Tokuzō in Pokémon the Series: Black & White.

His work extends to a multitude of other iconic characters. He was the voice of Papa Smurf in The Smurfs, Pablo Marmol (Barney Rubble) in The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, and various Looney Tunes characters such as Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, and Bugs Bunny. In live-action dubbing, he is known as the Latin Spanish voice of John Locke in the television series Lost and Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

Throughout his career, Colmenero has not only acted but also served as a director, adapter, and translator on numerous projects. He has been recognized for his monumental contribution to the art of dubbing; in April 2019, he cemented his legacy by placing his handprints in the Plaza de las Estrellas (Paseo de las Luminarias) in Mexico City. Even into his nineties, Francisco Colmenero remained active in the industry, continuing his work as a voice actor and director.