David Ogden Stiers made pompous characters worth hearing out. We admire his exact comic timing and the intelligence he gives Charles Winchester; as Cogsworth, he makes fussiness part of the pleasure of keeping company.
Fi1m perspective
Cogsworth keeps an exact comic rhythm while Lumiere is allowed to be expansive in Beauty and the Beast (1991). David Ogden Stiers and Jerry Orbach make that difference funny without making either character unwelcome company. Under directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale, Stiers gives formality a useful comic purpose: someone has to sound concerned about how things ought to be done. The fussiness works because there is enough warmth around it to make the castle companionable.
Stiers joined MASH* (1972) in 1977 as Charles Winchester, a character who needs that care over a much longer stretch. His arrogance comes with intelligence and compassion, so disagreement with him is worth listening to. Alongside Alan Alda, Mike Farrell and Harry Morgan, Stiers helps the series move beyond the character traits that initially make its people funny. The dated humour and occasional lectures remain real limitations. He is most persuasive when Winchester's dealings with others show kindness without a speech explaining why it matters.
From the 1990s, voice acting took up more of his work, and the rich baritone proved useful for more than one kind of authority. Cogsworth's tighter delivery shows how carefully he could adjust it to a character rather than simply rely on its pleasing sound. The comic bustle in Beauty and the Beast sometimes crowds the romance, but Stiers and Orbach give that bustle distinct, well-timed voices. He also voiced Governor Ratcliffe and Wiggins in Pocahontas (1995), and Dr. Jumba Jookiba in Lilo & Stitch (2002).
The smaller role of the Archdeacon in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) offers a sterner use of his authority. We were startled by the severity of the opening, in which he stops Frollo by invoking the watching eyes of the cathedral. Alan Menken's bells and Latin choir, and the animators' view of Notre Dame from below, give his warning force. His authority is welcome here: the Archdeacon has to sound capable of stopping Frollo. We would start with Beauty and the Beast, where the comic precision comes without a long television commitment.
Biography
David Ogden Stiers was an American actor and conductor. He was born in Peoria, Illinois, and studied at the University of Oregon and the Juilliard School.
Stiers began his career in theatre, performing with the Santa Clara Shakespeare Festival and later appearing on Broadway in The Magic Show. He became widely known for his role as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III in the television series MAS*H from 1977 to 1983. He also played District Attorney Michael Reston in several Perry Mason television films.
Stiers provided the voice of Cogsworth in the 1991 Disney film Beauty and the Beast, as well as characters in Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Lilo & Stitch (2002) and other animated features. He died in Newport, Oregon, in 2018.
