10 Best Recurring Disney Voice Actors, Ranked

For the last century, Disney has been the most recognizable animation company in the world. Their work in shorts and feature films consistently pushes the limits of what animation can achieve, paving the way for the diverse landscape of animated films available today. Naturally, they have also produced a massive catalog of iconic animated characters along the way.

To bring these characters to life, Disney has worked with many talented voice actors. The animation giant regularly opts to bring their favorites back to voice multiple new characters or inherit existing roles, resulting in some familiar names and voices appearing in the archive. Though many of these actors have passed on, their voice work, paired with the ability to stream dozens of titles on Disney+, ensures that their talent will be discovered and appreciated by new generations of Disney fans for years to come.

10 Alan Tudyk

Years in the Industry: 1997– Present

After studying drama at Lon Morris Jr. College and Juilliard, Alan Tudyk crafted a prolific career for himself in film, television, and on Broadway. His most famous role is Wash, a character from the cult-hit series Firefly. Over the last few decades, Tudyk has also been building a repertoire as a voice actor, with many of his credits coming from Disney.

Tudyk has had at least one role in every major Disney product since 2012. Notable film roles include K-2SO from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the Duke of Weselton in Frozen, King Candy in Wreck-It Ralph, and even making convincing animal sounds for Heihie the Rooster in Moana. On television, he plays two major characters in Star vs. The Forces of Evil: the recurring villain Ludo and the noble but energetic King River Butterfly. Thanks to his range, Tudyk has been recognized with numerous voice acting award nominations and wins, like the 2012 Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Feature Production for King Candy.

9 April Winchell

Years in the Industry: 1972 – Present

April Winchell, the daughter of the equally great ventriloquist, actor, and original voice of Tigger, Paul Winchell, has made a very successful career for herself. Her voice work can be heard in radio broadcasts, commentary, and a large plethora of television shows. The vast majority of these are produced by Disney and include a few nostalgic afternoon cartoon series.

Most of Winchell’s roles are as supporting and background characters, but she’s also appeared in more prominent, memorable roles. The best examples include the elder and deep-voiced Miss Finster from Recess, and the more aloof but well-meaning Clarabelle Cow, one of Disney’s oldest characters that she inherited in 1993. Other recognizable roles include Peg Pete from Gooftroops, Sylvia from Wander Over Yonder, and Cruella De Vil in 101 Dalmatians: The Series.

8 John Ratzenberger

Years in the Industry: 1973 – Present

When his family moved to London, John Ratzenberger studied acting and writing, which he took with him to America in the 1980s. For 11 years, he played mail carrier Cliff Clavin in the comedy series Cheers. In addition to Cheers, Ratzenberger has appeared in numerous films and shows, mostly as cameos or single-episode guest stars.

From 1995 to 2020, Ratzenberger appeared in every film released by Pixar, which was acquired by Disney in 2005. Some of the most notable characters are Hamm from Toy Story, Mack from Cars, and P.T. Flea from A Bug’s Life. There was talk of a cameo in 2021’s Soul, but this turned out to be a nonspeaking character for Ratzenberger, Pixar opting for a nod to his likeness instead. Though he no longer appears in every feature, Ratzenberger voiced Bernard in the Disney+ series Monsters at Work.

7 Billy Bletcher

Years in the Industry: 1914 – 1971

William “Billy” Bletcher was a widely respected voice actor during the early years of Disney animation. His deep, menacing voice made him a natural choice for antagonists like Spike the Bulldog in Tom and Jerry and various characters in early Loony Tunes shorts. He even provided a few voices for the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz alongside fellow Disney voice actor Pinto Colvig.

Bletcher was one of Disney’s oldest voice actors and is best known as the original voice of Pete in the Mickey Mouse cartoons. Other villains he voiced during these early shorts include the Prosecutor Cat in “Pluto’s Judgement Day,” the Big Bad Wolf in “The Three Little Pigs,” and the titular character in “The Mad Doctor.” In films, he is best remembered for providing the menacing laughter for one of Disney’s scariest villains, Headless Horseman in The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.

6 Pinto Colvig

Years in the Industry 1913 – 1967

From an early age, Vance DeBar Colvig, nicknamed “Pinto” for his freckles, loved to make people laugh. He started off by practicing sound effects and funny faces before performing in vaudeville and circuses, and in the 1940s, became the first actor to portray Bozo the Clown. He even dabbled in illustrations, making newspaper cartoons and operating his own animation studio, which closed down due to World War I.

Colvig joined Disney in the 1930s and provided the original voice for both Pluto and Goofy until he died in 1967, with a small break in the late 30s, where he worked at Fleischer Studios before coming back. Of the two, Colvig said that Goofy was his favorite, calling him the “epitome of all the hicks in the world.” His other notable characters include Practical Pig in “The Three Little Pigs,” Grumpy and Sleepy in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and the beloved wartime-era character, the Aracuan Bird from The Three Caballeros.

5 Clarence Nash

Years in the Industry: 1928 – 1985

While growing up on a farm in Watonga, Oklahoma, Clarence Nash developed a skill for imitating animal sounds. When he moved to Los Angeles, this helped him get work as the voice of animals in radio shows. From there, he auditioned to appear in some of Disney’s talking animal cartoons, and the rest is history.

Nash’s greatest contribution to Disney is as the original voice of Donald Duck, who first appeared in one of the Silly Symphony cartoons, “The Little Red Hen,” as well as Donald’s nephews (Huey, Dewey, and Louey) and girlfriend, Daisy. He voiced these characters for over fifty years before teaching the secret of Donald’s iconic quack-like voice to his successor, Tony Anselmo. Nash has also provided animal sound effects for a plethora of Disney productions, from shorts such as “The Old Mill” to movies like Pinocchio and Alice in Wonderland.

4 Corey Burton

Years in the Industry: 1972 – Present

Voice acting since the age of 17, Corey Burton began his long and prestigious career with Disney by mimicking Hans Conried’s performance as Captain Hook from Peter Pan. Since then, he has appeared in numerous popular franchises, like DC Comics and Star Wars, as well as voicing multiple video game characters. He also studied under prestigious voice actors like Paul Freese and Daws Butler​​​​​.

Burton’s work with Disney is massive: along with Captain Hook, some of his other notable roles are Ludwig von Drake, Dale, and the wizard Yen Sid. Since Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, Burton has also portrayed the fan-favorite bounty hunter, Cad Bane, in Star Wars: The Bad Batch and The Book of Boba Fett, dubbing over Dorian Kingi. Burton also dubbed over the voice of Deems Taylor in Fantasia’s re-releases due to most of the original audio having been lost.

3 Sterling Holloway

Years in the Industry: 1926 – 1986

Throughout the early 20th century, Sterling Holloway was a prolific actor in the budding days of Hollywood. With his distinctly soft, friendly voice, Holloway found success as a bit actor in movies and easily transitioned to television and radio shows. He is most widely remembered for his iconic work at Disney, which began with the Stork from Dumbo.

Hollow has voiced many of Disney’s most recognizable film characters, such as the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, Kaa from The Jungle Book, and Pooh in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. He also frequently acted as a narrator for Disney shorts and in films like The Three Caballeros and Make Mine Music. Because of his many contributions, he became Disney’s first voice actor to become a Disney Legend in 1991.

2 Russi Taylor

Years in the Industry: 1976 – 2019

Beginning her career in the 1970s with shows like Strawberry Shortcake, Russi Taylor grew in prominence through the 80s and 90s. She appeared in numerous Saturday Morning Cartoons, from My Little Pony to Muppet Babies, and voiced numerous characters on The Simpsons, such as Martin Prince. With her sweet, innocent, and friendly voice, Taylor became one of the most beloved female voice actors.

In 1986, she took over voicing Minnie Mouse until she died in 2019, making her the longest-running actress to play the iconic character. Her husband, Wayne Alwin, voiced Mickey from 1978 to 2009, making him the longest-running actor to play Mickey. Their off-screen relationship made the onscreen romantic scenes all the more believable. Besides Minnie, Taylor inherited the Fairy Godmother from voice actress Verna Felton, Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby Vanderquack from DuckTales, as well as Winnifred the Wise from Sofia the First.

1 Jim Cummings

Years in the Industry: 1984 – Present

In his early life, Jim Cummings worked numerous jobs, from building Mardi Gras floats to managing a video store. In the 1980s, Cummings began working as a voice actor, becoming highly recognizable through the 90s and early 2000s. Today, he is one of the most widely-respected voice actors in the industry, with nearly four hundred credits to his name.

A good bulk of Cummings’ work comes from Disney shows and movies. Many of his roles were inherited, with the most notable examples being Pete, Winnie the Pooh, and Tigger. Cumming’s portrayal of these characters is perfect, especially Pooh, whom he gives a beautiful mix of child-like innocence and a hint of wisdom. Among his original characters are the titular character from Darkwing Duck, Fat Cat from Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, and Ray the Firefly from The Princess and the Frog.

NEXT: The 12 Best Voice Actors in Classic Animated Disney Movies