Best known from the historical series A Tenkes Kapitánya and pioneering soap opera Szomszédok, he was regarded as one of the great talents of his generation.

Ferenc Zenthe was born on 20 April 1920 in Salgóbánya (now part of Salgótarján) as the only son of a 50-year-old mining engineer.

As the leery Máté Eke in one of the greatest success of early Hungarian television, Zenthe's fame grew potentially.

Beside movies and stage roles, he was mainly known from TV series like Tüskevár, Fekete Város, Bors, and particularly Szomszédok: from 1987, he formed the grumbling old taxi driver Uncle Taki in the first sitcom of the Hungarian Television, which achieved cult status in its 12-year run.

Ferenc Zenthe also performed numerous voiceovers, and was the cast member of Europe's longest running radio play, Szabó család, for which he recorded scenes even from his deathbed .