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Wayne Allwine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wayne Allwine
Allwine in 1998
Born
Wayne Anthony Allwine

(1947-02-07)February 7, 1947
DiedMay 18, 2009(2009-05-18) (aged 62)
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park
Occupations
  • Voice actor
  • sound effects editor
  • Foley artist
Years active1966–2009
Spouse
(m. 1991)
Children4

Wayne Anthony Allwine (February 7, 1947 – May 18, 2009)[1] was an American voice actor, sound editor and Foley artist. He was best remembered as the third official voice of Mickey Mouse in English (following Walt Disney and Jimmy MacDonald) and the first official casting following the establishment of Disney Character Voices International in 1988.[2][3] To date, he holds the record for the longest-running voice actor to play Mickey Mouse, having performed the role for 32 years. He was notably married to Russi Taylor, who voiced Minnie Mouse.[2][3]

Early life

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Allwine was born in Glendale, California, on February 7, 1947, to Wayne Harry Allwine (1914-1977) and Mariruth Bandle (1913-2004).[2] He is a graduate of John Burroughs High School, where he was particularly active in the school's musical theater department.[2] Prior to his birth, his father traveled the country as a barbershop quartet singer.[2]

While in high school, he formed his own acoustic music group, The International Singers, which performed in clubs and colleges throughout the state.[2] After graduating, he briefly toured with the instrumental rock band Davie Allan & the Arrows. In addition to playing rhythm guitar, he can also be heard on harmonica and sax mouthpiece on the 1968 track "Cycle-Delic".[4] He later became an accomplished Dixieland jazz drummer, occasionally sitting in with Firehouse Five Plus Two alumni George Probert's Monrovia Old Style Jazz Band.[5]


Career

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Allwine's career with Disney began in 1966, when at age 19, he took a job in the mailing room at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. After a brief stint at Western Costume, he returned to Disney to accept a position in Audio Post Production apprenticing under the studio's original head of sound effects, Jimmy MacDonald.[2]

After working in the sound effects department for seven years, Allwine got a call from Disney that an open audition was taking place for the role of Mickey Mouse in late 1976. After a previous actor failed to show up,[2] Allwine tried out for the role, and ultimately won the part. He became the third official voice of Mickey Mouse in 1977.[3][2] He replaced his sound effects mentor, Jimmy MacDonald, who in 1947 had taken over from Walt Disney himself. Disney had performed the role since 1928 as well as supplying Mickey's voice for animated portions of the original The Mickey Mouse Club television show (ABC-TV, 1955–1959).[3]

Television audiences first heard Allwine's Mickey during the animated lead-ins for The New Mickey Mouse Club in 1977.[2] He made his theatrical debut in the 1982 re-release of the film Fantasia, for which he re-dubbed Mickey's voice in the famous handshake scene with conductor Leopold Stokowski. His breakout role came the following year, in the 1983 featurette Mickey's Christmas Carol.[2] In addition to playing the title character, he also voiced a Santa Claus on the street appealing for charity donations at the start of the movie, Moley (who appears with Ratty) "collecting for the poor", and one of the two weasel undertakers in the Christmas future scene.

Further vocal performances include background characters in The Black Cauldron (1985), The Great Mouse Detective (1986), and Ludwig Von Drake in the Disney Channel TV special Ludwig's Think Tank (1985). His most acclaimed Mickey Mouse roles include a cameo in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), short films The Prince and the Pauper (1990) and Runaway Brain (1995), and the direct-to-video feature Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004). Notable television series include Mickey Mouse Works (1999–2000), House of Mouse (2001–2003) and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (2006–2012).[2] He also provided Mickey's voice in the popular Kingdom Hearts series of video games prior to Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, which was done in collaboration with Japanese video game company Square Enix. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, which was the last game that used his voice (mainly with Mickey as a playable character in Mission Mode), would leave a message in his memory as the game was released in North America several months after his death.

In addition to his voice work, Allwine had a dual career as a sound effects editor and Foley artist for Walt Disney Productions and its affiliate studios, receiving Sound Department recognition in films like The Black Hole (1979), Frankenweenie (1984), and Three Men and a Baby (1987). He also received sound editor credit in the movies Innerspace (1987), Alien Nation (1988) and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) for studios outside Disney. In 1986, he was awarded a group Primetime Emmy Award for his sound editing contributions to a World War II-focused episode of the Steven Spielberg anthology television series Amazing Stories (1985). The same project earned him his first Golden Reel Award from the Motion Picture Sound Editors society. He received his second for sound editing on The Great Mouse Detective (1986).

Personal life

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In 1991, he married Russi Taylor, who voiced Minnie Mouse from 1986 until her death in 2019. Both were named Disney Legends in 2008; they remained married until his death the following year.[3][2][6] Allwine fathered three biological children and one adopted child from previous marriages.[2][3]

Death

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Allwine died of hypertensive crisis caused by complications from acute diabetes at the age of 62 on May 18, 2009, at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. His prospective understudy, Bret Iwan, assumed the role of voicing Mickey Mouse.[2][7][8] Allwine is now interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.[2]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1982 Fantasia (1982 reissue) Mickey Mouse Handshake scene with Leopold Stokowski
1983 Mickey's Christmas Carol Mickey Mouse/Weasel Gravedigger/Beggar Dog/Moley Short film
1985 The Black Cauldron Henchman [9]
1986 The Great Mouse Detective Thug Guard #2 [9]
1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit Mickey Mouse [9]
1990 The Prince and the Pauper[9] Mickey Mouse/Prince Mouse Short film
1995 A Goofy Movie Mickey Mouse Cameo[9]
Runaway Brain Short film
1998 The Spirit of Mickey Direct-to-video
1999 Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas Direct-to-video[9]
Fantasia 2000 Segment: "Pomp and Circumstance"
2001 Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse Direct-to-video
2002 Mickey's House of Villains
2004 Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers Direct-to-video[9]
Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas
2007 Mickey's Great Clubhouse Hunt Special
2009 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Choo Choo Express Special; posthumous release, "In Loving Memory of" dedication
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Adventures in Wonderland Special; posthumous release
2010 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Road Rally Television film; posthumous release
2011 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Space Adventure Final television film; posthumous release

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1977–1979 The New Mickey Mouse Club Mickey Mouse 11 episodes
1983 Mousercise
1985 Ludwig's Think Tank Ludwig Von Drake Television special[9]
1987 D-TV Doggone Valentine Mickey Mouse Television film
D-TV Monster Hits
1988 Totally Minnie
Mickey's 60th Birthday
Here's to you, Mickey Mouse Television film
1989 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color 2 episodes
1990 The Muppets at Walt Disney World Television film
Disney Sing-Along Songs: Disneyland Fun Direct-to-video
1992 Mickey's Nutcracker Uncredited
Television special
1993 Bonkers Episode: "I Oughta Be in Toons"
1994–1995 Mickey's Fun Songs series
1995 Mickey: Reelin' Through the Years Television film
1999–2000 Mickey Mouse Works 30 episodes
2001–2003 House of Mouse 52 episodes
2006–2012 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 99 episodes, final television series

Video games

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Year Title Role Notes
1998 My Disney Kitchen Mickey Mouse
2000 Mickey's Speedway USA
Mickey Mouse Preschool [9]
Mickey Mouse Kindergarten [9]
Mickey Mouse Toddler [9]
2001 Disney Learning: Phonics Quest
2002 Disney Learning Adventure: Search for the Secret Keys
Kingdom Hearts
Disney's Magical Mirror Starring Mickey Mouse [9]
Disney Golf
Disney Sports Soccer
Disney Sports Skateboarding
Disney Sports Football
Disney Sports Basketball
2003 Disney's Party
Disney's Hide and Sneak
Toontown Online
2006 Kingdom Hearts II
2008 Disney Think Fast
Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories
2009 Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
2013 Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix (Kingdom Hearts Final Mix and RE:CoM)
2014 Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix (Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix)
2017 Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix (Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, RE:CoM and Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix)

Theme parks

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Year Title Role
1991 Muppet*Vision 3D Waldo C. Graphic posing as Mickey Mouse
1992 Fantasmic! Mickey Mouse
2003 Mickey's PhilharMagic

Crew work

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Year Title Position Notes
1977 A Christmas Carol Sound effects editor
1979 The Black Hole
1981 The Fox and the Hound Uncredited
1983 Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore Uncredited
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Mickey's Christmas Carol Uncredited
1984 Country
Frankenweenie Foley artist
1985 Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend
The Black Cauldron Sound editor
My Science Project
Amazing Stories 1 episode
1986 Psycho III
The Great Mouse Detective
1987 Innerspace
3 Men and a Baby
1988 Alien Nation
The Good Mother
1989 Three Fugitives
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Awards and recognitions

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Awards and recognitions
Year Award Category Title Result
1985 Golden Reel Award (Motion Picture Sound Editors) Best Sound Editing – Television Pilots and Specials Amazing Stories; Season 1, Episode 5: "The Mission" Won
1986 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Won
1987 Golden Reel Award (Motion Picture Sound Editors) Best Sound Editing – Animated Feature The Great Mouse Detective Won
2003 Disneyana Fan Club Disney Legend Award Won
2008 Disney Legend Award Animation - Voice Won

References

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  1. ^ "Disney Legends – D23". Legends.disney.go.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p McLellan, Dennis (May 21, 2009). "Wayne Allwine, Voice of Mickey Mouse, Dies at 62". Los Angeles Times (Obituary). Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Wayne Allwine, Mickey's Voice, Dies at 62". New York Times. May 20, 2009. Archived from the original on July 28, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  4. ^ "Davie Allan Interview". June 22, 2011.
  5. ^ "Firehouse Five Plus Two". rbistudio.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  6. ^ Hagen, Sheila (May 22, 2009). "Remembering Wayne Allwine, the Official Voice of Mickey Mouse". Mouseplanet.com. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  7. ^ "Voice of Mickey Mouse Dies". Abc.net.au. May 21, 2009. Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  8. ^ Hickerson, Mike (May 21, 2009). "Remembering Wayne Allwine". Slice of SciFi. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Wayne Allwine (73 Character Images)". Behind the Voice Actors. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
[edit]
Preceded by Voice of Mickey Mouse
1977–2009
Succeeded by