Jim Cummings | |
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Born | James Jonah Cummings November 3, 1952 Youngstown, Ohio, U.S. |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1984–present |
Works | Full list |
Spouse | Stephanie Jardon (m. 2001;div. 2011) |
Children | 4 |
YouTube information | |
Channel | |
Years active | 2023–present |
Genre | Voice acting |
Subscribers | 82,800 [1] |
Total views | 25,597,399 [1] |
Website | jimcummingsworld |
James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) [2] [3] is an American voice actor and podcaster. Beginning his career in the 1980s, he has performed over 400 on screen and voice roles. Cummings has frequently worked with the Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., and serves as the official voice of Winnie the Pooh since 1988, Tigger since 1989, the Tasmanian Devil since 1991, and Peg Leg Pete since 1992. Other notable roles include Fat Cat and Monterey Jack in Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (1989–1990), the title character of Darkwing Duck (1991–1992), Kaa in Jungle Cubs (1996–1998) and The Jungle Book 2 (2003), Cat in CatDog (1998–2005), and Police Chief Gluteus in Ozzy & Drix (2002–2004) and Ray in The Princess and the Frog (2009).
Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Cummings attended Immaculate Conception and St. Columba grade schools as well as Ursuline High School and graduated from there in 1970. [4]
Upon his graduation from high school, Cummings relocated to New Orleans, where he designed and painted Mardi Gras floats, worked as a river boat deck hand, and sang and played drums in the regionally-successful rock band Fusion. [5] He later married and moved to Anaheim, California, where he managed a video store in the early 1980s, before launching his voice acting career in late 1984. [6]
Cummings's first voice role was as Lionel the Lion and Aunt Fira in Dumbo's Circus . [6] [7] Some of Cummings' earliest vocal work was at Disney, where he replaced Sterling Holloway as the voice of Winnie the Pooh in 1988. His impression proved to be so spot-on that he also filled in for Holloway as Kaa for both Jungle Cubs and The Jungle Book 2 , and as the Cheshire Cat for various Disney video games. He also notably impersonated J. Pat O'Malley in the roles of Colonel Hathi for both aforementioned productions and the Colonel in 101 Dalmatians: The Series , Louis Prima as King Louie in Jungle Cubs and TaleSpin , and Wayne Knight as Tantor the Elephant in The Legend of Tarzan . Starting with Goof Troop , Cummings also became the regular voice of Pete.
Beginning with The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh , Cummings alternated with Paul Winchell as Tigger, before fully replacing him as the character starting with The Tigger Movie . He had also filled in for Winchell as the voice of Zummi Gummi in the final season of Adventures of the Gummi Bears , and as Dick Dastardly in Wacky Races Forever and Wacky Races Starring Dastardly and Muttley . Similarly, he alternated with Peter Cullen in the role of Monterey Jack in Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers . In The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning , Cummings voiced King Triton in place of Kenneth Mars, who was unable to reprise the role due to his struggles with pancreatic cancer. In 1991, he was hired by Warner Bros. Animation to voice Taz on the animated series Taz-Mania and would continue to voice the character in various Looney Tunes media.
When actor Jeremy Irons, the voice of Scar in The Lion King , developed vocal problems during the recording of the song "Be Prepared", Cummings replaced him on the remainder of the track. [8] He also provided Scar's voice in a brief nightmare sequence in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride . Cummings would later be hired as the singing double for both Russell Means as Chief Powhatan and Gordon Tootoosis as Kekata in Pocahontas , and the singing double for Christopher Lloyd as Grigori Rasputin in Anastasia . He went onto understudy for Lloyd by voicing Rasputin for the Anastasia: Adventures with Pooka and Bartok video game.
Cummings has also voiced Smokey Bear for several U.S. Forest Service commercials, ads, and promos from 1993 to 2008. [9]
Besides being a voice double and sound-alike, Cummings has also voiced original characters.
In Rescue Rangers and TaleSpin, he portrayed a wide variety of other characters. His most famous role in Rescue Rangers was the villainous Fat Cat, and for TaleSpin, he notably starred as the show's main antagonist, Don Karnage. After both shows concluded production, Cummings went on to portray the title characters in Darkwing Duck and Bonkers , each of which he also got to voice other characters. He would later co-star with Tom Kenny in CatDog , with Cummings playing Cat and Kenny voicing Dog. Also, despite having starred in animated feature films under "additional voices", Cummings achieved a motion picture breakthrough by starring in Disney's Aladdin , where he voiced both Razoul the Agrabah Guard Captain and Farouk the Merchant. He later went on to voice original characters for a variety of the company's theatrical and direct-to-video films, such as Ed the Hyena in The Lion King and Ray the Firefly in The Princess and the Frog . In 1998, Cummings also starred as Ocula the Gorgonite in Small Soldiers , which was a live-action film directed by Joe Dante.
Aside from Fat Cat and Don Karnage, Cummings's involvements as Pete and the Tasmanian Devil were elements that typecast him in antagonistic roles. An example comes from when he voiced Steele the Alaskan Malamute in Universal's Balto . According to an interview with director Simon Wells, the role was originally offered to Brendan Fraser, but executive producer Steven Spielberg recommended recasting the role with Cummings because he wanted to feel a clearer sense of Steele's "inherent evil". Wells stated that Cummings "did a fantastic job, and totally made the character live, so I don't regret the choice.". [10] Other villain roles Cummings notably took on include Sierra the Cearadactylus in The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire , and Dr. Robotnik in the Sonic the Hedgehog animated series that aired from 1993 to 1994. He also voiced several characters in the 1997 video game Fallout , but his most notable role was the game's main antagonist, The Master.
In addition, he voiced various characters for the Scooby-Doo , Tom and Jerry , and Star Wars franchises. His most famous role in Star Wars is Hondo Ohnaka the Weequay Pirate. According to Cummings, Ohnaka was initially only going to appear in a two or three episode story arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars , but the character was so well-received that he became much more recurring throughout the franchise. Following the departure of Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg, Cummings was hired to portray characters in several productions by Dreamworks, most notably voicing the Captain of Lord Farquaad's Guards in Shrek , Hernán Cortés in The Road to El Dorado along with additional characters, and Luca in Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas . In 2006, Cummings voiced a variety of characters for the Curious George animated TV show, notably voicing that of Pisghetti the Italian Chef, the male members of the Quint family, and Jumpy Squirrel, the latter which he provided merely animal sounds. The series became one of the longest-running American children's programs around, having initially run for nine seasons on PBS Kids before being renewed following the launch of Peacock, the streaming service of NBCUniversal.
In 2018, Cummings became the first voice performer of animation to reprise a role or more for a live-action Disney film, reprising the roles of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger for Christopher Robin . For the film, the role of Tigger was originally going to be played by Chris O'Dowd, but due to negative reactions from test audiences, Disney immediately replaced O'Dowd with Cummings. [11] [12] His performance as Pooh was particularly praised by Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair , who felt it was "Oscar-worthy" and said that "[a]s Winnie the Pooh ... the veteran voice actor gives such sweet, rumpled, affable life to the wistful bear of literary renown that it routinely breaks the heart." [13]
Nearly three years later, Cummings reprised the role of Taz by providing uncredited vocal effects for the character in some scenes of Space Jam: A New Legacy . [14] His recordings in question were mixed with material by Fred Tatasciore, who was the character's credited voice actor for the film and previously played the part for Looney Tunes Cartoons . Cummings would later go on to reprise the roles of Fat Cat, Darkwing Duck, and Pete for the Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers film, along with the right arm of Shredder from the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, and bootleg versions of Pooh and Tigger. Meanwhile, the role of Monterey Jack was played by Australian actor and comedian Eric Bana. Over a year after the film's release, Cummings reprised the role of King Triton for Lego Disney Princess: The Castle Quest , making his first appearance as the character since Ariel's Beginning. Months later, Cummings reprised the role of Winnie the Pooh for Disney's Once Upon a Studio to sing a portion of When You Wish Upon a Star , the short in question also featured him as the voice of Baloo from The Jungle Book for a similar purpose. Cummings was also involved in Disney Speedstorm. For the game, he voiced Steamboat Pete for the "To Infinity and Beyond" season, and he later made his third appearance as King Triton for the "Under the Sea" season.
Beginning on June 12, 2023, Cummings began hosting a podcast called Toon'd In!with Jim Cummings, which is available on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Spreaker. In the series, Cummings talks about the wide array of characters he voiced over the years, and various other voice artists guest star in episodes for interviews. [15]
Cummings has two daughters with his former wife Stephanie Jardon. The two were married from 2001 to 2011, when they divorced. In 2019, they became involved in an acrimonious custody dispute, which Cummings won. [16] [17] Cummings also has two older daughters from a previous marriage. [18]
In an interview with the A.V. Club, Cummings commented that his prime voice acting influences are Mel Blanc, Paul Winchell, Paul Frees, June Foray, and Frank Welker. He particularly noted Blanc by classifying him as the "Frank Sinatra of voice acting", and Welker by calling him "The Beatles of voiceover". [19]
In a separate interview with Collider, Cummings stated that his favorite characters to play are Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Ray the Firefly, Drake Mallard/Darkwing Duck, and Hondo Ohnaka. [20]
Year | Award | Category | Subject | Result | Ref(s). |
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1992 | Annie Awards | Best Voice Acting for Television | Darkwing Duck | Won | [21] [22] |
1993 | Goof Troop | Won | [23] | ||
1995 | Bump in the Night | Nominated | |||
2003 | Best Voice Acting in a Feature Production | The Jungle Book 2 | Nominated | ||
2011 | Gnomeo & Juliet | Nominated | |||
2012 | Zambezia | Nominated | |||
2009 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program | My Friends Tigger & Pooh | Nominated | |
2013 | Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Nominated | |||
Tigger is a fictional character in A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh books and their adaptations. An anthropomorphic toy tiger, he was originally introduced in the 1928-story collection The House at Pooh Corner, the sequel to the 1926 book Winnie-the-Pooh. Like other Pooh characters, Tigger is based on one of Christopher Robin Milne's stuffed toy animals. He appears in the Disney animated versions of Winnie the Pooh and has also appeared in his own film, The Tigger Movie (2000).
Eeyore is a fictional character in the Winnie-the-Pooh books by A. A. Milne. He is an old, grey stuffed donkey and friend of the title character, Winnie-the-Pooh. Eeyore is generally characterised as pessimistic, depressed, and anhedonic.
The Tigger Movie is a 2000 American animated musical comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation with animation production by Walt Disney Animation (Japan), Inc., written and directed by Jun Falkenstein from a story by Eddie Guzelian, and released by Walt Disney Pictures on February 11, 2000. It is the second theatrical Winnie the Pooh film after The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and features Pooh's sidekick Tigger as the main protagonist searching for his family tree and other Tiggers like himself. The film was the first feature-length theatrical Pooh film that was not a collection of previously released shorts.
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. Based on the Winnie-the-Pooh books by authors A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard, The New Adventures was the first time a major Disney character headlined an animated, made-for-television series as well as the first Disney television series based on a major animated film. The cartoon premiered with a limited run on The Disney Channel on January 17, 1988. Nine months later, the show moved to ABC as part of their Saturday morning lineup. New episodes continued until October 26, 1991. Proving popular with children and older fans, it remained a staple on television in the United States for nearly two decades.
Paul Winchell was an American ventriloquist, comedian, actor, humanitarian, and inventor whose career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s. From 1950 to 1954, he hosted The Paul Winchell Show, which also used two other titles during its prime time run on NBC: The Speidel Show, and What's My Name?. From 1965 to 1968, Winchell hosted the children's television series Winchell-Mahoney Time.
Sterling Price Holloway Jr. was an American actor who appeared in over 100 films and 40 television shows. He did voice acting for The Walt Disney Company, playing Mr. Stork in Dumbo, Adult Flower in Bambi, the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, Kaa in The Jungle Book, Roquefort the Mouse in The Aristocats, and the title character in Winnie the Pooh, among many others.
Harold John Smith was an American actor. He is credited in over 300 film and television productions, and was best known for his role as Otis Campbell, the town drunk on CBS's The Andy Griffith Show and for voicing Owl and Winnie the Pooh in the first four original Winnie the Pooh shorts and later Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons, Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore and in the television series, Welcome to Pooh Corner and The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. He also did a cameo in The Apartment as a drunken Santa Claus. Hal played the voice of Goliath the dog in the Davey and Goliath TV series which aired from 1961-1965
Welcome to Pooh Corner is a live-action/puppet television series that aired on Disney Channel, featuring the characters from the Winnie the Pooh universe portrayed by actors in human-sized puppet suits, except Roo, who was originally a traditional puppet. The animatronic costumes used for the characters were created by Alchemy II, Inc., headed by Ken Forsse who later created Teddy Ruxpin. The show was first aired on April 18, 1983, the day The Disney Channel was launched. Its timeslot for its early run was at 8:30 a.m. Eastern/Pacific Time, making it the third program of The Disney Channel's 16 hour programming day. Reruns of the show aired on The Disney Channel until May 30, 1997.
Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day is a 1968 American animated musical fantasy short film based on the third, fifth, ninth, and tenth chapters of Winnie-the-Pooh and the second, eighth, and ninth chapters from The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne. The featurette was directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, produced by Walt Disney Productions, and released by Buena Vista Distribution Company on December 20, 1968, having been shown in theaters with The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit. This was the second of the studio's Winnie the Pooh theatrical featurettes. It was later added as a segment to the 1977 film The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The music was written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. It was notable for being the last Disney animated short to be produced by Walt Disney, who died of lung cancer on December 15, 1966, two years before its release.
Springtime with Roo is a 2004 American direct-to-video Easter animated musical fantasy adventure comedy-drama film produced for Walt Disney Pictures by DisneyToon Studios, and animated by Toon City Animation in Manila, Philippines.
Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore is a 1983 American animated short film based on the sixth chapter of both books Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne. Produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution, the short initially received limited release on May 11, 1983, before expanding to a wide release on May 25 as part of a double feature with the re-issue of The Sword in the Stone (1963), which it accompanied in most countries except Australia where it accompanied a reissue of Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). Directed by Rick Reinert, the featurette featured the voices of Hal Smith, John Fiedler, Will Ryan, Ralph Wright, and Paul Winchell.
Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie is a 2005 American animated direct-to-video Halloween fantasy adventure comedy-drama film produced by DisneyToon Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures, featuring the characters from Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise. The sequel to Pooh's Heffalump Movie, this was the final Winnie the Pooh film to be produced by DisneyToon Studios before they moved to Tinker Bell films.
Winnie the Pooh is a fictional bear and the main character in Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise, based on the character Winnie-the-Pooh created by English author A. A. Milne and English artist and book illustrator E. H. Shepard, being one of the most popular characters adapted for film and television by The Walt Disney Company. Disney first received certain licensing rights to the Winnie-the-Pooh stories, characters, and trademarks from Stephen Slesinger, Inc. and the estate of A. A. Milne in 1961. Winnie the Pooh is one of the most popular characters adapted for film and one of Disney's most popular characters, especially in terms of merchandising.
My Friends Tigger & Pooh is an American animated children's television series that aired on the Playhouse Disney block on Disney Channel. Inspired by A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh, the series was developed by Walt Disney Television Animation, with Brian Hohlfeld serving as executive producer. It originally aired in the United States from May 12, 2007, to October 9, 2010.
Andre Stojka is an American voice actor. He is best known for his role as the voice of Owl in the Winnie-the-Pooh franchises starting with Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin inheriting the role from Hal Smith after his death in 1994.
Winnie the Pooh is a 2011 American animated musical comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures under Walt Disney Pictures. It is based on the book series of the same name written by A. A. Milne and illustrated by E. H. Shepard. The film is a revival of Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise and the fifth theatrical Winnie the Pooh film released, and the second in the Disney Animated Canon. It was directed by Stephen Anderson and Don Hall and produced by Peter Del Vecho and Clark Spencer, based on a story that Anderson and Hall conceived with Clio Chiang, Don Dougherty, Kendelle Hoyer, Brian Kesinger, Nicole Mitchell, and Jeremy Spears.
Winnie the Pooh is a media franchise produced by The Walt Disney Company, based on A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard's stories featuring Winnie-the-Pooh. It started in 1966 with the theatrical release of the short Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.
Christopher Robin is a 2018 American live-action/animated fantasy comedy drama film directed by Marc Forster from a screenplay by Alex Ross Perry, Tom McCarthy, and Allison Schroeder, based on a story by Greg Brooker and Mark Steven Johnson. The film is inspired by the children's book series Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard, and is a live-action/CGI follow-up to the Disney franchise of the same name. The film stars Ewan McGregor as the title character, alongside Hayley Atwell as his wife Evelyn, with the voices of Jim Cummings, Nick Mohammed as Piglet, and Brad Garrett. The story follows Christopher Robin, now an adult, who has lost his sense of imagination, only to be reunited with his childhood friend Winnie the Pooh, whom he must escort back to the Hundred Acre Wood to find his friends.
Jim Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 400 roles in films, television and video games.