Disney Legend Russi Taylor Who Voiced Minnie Mouse Dies at 75

Actress Russi Taylor, who best known for being the official voice of Disney’s Minnie Mouse, sadly passed away at 75-years-old.

“Minnie Mouse lost her voice with the passing of Russi Taylor,” Bob Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for The Walt Disney company said in a statement.

Taylor was married to  Wayne Allwine, who was the third voice behind Mickey Mouse. They married in 1991 and were together until he passed away in 2009. They were both honored as Disney legends in 2008. 

“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,” Iger added.

“We’re so grateful for Russi’s talent as well as the tremendous spirit and great joy she brought to everything she did. 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,” Iger said.

Bill Farmer, who voiced Goofy also remembered his close friend said in a statement, “Russi was as close as family; as wonderful, funny, and sweet as Minnie Mouse, and as talented yet humble as you would expect…I will deeply and dearly miss her.”

Russi was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 4, 1944. She wanted to work for Disney since childhood. “When I was a little girl, I was with my mom and my brother, and it was late at night at Disneyland. We had just come off the ‘Mark Twain Riverboat’ and were getting some popcorn. I looked over and saw Walt sitting on a bench, so we introduced ourselves and shared our popcorn with him. At one point during our chat, he asked me what I wanted to do when I grow up, and I said, ‘I want to work for you!’ So he said, ‘Okay!’—and now I do!”

She beat out 200 hopefuls who audition in 1986 for the role playing the voice of Minnie Mouse. Rossi went on to voice Minnie in the films, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” “Runaway Brain,” “Get a Horse!,” and “Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers,” as well as several television series and the award-winning Mickey Mouse shorts series for Disney Channel from Disney Television Animation that debuted in 2013.