Minnie Mouse star Russi Taylor dies, leaving behind a magical legacy

Prolific voice actress Russi Taylor, internationally known for voicing Minnie Mouse for over three decades, has passed away at the age of 75. The Walt Disney company confirmed the sad news in a statement from Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger, saying she died peacefully in her Glendale home in Southern California on Friday, July 26. “Minnie Mouse lost her voice with the passing of Russi Taylor,” Bob said. “For more than 30 years, Minnie and Russi worked together to entertain millions around the world — a partnership that made Minnie a global icon and Russi a Disney Legend beloved by fans everywhere.”

Russi Taylor passed away at the age of 75

“We’re so grateful for Russi’s talent as well as the tremendous spirit and great joy she brought to everything she did,” Bob continued to say. “It was a privilege to have known her and an honor to have worked with her, and we take comfort in the knowledge that her work will continue to entertain and inspire for generations to come.” 

“Russi will be sorely missed and our hearts go out to her family and friends, along with our deepest condolences,” Bob concluded in his statement. He was not the only Disney family member to speak out about the loss. Bill Farmer, the voice of Goofy and a beloved friend to the voiceover talent, also shared a sentiment following her death. “Russi was as close as family; as wonderful, funny, and sweet as Minnie Mouse, and as talented yet humble as you would expect,” he said. “I will deeply and dearly miss her.”

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One touch of magic that swirled behind the scenes was the fact that Russi was married to longtime Mickey Mouse voice actor Wayne Allwine. The pair infused their love for each other into Mickey and Minnie’s emblematic animated relationship until Wayne passed away from diabetes in 2009.

Russi was married to Mickey Mouse voice actor Wayne Allwine until his death

While the Cambridge, Massachusetts native generated a winding list of credits as Minnie, her resume spanned far beyond that. She also lent her voice to Donald Duck’s charming nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, in addition to their friend Webbigail Vanderquack in the original DuckTales animated series.

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Russi’s iconic touch existed outside of the Disney universe as well. She gave life to other well-known characters like Pebbles on The Flinstones and the Mackleberry Twins and Martin Prince on The Simpsons. Just to name a few other classic shows her glittering resume: The Jetsons, The Smurfs, Scooby Doo and The Muppets.

Of course, Russi’s crowning character was Minnie, for which she received an Emmy nomination in 2018. Another statement from Disney included the following quote from the artist, which seems to sum up her giving nature: "I never wanted to be famous. The characters I do are famous, and that's fine for me."