Barry J. Gordon on AllMovie

Barry Gordon was seven years old when he entered the ranks of the record industry, singing the novelty hit "I'm Gettin' Nuthin for Christmas" (1955). Gordon followed this triumph with "Rock N Roll Mother Goose," which was no chart-buster but did land him a spot in the 1956 Frank Tashlin-directed feature The Girl Can't Help It (though his song was cut from the final release version, he can be seen as a wise-beyond-his-years paper boy, ogling Jayne Mansfield as she swivels by). By the late 1950s, Gordon was best known for his guest appearances on The Jack Benny Program, expertly impersonating that series' venerable star. At age 14, he was nominated for a Tony award for his portrayal of Nick in Herb Gardner 's Broadway hit A Thousand Clowns, a role he repeated in the 1965 film version. In 1967, he essayed his only film-starring role, playing a brainy high school nerd in Out of It (his on-screen nemesis was none other than Jon Voight). Developing into an Woody Allen-esque comic supporting player, Gordon appeared regularly in such sitcoms as The New Dick Van Dyke Show, A Family For Joe, Archie Bunker's Place and Good Time Harry. More recently, Gordon has carved himself a niche as one of the busiest and most versatile voiceover artists in the TV animation industry: one of his better-known characterizations is Donatello in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Barry Gordon is a past president of the Screen Actors Guild.