John Karlsen

John Karlsen (20 October 1919 – 5 July 2017), sometimes credited as Charles John Karlsen or John Karlson, was a New Zealand actor who was active in cinema between 1958 and 2003. He is best known for Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), The Black Stallion (1979) and The Sin Eater (2003). In Europe he appeared in mostly Italian films.

Karlsen was born in Wellington, New Zealand, and launched his career in Europe in the late 1950s.

His filmography includes 80 titles, including several works for television.

Karlsen died on 5 July 2017 in Auckland, New Zealand, at the age of 97.

Selected filmography

 * The Beautiful Legs of Sabrina (1958) as The Security Guard at Jeweller's Shop (uncredited)
 * The Naked Maja (1958) as Inquisitor
 * Francis of Assisi (1961) as Friar (uncredited)
 * Battle of the Worlds (1961) as United Commission Leader (uncredited)
 * Werewolf in a Girls' Dormitory (1961) as Old Man
 * A Difficult Life (1961) as Smoking University Professor (uncredited)
 * Pontius Pilate (1962) as Roman Senator
 * The Witch's Curse (1962) as Burgomeister
 * It Happened in Athens (1962) as King of Greece (uncredited)
 * Toto and Peppino Divided in Berlin (1962) as Nazist (uncredited)
 * The Seventh Sword (1962) as The Old Actor (uncredited)
 * 8½ (1963) as Un uomo in auto (uncredited)
 * Cleopatra (1963) as High Priest (uncredited)
 * Il Boom (1963) as Occulist
 * Crypt of the Vampire (1964) as Franz Karnstein
 * Un commerce tranquille (1964) as Priest
 * Le bambole (1965) as Husband (segment "La minestra")
 * Crack in the World (1965) as Dr. Reynolds
 * Two Mafiosi Against Goldfinger (1965) as Stevenson
 * Me, Me, Me... and the Others (1966) as Producer
 * The She Beast (1966) as Count Von Helsing
 * Modesty Blaise (1966) as Oleg
 * Agent 3S3: Massacre in the Sun (1966) as Tereczkov's Boss
 * Our Men in Bagdad (1966) as Botschafter
 * El Greco (1966) as Prosecutor
 * Requiem for a Secret Agent (1966) as Franco
 * The Christmas That Almost Wasn't (1966) as Blossom
 * Mission Stardust (1967) as Crest
 * Face to Face (1967) as University Dean (uncredited)
 * I barbieri di Sicilia (1967) as German Chemist (uncredited)
 * Your Turn to Die (1967) as Photographer in Nightclub (uncredited)
 * L'oro di Londra (1968) as Ed
 * Fenomenal e il tesoro di Tutankamen (1968) as Prof. Micklewitz
 * Spirits of the Dead (1968) as Schoolmaster in Yard (segment "William Wilson") (uncredited)
 * Galileo (1968)
 * I See Naked (1969) as Psychiatrist (uncredited)
 * Carnal Circuit (1969) as Fletcher (uncredited)
 * Fellini Satyricon (1969) as Man in Litter (uncredited)
 * Juliette de Sade (1969) as The Marchese
 * Tre nel mille (1971)
 * Stanza 17-17 palazzo delle tasse, ufficio imposte (1971) as Strongbox Seller (uncredited)
 * Slaughter Hotel (1971) as Professor Osterman
 * What? (1972) as Man-Servant Edward (uncredited)
 * Polvere di stelle (1973) as German Commander (uncredited)
 * The Kiss (1974) as Friedrich (uncredited)
 * Footprints on the Moon (1975) as Alfred Lowenthal
 * Prete, fai un miracolo (1975) as vescovo Ritter
 * The Messiah (1975) as Caiaphas
 * Fellini's Casanova (1976) as Lord Talou
 * I contrabbandieri di Santa Lucia (1979)
 * The Black Stallion (1979) as Archaeologist
 * The Warning (1980) as Ferdinando Violante
 * Pronto... Lucia (1982)
 * Good King Dagobert (1984) as Corbus
 * Detective School Dropouts (1986) as Museum Guide
 * I Love N.Y. (1987) as the Butler
 * La monaca di Monza (1987) as Don Carlo
 * Stradivari (1988) as Grand Chamberlain
 * The Little Devil (1988) as Anziano monsignore
 * The Gamble (1988)
 * Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) as Evil Duke
 * The Church (1989) as Heinrich
 * Frankenstein Unbound (1990) as Parson
 * Stasera a casa di Alice (1990) as Il suocero
 * Count Max (1991) as Il maggiordomo
 * Killer Rules (1993, TV Movie) as Lord Elston
 * E.T.A. Hoffmanns Der Sandmann (1993) as Spalanzini
 * Caro dolce amore (a.k.a. Honey Sweet Love...) (1994) as Sir John Atherton
 * Screw Loose (1999) as Dr. Caputo
 * The Sin Eater (2003) (a.k.a. The Order) as Eden's Manservant
 * Il nascondiglio (2007) (final film role)