Actor John Fiedler Dies at 80

John Fiedler, the veteran stage and film actor who originated the role of Karl Lindner in A Raisin in the Sun, died on June 25 at the age of 80.

Born in Plateville, Wisconsin on February 3, 1925, Fiedler moved to New York City after World War II. In 1954, he appeared in an Off-Broadway production of The Seagull that starred Montgomery Clift and in the Broadway play One Eye Closed, which only lasted three performances.

In 1959, he landed the role of Karl in Raisin, which he also played in the 1961 film version and in a 1989 television remake starring Danny Glover. Fiedler played Vinnie in the original Broadway production of The Odd Couple (1965) and recreated that role for the 1968 film version. His subsequent Broadway credits included the ANTA production of Our Town starring Henry Fonda (1969) and the National Actors Theatre productions of The Crucible (1991) and A Little Hotel on the Side (1992).

Among his 55 years’ worth of film and television credits, Fiedler was best known for his role of Mr. Peterson on The Bob Newhart Show and for providing the voice of Piglet in the many Winnie the Pooh films that were released between 1968 and 2005. He also appeared in the movies Twelve Angry Men, That Touch of Mink, and True Grit, and in the television series Buffalo Bill and One Life to Live.

Fiedler is survived by his brother, James, and his sister, Mary Dean.