Top 10 Classic Disney Characters You Didn't Know Shared a Voice

Born in 1955, Bruce Reitherman made his voice acting debut as Christopher Robin in the 1966 short, “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.” The following year, he provided the voice of Mowgli in “The Jungle Book.” Christopher Robin and Mowgli have a great deal in common, as they’re both playful young boys that befriend lovable bears. So it only makes sense that Reitherman would bring both characters to life. It also probably isn’t a coincidence that his father, animator Wolfgang Reitherman, directed these two productions. As Bruce grew up, he pretty much walked away from acting. However, he’s remained close to the movie industry, working as a writer, producer, director, and cameraman. That’s more than the bare necessities.

Aside from being the first person to head up Disney’s sound effects department, James MacDonald was also the original voice of Chip and would lend his voice to numerous other Disney productions. Highlights include playing the hyena in “Bedknobs and Broomsticks,” the Wolf in “The Sword in the Stone,” and the Dormouse in “Alice in Wonderland.” In “Cinderella,” MacDonald had the distinction of voicing three characters: Jaq, Gus, and Bruno the Dog. When Walt Disneywas no longer able to voice Mickey Mouse himself, MacDonald took over the iconic role and would voice Mickey for almost three decades. This, more than any other role, solidified his place as a Disney Legend.

Bringing a socialite charm to her characters that made them practically jump off the screen, Eva Gabor possessed one of the classiest voices you’ll ever hear. This made her the perfect fit for two of Disney’s most sophisticated characters. In “The Aristocats,” she provided the voice of Duchess, an upscale feline with three adorable kittens. Although Duchess is a pampered house pet, Gabor injected the character with spunk, energy, and liveliness. She would do the same as Miss Bianca in “The Rescuers,” playing an elegant yet adventurous mouse. Over a decade later, Gabor voiced Miss Bianca once again in “The Rescuers Down Under,” marking her final film role.

Although Barbara Luddy got her start in silent movies, she was born to do voiceover work. Her warm, caring voice was the ideal match for the titular cocker spaniel in “Lady and the Tramp.” Luddy also voiced one of Pongo and Perdita's many puppies in “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” and brought a loving sentiment to the voice of Kanga in “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.” The same can be said about her work in “Robin Hood,” where she voiced Mother Rabbit and Mother Sexton. While she was best known for portraying soft-spoken characters, Luddy could also be quite plucky and high-spirited, as demonstrated through her performance as Merryweather in “Sleeping Beauty.”

The titular character of “Alice in Wonderland” and Wendy Darling from “Peter Pan” are a lot alike in many respects. Both are ordinary young girls that are suddenly thrust into extraordinary worlds. Although they never know what’s waiting around the corner, Alice and Wendy always maintain a down-to-earth outlook. What’s more, they both just so happen to share Kathryn Beaumont’s voice. This English actress brought a prim, proper demeanor to these strong-willed ladies, making them incredibly likeable and relatable. Beaumont reprised these roles several times over the years, but as of 2005, she has officially passed on the torch to Princess Bubblegum herself, Hynden Walch.

While one has dark magic on her side while the other has no supernatural powers whatsoever, “Sleeping Beauty”'s Maleficent and “Cinderella”'s Lady Tremaine have more in common than just ruthlessly making life miserable for young heroines. Eleanor Audley couldn’t have been more chillingly effective as these two dastardly characters. As the Evil Stepmother, Audley played the role with haunting subtlety. As the Mistress of All Evil, she flawlessly shifted from being quite and calm to loud and bombastic. Audley’s unique voice could send a shiver up anyone’s spine, which was proven when she was chosen to voice Madame Leota in the “Haunted Mansion” park's ride.

This enormously talented performer has one of the most extensive voice acting résumés on our countdown. Thompson took part in numerous Disney shorts, voicing Professor Owl and Scrooge McDuck and was also a frequent player in Disney’s animated features, playing both the White Rabbit and Dodo in “Alice in Wonderland.” He would also leave his mark as Mr. Smee in “Peter Pan,” King Hubert in “Sleeping Beauty,” and at least five characters in “Lady and the Tramp.” Thompson’s performance as Uncle Waldo from “The Aristocats” was his final film role before his death in 1971. He left behind a rich legacy, which earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for radio and voiceover work.

The best word to describe Phil Harris’ voice is “laidback.” A comedian and jazz musician, Harris’ deep voice made audiences want to kick back and relax and made him a natural choice to voice Baloo in “The Jungle Book.” Harris hit just the right note as this sloth bear, being carefree while also being protective of young Mowgli. Harris played a similar father figure in “The Aristocats,” making Thomas O'Malley sound like the coolest cat around. Harris went on to voice another bear as Little John in “Robin Hood.” Granted, we’re not sure why a Nottingham native would have an American accent, but then again, animals can’t talk. Semantics aside, Harris’ voice was a proven welcomed addition to any Disney production.

This actress landed her first Disney gig in 1941 when she voiced Mrs. Jumbo and the Elephant Matriarch in “Dumbo.” Ironically, Felton's final role would be another cartoon pachyderm- Winifred the Elephant in “The Jungle Book.” In between, Felton voiced some of the House of Mouse’s most magical characters from the Fairy Godfather in “Cinderella” to Flora the Good Fairy in “Sleeping Beauty.” Although her voice could be very motherly and nurturing, Felton could also be intimidating and antagonistic, downright villainous as the Queen of Heart's in “Alice in Wonderland” or wonderfully stuck-up as with the cat-loving Aunt Sarah in “Lady and the Tramp.” This actress’ range truly knew no bounds.

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Madam Mim, Old Lady Squirrel, Nanny, Queenie, Lucy
Voiced By: Martha Wentworth


Billy Boss, Captain, Various in “Dumbo,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Peter Pan,” “Lady and the Tramp,” etc.
Voiced By: Thurl Ravenscroft


Napoleon, Sheriff of Nottingham, Chief, Luke, Possum Park Emcee
Voiced By: Pat Buttram

If you’ve been obsessed with Disney since childhood, you’ve definitely heard this man’s distinctive tenor voice pop-up on multiple occasions. Back when the studio was primarily doing anthology films, he served as a narrator in “The Three Caballeros” and “Make Mine Music.” Sterling Holloway kicked off his voice-acting career as Mr. Stork in “Dumbo” and as Flower in “Bambi” and would voice many other classic Disney characters, including the Cheshire Cat, Kaa the Snake, and Roquefort the mouse. Of course, Holloway will forever be associated with Winnie the Pooh, giving the bear of very little brain the most gentle and pleasant voice imaginable. Above all else, Holloway stands out as the first person to achieve Disney Legend status for voiceover work.