Veteran voice actor Jim Cummings has more than five hundred credits to his name over a career that has spanned four decades, but he is undoubtedly best known for his work with Disney. He voiced Ray the Cajun firefly in The Princess and the Frog, Razoul and Farouk in Aladdin, that famous crimefighting fowl Darkwing Duck on the Disney Afternoon, and of course took over the role of Winnie the Pooh (and Tigger too!) in the late 1980s.
Most recently, Cummings starred as Pooh and Tigger once again in Disney’s live-action Christopher Robin, which followed a grown-up version of the title character (played by Star Wars prequel actor Ewan McGregor) as he reunites with his childhood friends after forgetting what’s most important in life: family. I spoke with Jim Cummings yesterday at the Los Angeles County Arboretum about next week’s release of Christopher Robin on Blu-ray, how he goes about inhabiting these iconic roles, and even another character from A Galaxy Far, Far Away.
Watch video interview with Jim Cummings:
Arriving at the Arboretum prior to the interview, I was surprised and excited to find wild peacocks roaming around the grounds.
Disney had an additional activity planned for attending media, as well: learning how to arrange flowers in a Christopher Robin-branded Winnie the Pooh-style “hunny” pot.
While I was a little hesitant to experiment with a hobby I had never attempted before, I have to say I was almost impressed with the final outcome of the flower arrangement. We had good teachers.
After the interviews, media was escorted to a secluded part of the Arboretum, where a “Friendsgiving” lunch party had been set up, complete with turkey, ham, and all the trimmings.
Best of all, we were joined for the meal by some of the actual stuffed animal props used in the filming of Christopher Robin.
Disney’s Christopher Robin arrives on Blu-ray, Digital HD, Movies Anywhere next Tuesday, November 6.
