John Bluthal (1929-2018) was a Polish-born character actor who worked primarily in Australia and England. Bluthal was heard as several goblins in Labyrinth.
Bluthal worked with Spike Milligan on radio in both Australia and for the BBC. The actor's association with puppetry extends to the 1960s, as the voice of Commander Zero in Gerry Anderson's marionette TV series Fireball XL5.
On camera, Bluthal played a variety of ethnic types, appearing with the Beatles in Hard Day's Night and Help!, with Peter Sellers in Casino Royale and The Return of the Pink Panther (as a blind French organ grinder whose "minkey" is breaking the law), with Zero Mostel in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, with Christopher Reeve in Superman III (as an Italian vendor), and with Alan Arkin in The Return of Captain Invincible (Jewish deli owner). He was also a co-star on the tailor-themed British sitcom Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width (1967-1971).
In later years, Bluthal appeared regularly as Frank Pickle on the BBC sitcom The Vicar of Dibley, starring Dawn French, and in the films The Fifth Element (as the professor in the prologue), Dark City (with Jennifer Connelly), and Hail, Caesar! (with Frances McDormand). TV guest appearances included One Foot in the Grave, Inspector Morse, Rumpole of the Bailey, The Goodies, Jonathan Creek, and The Avengers.