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Monday, July 29, 2019

R.I.P.: Russi Taylor, Voice of Minnie Mouse

The Walt Disney Company announced in a statement Saturday that actress Russi Taylor, best known for voicing the character of Minnie Mouse, has died. She passed away at her home in Glendale on Friday at the age of 75.

Disney CEO Bob Iger said in the statement, "Minnie Mouse lost her voice with the passing of Russi Taylor. For more than 30 years, Minnie and Russi worked together to entertain millions around the world—a partnership that made Minnie a global icon and Russi a Disney Legend beloved by fans everywhere."


According to Variety, Taylor was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1944 and began her career in 1980 with The World of Strawberry Shortcake. She auditioned for the role of Minnie Mouse in 1986, going on to voice the character in a slate of theatrical films, TV series, animated shorts and theme park experiences. Her final award recognition for the role came in 2018, when Taylor was nominated for an Emmy for voicing her signature character in Mickey Mouse.

Until his death in 2009, the actress was married to Wayne Allwine, the voice of Mickey.

Throughout her career, Taylor also lent her voice talents to numerous other characters, including the roles of Huey, Dewey and Louie in the Ducktales animated series. Ducktales actor Sam Riegel took to social media to express his condolences, posting on Twitter, "My heart is broken over the loss of #RussiTaylor. Such an amazing performer, funny person, and gentle soul. I got to work with her for 7 years on #SofiaTheFirst and she taught me so much about acting and welcoming new talent into our industry. She will forever be missed."

Her voice can also be heard in The Smurfs, Paddington Bear, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and more. On The Simpsons, Taylor voiced twins Sherri and Terri and the character of Martin Prince in over 100 episodes, as well as in The Simpsons Movie. Al Jean, writer and producer of The Simpsons, wrote on Twitter, "Deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Russi Taylor, a true delight to work with."

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