Our 11 Favourite Disney Voice Actors of All Time

Our favourite animated movies wouldn’t be our favourites without great voices bringing the characters we love to life. Tom Hanks (aka Sheriff Woody), James Earl Jones (Mufasa), and Robin Williams (the Genie — duh!) delivered some of the most cherished performances of all time, and some actors provided so many terrific Disney voices, we can […]

Our favourite animated movies wouldn’t be our favourites without great voices bringing the characters we love to life.
Tom Hanks (aka Sheriff Woody), James Earl Jones (Mufasa), and Robin Williams (the Genie — duh!) delivered some of the most cherished performances of all time, and some actors provided so many terrific Disney voices, we can barely keep track!

George Sanders as Shere Khan in ‘The Jungle Book’ (1967)
The superbly rich, deep baritone of this British actor, best known for his Oscar-winning role as a cynical theatre critic in “All About Eve,” was perfect for the vain tiger Shere Khan, who vows to destroy man cub Mowgli in “The Jungle Book”.

Eleanor Audley as Maleficent In ‘Sleeping Beauty’ (1959)
Audley’s unmistakably regal voice made Maleficent one of Disney’s most memorable villains. She also voiced Lady Tremaine, the wicked stepmother in “Cinderella” (1950). Visitors to The Haunted Mansion will also recognize her as the voice of Madame Leota, the psychic in the crystal ball.

Phil Harris as Baloo in ‘The Jungle Book’ (1967)
Who can forget the fun-loving characters Baloo the Bear from “The Jungle Book” and Thomas O’Malley the alley cat from “The Aristocats?” These fine fellows were both voiced by singer Phil Harris, who sang the swinging “Bare Necessities” and “Everybody Wants To Be a Cat.” He also provided the voice for Little John in “Robin Hood.”

Sterling Holloway as Winnie the Pooh
The quizzical, soft-spoken voice of Sterling Holloway was perfect for gentle Winnie the Pooh, but Holloway also voiced a number of other memorable characters, including Kaa the snake in “The Jungle Book,” the Cheshire Cat in “Alice in Wonderland” and Mr. Stork in “Dumbo.”

Thurl Ravenscroft in Various Roles
Disney die-hards are well-acquainted with the delightfully resonant baritone of Mr. Ravenscroft (best known as the singer of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”). Besides singing several Disney classics, he provided the voice for Black Bart in “The Sword and the Stone” and Captain the horse in “101 Dalmatians.”

Robin Williams as The Genie In ‘Aladdin’ (1992)
Only the late Oscar-winner could have voiced the ever-changing, hilarious Genie from “Aladdin.” Williams’ larger-than-life energy helped make this one of our favourite Disney films ever.

Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (1991)
In “Beauty and the Beast”, Lansbury’s slightly fussy bit of china is just what a poor girl needs in a big empty mansion with a scary Beast. And Lansbury’s rendition of the title song melts our heart every time.

James Earl Jones as Mufasa in ‘The Lion King’ (1995)
James Earl Jones’ booming voice is one of the most commanding, majestic voices of all time, so he was the perfect choice to play Mufasa, the king of the jungle who’s a very hard act to follow for young Simba.

Tim Allen & Tom Hanks as Buzz and Woody in ‘Toy Story’ (1995)
We love us some Buzz Lightyear and Sheriff Woody, and they wouldn’t be nearly as lovable or funny if they weren’t voiced by Tim Allen and Tom Hanks.

John Ratzenberger as Hamm in the ‘Toy Story’ Series
Throughout the “Toy Story” series, Hamm has impressed us as one very determined pig. That’s largely thanks to the voice work of “Cheers” star John Ratzenberger, who also lent his voice to numerous other Pixar characters, including Fritz in “Inside Out,” Earl in “The Good Dinosaur,” and The Abominable Snowman in “Monsters, In”.

Ellen DeGeneres as Dory in ‘Finding Nemo’ (2003)
While all the voice work in “Finding Nemo” is terrific, we fell in love with Ellen DeGeneres as the daffy, ridiculously forgetful fish Dory – who gave Nemo the unforgettably upbeat advice, “Just keep swimming.”