unKNOWN Actors: Bill Thompson

For our unKnown actor this week, we have a man of many voices and accents.  He has been featured in many different Disney films over a span of 20 years playing several characters that Disney fans have grown to love.  This man is Bill Thompson, born July 8, 1913 in Indiana and died July 15, 1971 in Los Angeles. Besides his Disney roles, Bill is also known for providing the lovable monotone voice for Droopy the dog in all of his cartoons throughout the 1940s and 1950s.

Bill’s bit with Disney started in 1951 with Alice in Wonderland.  He voiced the frantic White Rabbit and the know-it-all Dodo.

The same year, he was in the Walt Disney Christmas Show, which was a TV movie, as the character Willoughby.

1953 was Bill’s next voice stint, bringing the gullible yet lovable Mr. Smee to life in Peter Pan.  He also voiced a few of the other pirates as needed, though he was not credited for them.

In the 1953 short Ben and Me, Bill gave his voice to some of the background characters and to Governor Keith.

Lady and the Tramp (1955) would not be the same without Bill’s voice talents because he did a handful of the characters in that film! His main character was the scotty dog Jock, but he also voiced Bull the Bull Terrier, the Policeman at the Zoo, Dachsie and Joe.

Four years later, we hear him in Sleeping Beauty, giving a voice to Prince Phillip’s father, King Hubert.

There was a long break before his next Disney film, which came as a short film in 1967.  He voiced Scrooge McDuck in Scrooge McDuck and Money.

There were two characters that Bill brought to Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color throughout its broadcast.  Those characters were Ranger J Audubon Woodlore and an Ajax Employment Agency Proprietor.

Bill’s last Disney film came the year before his death, in 1970, where he had a short yet memorable voice part as Uncle Waldo in The Aristocats.  It was a small part, but I know that is one that my sister and I laugh at every time we watch it! "Neighbourhood!!"

I hope you are enjoying reading about all of the different actors throughout Disney history and how they shared their many talents with us and future generations!