Ted Otis

Biography

Ted Otis is a documentarian, preservationist, actor, and publisher. He has performed with Malcolm McDowell, Paul Rudd, Geoffrey Rush, and Emily Watson, and worked on productions featuring Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Irons, and director Francis Lawrence. From Santa Monica, California, Otis relocated to Prague for over a decade, working as an actor, voice actor, location manager, and teacher across Iceland, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic. A member of SAG-AFTRA and ASCAP, Otis has composed original scores and sound effects for various productions. His documentary credits include The Power of Peace (hosted by Uma Thurman and Harry Belafonte) and Secrets of the C.I.A. for Turner Broadcasting System, both airing internationally. Otis's industry roots run deep. His stepfather, Clifford David—an Academy member and Broadway veteran mentored by Lee Strasberg—introduced him to Hollywood sound stages in the 1970s. His godfather, Lewis Milestone, won Oscars for directing All Quiet on the Western Front and Two Arabian Knights. His father, Ted Otis Sr., appeared in Maverick, The Rifleman, and a first-season Twilight Zone episode adapted by Rod Serling into Planet of the Apes. His step-grandfather, Gordon Oliver, was an RKO contract player and producer of hits like Peter Gunn and Mr. Lucky, frequently attending premieres at Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Cocoanut Grove. A conservationist, Otis has renovated celebrity estates in Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Los Feliz Oaks, and Silverlake. He is a long-time Hollywood Heritage member with a passion for preserving Hollywood's historic infrastructure and film history. Additional information is available on his LinkedIn profile.