Last Friday, legendary Hollywood voice actress Russi Taylor, best known for her work as Minnie Mouse and as various characters on The Simpsons passed away at the age of 75 after a battle with colon cancer.
Taylor beat out 200 competitors to land the role of Minnie Mouse in 1986. She voiced the character in films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, various television series, and the Kingdom Hearts series of video games.
Two years into her Minnie Mouse career, Taylor met Wayne Allwine, the voice of Mickey. They were married from 1991 until his death in 2009. They had no children, but had an impact on an incalculable number of kids who experienced their work from a young age.
Taylor also did work as Huey, Dewey, and Louie — Donald Duck’s nephews — on Ducktales and as a bunch of classic Simpsons characters, including Üter Zörker, Sherri and Terri, and most notably Martin Prince, the precocious nerd.
Taylor’s collaborators were quick to celebrate the impact she had on them.
Ricky Roxburgh, a Disney writer, shared a completely charming video of Taylor talking to his daughter as Minnie.
The world is a little less magical today. Russi Taylor, voice of Minnie Mouse has passed away. She was so kind & talented. Here is a video of her calling my daughter when she found out her favorite character was Minnie. Thank you for all the smiles, Ms Taylor! #RIPRussiTaylor pic.twitter.com/QC4iKOjtD7
— Ricky Roxburgh (@RickyRoxburgh) July 28, 2019
Sam Riegel, a voice director on several Disney series similarly celebrated not just Taylor’s work but her welcoming nature.
My heart is broken over the loss of #RussiTaylor. Such an amazing performer, funny person, and gentle soul. I got to work with her for 7 years on #SofiaTheFirst and she taught me so much about acting and welcoming new talent into our industry. She will forever be missed.
— Sam Riegel (@samriegel) July 27, 2019
Henrieke Goorhuis, a Disney animator, shared a sentiment echoed by many others: that Taylor and her husband, Mickey and Minnie themselves, were now reunited.
Goodbye, Russi Taylor. pic.twitter.com/UwBFLUHzuv
— Henrieke Goorhuis (@HenriekeDraws) July 28, 2019
And it wasn’t just her Disney family who are mourning. Plenty of people from The Simpsons were equally appreciative of her work on the show.
.@TheSimpsons Deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Russi Taylor a true delight to work with. pic.twitter.com/1qNUf7M6TM
— Al Jean (@AlJean) July 27, 2019
Farewell to the hilarious, huggable Russi Taylor, who every day exploded with love for her characters pic.twitter.com/VOCUixGUHI
— Matt Selman (@mattselman) July 28, 2019
Farewell to the wonderful Russi Taylor, who brought such joy to many of our favorite characters like Martin Prince, Üter and so many more on the Simpsons & Disney & the animated world. #RIPRussiTaylor pic.twitter.com/TdTpNy7Vj3
— Josh Weinstein (@Joshstrangehill) July 27, 2019
Plenty of fans who grew up with Taylor’s work were equally appreciative of her talents.
I’m so upset to hear about Russi Taylor… Her talent in voice work touched so many peoples’ hearts for so many years. It’s so difficult to process that she’s gone… Thank you for sharing your talent with the world, Russi ❤️ pic.twitter.com/nBdJkGYvUy
— kolbi 🌸 (@PixieSphere) July 27, 2019
RIP to the legendary Russi Taylor, voice of Martin, Sherri and Terri and Uter.
A vital part of Simpsons history pic.twitter.com/VHJFvTJSeE— Ireland Simpsons Fans (@iresimpsonsfans) July 27, 2019
So sad to learn of Russi Taylor’s passing. Thank you for sharing your voice to the world and giving life to iconic characters. Minnie and the gang will miss you ❤️#RipRussiTaylor pic.twitter.com/UHG0akA7vx
— Cheryl (@Masspearl) July 27, 2019
