# Lou Hirsch
**Lou Hirsch** (born 1955) is an American actor known for voicing Baby Herman in the 1988 feature film *Who Framed Roger Rabbit* and for playing Uncle Arnie in the British sitcom *My Hero*. Although American by birth, much of his screen career has been in British television and film.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0386516/) • [2](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=10516) He was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and stands 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) tall.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0386516/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1955, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0386516/) |
| Signature role | Voice of Baby Herman in *Who Framed Roger Rabbit* (1988)[2](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=10516) |
| Longest TV run | Uncle Arnie in *My Hero* (BBC, 2000–2006), 50 episodes[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/82067/lou-hirsch) |
| Other recurring roles | Officer Silas Romek in *Space Precinct* (20 episodes, 1994–1995); Wallace in *Episodes* (2011)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0386516/) |
| Film roles | Fred in *Superman III* (1983); Headmaster in *Thunderbirds* (2004)[4](https://www.sensacine.com/actores/actor-128120/filmografia/) |
| Roger Rabbit shorts | Voiced Baby Herman in *Tummy Trouble* (1989) and *Trail Mix-Up: A Roger Rabbit Adventure* (1993)[5](https://movieott.com/talent/lou-hirsch) |
## Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Baby Herman
Hirsch's best-known work is the voice of Baby Herman, the cigar-chomping infant film star in *Who Framed Roger Rabbit* (1988), a role he has described in interviews along with memories of the film's production.[2](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=10516) • [6](https://music.amazon.com.br/podcasts/a404604f-475c-4a68-9edc-e83ecc3706ea/episodes/58acdf01-4fe3-42db-be73-5885a165fc9a/left-of-str8-podcasts-lou-hirsch-a-journey-thru-film-and-television) He continued in the part for the Disney shorts *Tummy Trouble* (1989), credited as the adult Baby Herman, and *Trail Mix-Up: A Roger Rabbit Adventure* (1993), which remains his most-streamed title on some platforms.[5](https://movieott.com/talent/lou-hirsch) On Rotten Tomatoes, *Who Framed Roger Rabbit* is his highest-rated film at 96 percent, against a low of 0 percent for *The Lonely Lady* (1983), in which he played Bernie.[7](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lou_hirsch) A scholarly study of vocal performance in animation cites his casting as Baby Herman as an example of a voice actor whose determining identity shapes the character's sound.[8](https://cora.ucc.ie/bitstream/10468/1452/1/ArticleHolliday.pdf)
## British television
Hirsch built a substantial career in British series. His longest engagement was the BBC sitcom *My Hero* (2000–2006), in which he appeared in 50 episodes as Uncle Arnie.[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/82067/lou-hirsch) Earlier recurring work includes Space Precinct, the [Gerry Anderson](https://www.edgepedia.org/gerry-anderson) science-fiction series filmed in Britain, where he played Officer Silas Romek in 20 episodes across 1994 and 1995.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0386516/) German television listings credit him with appearances in *Dempsey & Makepeace*, *Kappatoo*, and the 1994–1995 series *Space Cops – Tatort Demeter City* (the German-market title of *Space Precinct*).[9](https://www.wunschliste.de/person/lou-hirsch)
His guest credits span both countries' productions: Jimmy Mundy in *Jeeves and Wooster*, Hank Goldstein in *Wild West* (1992), a school headmaster in *Thunderbirds* (2004), and Wallace in three episodes of the American-British comedy *Episodes* in 2011.[4](https://www.sensacine.com/actores/actor-128120/filmografia/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0386516/) In a podcast interview in 2024 he discussed the move from New York to Florida, the making of *Roger Rabbit*, and the value of formal actor training.[6](https://music.amazon.com.br/podcasts/a404604f-475c-4a68-9edc-e83ecc3706ea/episodes/58acdf01-4fe3-42db-be73-5885a165fc9a/left-of-str8-podcasts-lou-hirsch-a-journey-thru-film-and-television)
## Film roles
Hirsch's film appearances include *Superman III* (1983) as Fred, *Insignificance* (1985) as Charlie, *[Haunted Honeymoon](https://www.edgepedia.org/haunted-honeymoon)* (1986) as the Sponsor, *Tom & Viv* (1994) as Captain Todd, *Death, Deceit & Destiny Aboard the Orient Express* (2001) as Fred Wallace, and *Thunderbirds* (2004) as the Headmaster.[4](https://www.sensacine.com/actores/actor-128120/filmografia/) • [9](https://www.wunschliste.de/person/lou-hirsch) On stage, he has played Al Lewis in [Neil Simon](https://www.edgepedia.org/neil-simon)'s *The Sunshine Boys* at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, England.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0386516/)
## Other people of the same or similar name
The name Lou Hirsch or Hirsh refers to several unrelated public figures. **Lou Hirsh** is a CoStar news reporter in San Diego covering commercial real estate and the California economy; his career spans about 35 years, and he has been honored by the National Press Foundation, the Los Angeles Press Club, and other journalism organizations.[10](https://www.intelligentrelations.com/journalist/lou-hirsh/) • [11](https://www.helpareporter.com/journalist/lou-hirsh) **Dr. Lou Hirsch** is a plant pathologist and award-winning professor at the [University of Kentucky](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-kentucky)'s Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, where he directs FIELD (Faculty Initiatives in [Education](https://www.edgepedia.org/education), Learning, and Discovery); before academia he worked as a scuba instructor and boat captain and earned a PhD in plant science focused on fungal molecular genetics.[12](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/4ccaa42d-3370-4c9b-a35d-dcf58b754b69/episodes/7087bc5c-cc7a-4fdf-85a9-436a2d735923/failcraft-why-college-classrooms-fail-learners-fixing-modern-higher-ed---dr-lou-hirsch) Separately, **Louis A. Hirsch** (circa 1882 – May 13, 1924) was a Broadway composer-lyricist whose shows included *Going Up* and multiple [Ziegfeld Follies](https://www.edgepedia.org/ziegfeld-follies) editions.[13](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/lou-hirsch-13475)
## References
1. [Lou Hirsch (I), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0386516/)
2. [Lou Hirsch, TVSA actor profile](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=10516)
3. [Lou Hirsch, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/82067/lou-hirsch)
4. [Lou Hirsch filmography, SensaCine](https://www.sensacine.com/actores/actor-128120/filmografia/)
5. [Lou Hirsch filmography, Movie OTT](https://movieott.com/talent/lou-hirsch)
6. [Lou Hirsch: A Journey Thru Film and Television, Retro Podcast / Left of Str8 Podcasts (2024)](https://music.amazon.com.br/podcasts/a404604f-475c-4a68-9edc-e83ecc3706ea/episodes/58acdf01-4fe3-42db-be73-5885a165fc9a/left-of-str8-podcasts-lou-hirsch-a-journey-thru-film-and-television)
7. [Lou Hirsch, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lou_hirsch)
8. [Emotion Capture: Vocal Performance (Holliday), University College Cork](https://cora.ucc.ie/bitstream/10468/1452/1/ArticleHolliday.pdf)
9. [Lou Hirsch, TV Wunschliste](https://www.wunschliste.de/person/lou-hirsch)
10. [Lou Hirsh, journalist profile, Intelligent Relations](https://www.intelligentrelations.com/journalist/lou-hirsh/)
11. [Lou Hirsh, HARO journalist profile](https://www.helpareporter.com/journalist/lou-hirsh)
12. [Why College Classrooms Fail Learners, with Dr. Lou Hirsch, FailCraft podcast](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/4ccaa42d-3370-4c9b-a35d-dcf58b754b69/episodes/7087bc5c-cc7a-4fdf-85a9-436a2d735923/failcraft-why-college-classrooms-fail-learners-fixing-modern-higher-ed---dr-lou-hirsch)
13. [Lou Hirsch (Louis A. Hirsch), Broadway cast and staff, IBDB](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/lou-hirsch-13475)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames He to H*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license