Wayne Allwine | Mickey Mouse's voice, 62
Wayne Allwine, 62, the actor who voiced Mickey Mouse for more than 30 years, died Monday in Los Angeles of complications from diabetes. Russi Taylor, his wife of 20 years and the voice of Minnie Mouse, was by his side, the Walt Disney Co. said.
Wayne Allwine, 62, the actor who voiced Mickey Mouse for more than 30 years, died Monday in Los Angeles of complications from diabetes. Russi Taylor, his wife of 20 years and the voice of Minnie Mouse, was by his side, the Walt Disney Co. said.
Mr. Allwine joined Disney in 1966 when he took a job in the mail room. He went on to work in the sound-effects department and began voicing the mouse in 1977. His falsetto can be heard in 1983's Mickey's Christmas Carol, 1988's Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and at Disney theme parks around the world. He won an Emmy Award in 1986 for his sound editing on the NBC series Amazing Stories.
Mr. Allwine was the third man to do Mickey's voice. The first was Walt Disney himself, then came Jimmy MacDonald, who was Mr. Allwine's mentor and passed him the ears after 30 years in the job.
- AP