Toon Talk Special: The 101 Greatest Disney Voice Artists - Part 1 of 2
Page 9 of 9
The Three Hardest Working Men in
Animation Today
These three actors can be heard all over the place, from
feature films and television programs to theme parks, even the Broadway stage.
David Ogden Stiers
(c) Disney
Prior to 1991, Stiers was known as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III in the long-running television classic M*A*S*H. But then came Beauty & the Beast: not only did he voice the fussbudgety Cogsworth, he also provided the opening Narration for the film, which is still used for the Broadway stage version of the movie. He returned as Cogsworth for the video releases Beauty & the Beast: An Enchanted Christmas and Belle's Magical World.
He assayed this double duty again with Pocahontas, voicing not only the greedy Governor Ratcliffe, but also his fawning servant Wiggins; in other words, he was talking to himself in most of his scenes. Stiers followed those roles with the Archdeacon in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Ratcliffe again in Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World.
He can currently be heard as Milo's museum boss, Fenton Q. Harcourt, in Atlantis: The Lost Empire and will also voice the evil scientist Jumba in the upcoming Lilo & Stitch.
Jim Cummings
(c) Disney
Cummings is everywhere:
He is the current voice of both Pooh and Tigger on television, video and in The Tigger Movie.
He originated the roles on television of Monterey Jack and Fat Cat in Chip 'N Dale's Rescue Rangers, Don Karnage in Tale Spin, Bonkers and Darkwing Duck.
He recreated the roles of Louie in Tale Spin, Kaa in Jungle Cubs, The Colonel in 101 Dalmatians: The Series, Zummi Gummi in The Adventures of the Gummi Bears and Tantor the elephant in the upcoming The Legend of Tarzan on television and Tony in Lady & the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure on video.
He is the current voice of Pete, in Goof Troop, A Goofy Movie, Mickey Mouse Works, Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas, An Extremely Goofy Movie and House of Mouse.
Also on TV, he has done various voices for Aladdin, Gargoyles, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Marsupilami, Raw Toonage, The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa and Hercules.
In film, he was heard as the dippy hyena Ed in The Lion King, captain of the guard Razoul in Aladdin, the Monster in Runaway Brain, Nessus the Centaur in Hercules, the singing voice of Chief Powhatan in Pocahontas, and minor roles in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Little Mermaid, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Tarzan.
And finally, on video he has voiced various characters in The Return of Jafar, Aladdin & the King of Thieves, Beauty & the Beast: An Enchanted Christmas, Belle's Magical World, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World , The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars and The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea.
Give this man a vacation.
Frank Welker
When I first started preparing this article, one category that I thought of was to feature the actors who provide the natural "voices" of animals. Well, it turns out that they are all done by the same man, Frank Welker:
Joanna the goanna lizard in The Rescuers Down Under; the Footstool in Beauty & the Beast (and it's two video sequels); Abu the monkey in Aladdin (and it's two video sequels and television series); the Reindeers in The Santa Clause; Bigfoot in A Goofy Movie; Flit the hummingbird in Pocahontas (and it's video sequel); the Baby Bird in The Hunchback of Notre Dame; Phillipe the horse in Beauty & the Beast: An Enchanted Christmas; Khan the horse, Little Brother the dog and Cri-Kee the cricket in Mulan; Pegasus in the Hercules television series; Max the dog in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea; even Pluto in Mickey Mouse Works and House of Mouse. Each yip, bark, chatter and tweet provided by this one-man zoo.
He has also provided the voices for characters who do speak "human": the Archbishop and the King in The Prince & the Pauper; Bronx in Gargoyles; Chameleon in The Mighty Ducks animated series; Bubba Duck, Big Time Beagle and Baggy Beagle in Duck Tales; Scorch in 101 Dalmatians: The Series; Grubs in the Buzz Lightyear of Star Command video and series; Reggie in Lady & the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure; various characters in Tale Spin, Goof Troop, The Little Mermaid (film and series), Duck Tales: The Movie - Treasure of the Lost Lamp, Darkwing Duck, Bonkers, The Lion King, Recess, Lloyd in Space and The Tigger Movie; Welker even played Herman Melville in Doug's 1st Movie.
Welker has also provided "special vocal effects" for the films The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty & the Beast, the live action 101 Dalmatians and Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey and can also be heard in various roles in the American Adventure attraction at Epcot.
• • •
Toon in next week, where you will meet bad boys and good girls, macho men and women with a past, not to mention the fifteen most legendary voice artists of all time, in Part Two of The 101 Greatest Disney Voice Artists.
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-- Kirby C. Holt
Kirby is a lifelong Disney fan and film buff. A frequent contributer to the LaughingPlace.com Discussion Boards, he currently resides near one of the Happiest Places on Earth: Orlando, Florida.
Took Talk: Disney Film & Video Reviews by Kirby C. Holt is posted whenever there's something new to review.
The opinions expressed by our Kirby C. Holt, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted June 29, 2001