Episode 30: Jim Cummings
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This week, we welcome to the show the voice of your childhood. If not your childhood, it’s no understatement to say that Jim Cummings is the voice of many childhoods. Scroll through his filmography on IMDb and you’ll undoubtedly find a show or movie you know and love.
Jim has given life to hundreds of characters, but he’s best known as the voice of Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Darkwing Duck, and Pete (Mickey Mouse’s nemesis). He took over Winnie the Pooh in 1988, Tigger in 1990, and the Tasmanian Devil in 1991 (after Sterling Holloway, Paul Winchell, and Mel Blanc created those distinctive voices).
Many kids today know those characters only in their Jim Cummings incarnations, but–to his credit–there’s very little difference between Cummings’s take and the originals. That’s testament to his uncanny talent with voices.
He’s also the voice behind Hondo Ohnaka on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Ed the Hyena in The Lion King, Razoul the palace guard in Aladdin, Tantor the Elephant on the Tarzan TV series, various characters on Sofia the First, Curious George, and on and on and on. The list is seemingly endless.
However, for yours truly–geeks who were obsessed with the Disney Afternoon in the 90s–he’ll always be Darkwing Duck… and Don Karnage (Talespin)… and Monterey Jack (Rescue Rangers)… and Zummi Gummi (Gummi Bears).
On this week’s show, we chat with Jim about his career, the slightly creepy show where he got his start, creating new voices, and singing for Jeremy Irons.
Connect:
- Jim Cummings is on Twitter here.
- The show is on Twitter here and Facebook here.
- Jamie is on Twitter and Instagram as @theroarbots.
- Justin is on Twitter and Instagram as @140JustinC.
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