Russi Taylor (May 4, 1944 – July 26, 2019) was an American voice actress. She was best remembered for voicing the character of

Minnie Mouse Minerva "Minnie" Mouse is an American cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. The longtime sweetheart of Mickey Mouse, she is an anthropomorphic mouse with white gloves, a red or pink bow, blue (or pink or red) polka-dotted dress, w ...

in English from 1986 to 2019, and was married to voice actor

Wayne Allwine Wayne Anthony Allwine (February 7, 1947 – May 18, 2009) was an American voice actor, sound effects editor and Foley (filmmaking), foley artist. He was best remembered as the third official voice of Mickey Mouse in English language, English (fo ...

, the voice of

Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white ...

, until his death on May 18, 2009. She was the longest-tenured voice actress to voice the character, having held the role for 33 years. She also provided the voices of several characters in ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...

''.

Early life

Taylor was born in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

, on May 4, 1944.

Career

Taylor began her voice-over career in the mid-1970s. Her first voice-over role was the voice of Ted and Georgette's baby on ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from September 19, 1970 ...

''. Taylor became the voice of Minnie Mouse in 1986, and continued to voice the character for 33 years until her death in 2019. Russi Taylor was 75 years old. She also voiced

Huey, Dewey, and Louie Huey, Dewey, and Louie are Multiple birth, triplet cartoon characters created by storyboard artist and screenwriter Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company from an idea proposed by cartoonist Al Taliaferro. They are the nephews of Donald Duck an ...

and Webby Vanderquack in the television series ''

DuckTales DuckTales refers to: Film and television * ''DuckTales'' (1987 TV series), original TV series ** '' DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp'' * ''DuckTales'' (2017 TV series), reboot TV series Video games * ''DuckTales'' (video game) ...

'' and in other appearances. Taylor provided the voices of numerous characters in the animated series ''

'', including fourth-grade nerd Martin Prince, purple-haired twins Sherri and Terri and German exchange student Üter. After her death, ''The Simpsons'' producers cast

Grey DeLisle Grey DeLisle (; born Erin Grey Van Oosbree; August 24, 1973), sometimes credited as Grey Griffin, is an American voice actress and singer-songwriter. DeLisle is known for various roles in animated productions and video games. On September 27, ...

as her characters. She voiced Pebbles Flintstone in ''

The Flintstone Comedy Show ''The Flintstone Comedy Show'' is an American Saturday-morning cartoon, animated television series revival and spin-off (media), spin-off of ''The Flintstones'' produced by Hanna-Barbera that aired on NBC from November 22, 1980, to October 24, ...

'' for

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...

in 1980. Taylor was also the original voice of

Strawberry Shortcake Strawberry shortcake may refer to: * Strawberry shortcake (dessert), a shortcake served with strawberries * Strawberry Shortcake, a cartoon character and franchise created by American Greetings ** Strawberry Shortcake (TV series), ''Strawberry Sho ...

and the voice of Baby Gonzo in '' Muppet Babies'', Nova in '' Twinkle, the Dream Being'', Pac-Baby in the television series ''

Pac-Man ''Pac-Man,'' originally called in Japan, is a 1980 maze video game developed and published by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. The pla ...

'', the high-pitched Nurses that were mice in '' The Rescuers Down Under'', Melissa in the Pound Puppies episode ''Garbage Night: The Musical'', Queen Rosedust in ''

My Little Pony ''My Little Pony'' (''MLP'') is a toy line and media franchise developed by American toy company Hasbro. The first toys were developed by Bonnie Zacherle, Charles Muenchinger, and Steve D'Aguanno, and were produced in 1981. The ponies feature ...

'' and Birdie the Early Bird in McDonaldland commercials. She was also the voice of Drizella and the Fairy Godmother in the

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

sequels, '' Cinderella II: Dreams Come True'' and '' Cinderella III: A Twist in Time''.

Personal life

Taylor was married to

, the third voice of

, from 1991 up until his death in 2009. In 2008, a year before Allwine's death, they were both named

Disney Legends Disney Legends is a Hall of Fame award that is awarded by The Walt Disney Company to individuals who "

ave is a Latin word, used by the Roman Empire, Romans as a salutation (greeting), salutation and greeting, meaning 'wikt:hail, hail'. It is the singular imperative mood, imperative form of the verb , which meant 'Well-being, to be well'; thus on ...

made a significant impact on the Disney legacy." The honor was established in 1987, and was traditionally awarded annually during a spe ...

Death

Taylor died from

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel ...

on July 26, 2019, at her home in Glendale, California, at the age of 75. She is now interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park next to Allwine's grave.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Theme park attractions

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Russi 1944 births 2019 deaths Actresses from Cambridge, Massachusetts American radio actresses American video game actresses Audiobook narrators Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Deaths from colorectal cancer in California Disney Legends Hanna-Barbera people 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses American voice actresses