Top 10 Stories Behind Hollywood's Greatest Animal Stars

If you found a scruffy stray Golden Retriever, would you train him to play sports like hockey, soccer, baseball, football and basketball? Well, that’s what happened to Buddy after he was picked up in the Sierra Nevada in 1989. Pretty soon, Buddy was showing off his athleticism on shows like “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and “Late Night with David Letterman,” and even during halftime at a Laker game - where he played better than a few of the actual NBA players. He was eventually hailed as “the Michael Jordan of dogs,” so it was appropriate, then, that Buddy was cast as Air Bud in the 1997 Disney film of the same name. Sadly, Buddy didn’t live to make another film, passing away from cancer at age 9 in 1998. But his legacy lived on through the long-running franchise, with “Air Bud: Golden Receiver” dedicated to his memory.

Warner Bros. may not exist today were it not for this German Shepherd. And what an amazing story it is: rescued from a bombed out French village during WWI by U.S. soldier Lee Duncan, Rin Tin Tin was taken back to the States and taught some tricks. Duncan became convinced his dog could be a movie star, and sure enough by 1923 Rin Tin Tin had a starring role in “Where the North Begins” - a movie many believe helped Warner Bros. avoid bankruptcy. Pretty soon, the pooch was a screen legend, with endorsement deals and even the key to New York City. A popular urban legend suggest that Rin Tin Tin actually won the first ever Best Actor Oscar in 1929, but the Academy preferred the award go to a human actor, so they everyone vote again. Whether that’s true or not, Rin Tin Tin made his mark (or his bark?) on movie history.

Despite the fact that David Schwimmer has continued to bad-mouthed her since they worked together in the ‘90s, Katie the Monkey is an icon. Her screen debut was as Ross’ pet capuchin Marcel on “Friends.” But Katie is no one-trick monkey; like her character on the show, she is a star, also appearing on “Sam & Cat,” “Y: The Last Man” and “30 Rock,” and in the movie “Outbreak.” But Marcel is probably Katie’s most famous role, and sadly even as recently as the “Friends” reunion in 2021, Schwimmer was complaining that Katie messed up takes. However, Katie’s trainer Mike Morris posited in an interview with the UK tabloid The Sun that the real emotion Schwimmer was feeling was jealousy, since Katie often got more laughs than him. Maybe that’s why she’s still got a thriving career in Hollywood all these years later.

Pal the Dog lived a nice, long life – nearly twenty years, in fact. Moreover, this beautiful Rough Collie is known for being the first canine to portray the hugely popular “Lassie” on screen. It didn’t matter that Pal was playing against type, as a female dog on screen, because his calm demeanor and on-screen presence made him a living legend. His work with the “Lassie” franchise spanned both films and television, but it didn’t end there! He also sired a litter of pups that would continue his legacy. Yup, Pal’s brood of puppies would also go on to play Lassie, long after the OG actor put his scene-stealing skills to bed.

There have been many iconic pup performances brought to both the silver and small screens over the years. “Lassie” was, of course, a big one, but perhaps equal to that classic canine character is one who’s just a little smaller: Benji. This cute, mixed-breed pup has been played by a number of dogs over the years, and even had an inner monologue voiced by none other than Chevy Chase for the 1980 film “Oh! Heavenly Dog.” Higgins, the dog actor, is probably best known for playing the first iteration of Benji. He was trained by Frank Inn, and did tons of T.V. before taking on the role of “Benji” thanks to an incredibly expressive and smooch-able face.

Make no mistake, getting a horse to talk was no easy feat back in the day. Granted, today’s technological advances have made it easy for Hollywood to demonstrate animals doing…well, just about anything, really. However, the glory days of the television series “Mister Ed” meant that animal trainers had to get inventive when dreaming up ways to get a particular equine actor, named Bamboo Harvester, to look like he was ready to chat. They initially used nylon thread in order to give the illusion of speech, though Harvester would eventually learn to move his mouth without it. Oh, and the rumor that crews used peanut butter to make Ed talk? Completely made up.

There are many elements that make “The Wizard of Oz” an absolute classic in cinema history. One small part of that success is Dorothy’s little dog, Toto, played by a Cairn Terrier named Terry. Terry had appeared in a couple of features prior to “Oz,” but it was the pup’s experience on this latter film that made her a star. Incidentally, because of a horrible accident on set, she was almost left us far too soon. An extra accidentally stepped on Terry, causing the dog injuries that required over two weeks of R & R. Thankfully, Terry was able make it out the other side and enjoyed her “Wizard of Oz” success for another six years.

Unfortunately, not every animal story on this list has a happy ending. Keiko was the name of a male orca who was best known for playing the title character in “Free Willy.” The movie was a huge hit, and helped endear Keiko to both kids and parents alike. The killer whale didn’t get to appear in much else after “Free Willy,” however, as The International Marine Mammal Project and Warner Bros. tried to release him back into the ocean. Keiko had been living unhappily in Marineland, and he was actually the first captive orca to be returned back into the wild. Unfortunately, Keiko succumbed to what was thought to be pneumonia not long after acquiring his freedom.

Chances are if you saw a Jack Russell Terrier onscreen in the ‘90s, it was one of these two. But, maybe their most famous role was as Eddie Crane on “Frasier.” Moose was Enzo’s father, and he originated the part when the show debuted in 1993, with the pair eventually sharing screentime in later seasons. What’s more, Enzo and Moose appeared together in the feature “My Dog Skip,” each playing the title character at different points in his life. Sadly, despite being family, the father-son duo were not particularly fond of each other, with trainer Mathilde de Cagny saying that they “could not stand to be in the same room together.” Even so, they both lived out their retirements together with de Cagny and Jill; the dog from “As Good As It Gets.”

Before we unveil our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions:

Cat Scratch Fever
Bond Villain Blofeld’s Cat Reportedly Scratched Actor Donald Pleasance While Filming

Bart the Bear I & II (No Relation)
Among Their Many Roles, I Starred in “The Bear” & II Appeared on “Game of Thrones”

Spike, the Lop-Eared Mastador [aka Old Yeller]
This Dog’s Most Famous Appearance Made EVERYONE Cry

J. Fred Muggs
This Chimp Was Once the Mascot of the “Today” Show, & Even Had His Own Show!

Golden Cloud [aka Trigger]
Roy Rogers’ Trusty Steed Was a Bonafide Movie Star

Making his screen debut in 1938’s “You Can’t Take It with You,” this avian actor has a more impressive resume than most human thespians. For example, you may remember him as Uncle Billy’s fine feathered friend in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” or as the crow that - ironically - perches on the Scarecrow’s shoulder in “The Wizard of Oz.” A particular favorite of director Frank Capra, Jimmy was ultimately onscreen in over 1,000 features between the ‘30s and ‘50s, and was labeled by his costar Jimmy Stewart as “the smartest actor on the set.” According to the animal trainer who worked with Jimmy, Curly Twiford, the bird could recognize words, type, open letters and even ride a teeny motorcycle. For his efforts keeping veterans’ spirits up following WWII, Jimmy the Raven earned a Red Cross Gold Medal. What a bird.