I’m the voice of Mickey Mouse – it’s a constant battle and listening to myself still makes me cringe
THE official voice of Mickey Mouse has described the job as a “constant battle” and opened up about what it’s like being the voice of the most recognised animated figures in the world.
Disney is celebrating its 100th anniversary today – and the legendary cartoon will turn 95 on November 18.
In 1928, Mickey made his debut in the animated film Steamboat Willie.
Since then, the iconic fictional character has appeared in a slew of films, Disney Park parades and performances, TV series, and even video games.
Mickey is without a doubt one of the most recognisable animated figures in history.
It is said that he is worth around £146bn.
But have you ever wondered who was the voice of this legendary character?
There have been four official voices for Mickey thus far: Walt Disney himself, Jimmy MacDonald, Wayne Allwine, and Bret Iwan, an artist and former Hallmark illustrator who has done it since 2009.
Iwan revealed the hard work that goes into ensuring his vocal health is constantly in excellent condition so that he can perform successfully.
He went on to say that it was “a constant battle” and something he had to be “aware of daily”.
“Different weather conditions can affect me, how much I’ve been talking [and] how loud an environment is. So, when I know I have recording coming up, I’m even more cognisant,’ he told Metro.co.uk at the launch event for Disney100: The Exhibition at London’s Excel.
The voice over artist noted that, like any other job, he has his off days.
“Some days are better than others – you can’t help it, truly. So it’s just kind of rolling with the punches as it were, unfortunately. I wish there was a magic Mickey pill, but there isn’t one yet!,” Iwan said.
After taking on the responsibility of re-creating the Mickey voice, Iwan admitted he’s received criticism from die-hard fans.
He also admitted that he is his own worst critic, since hearing himself back sometimes causes him to doubt himself.
He said: “Of course I’ve had criticisms – I myself am my own worst critic, trust me. I’ve listened back to several projects and thought, “Oh, I could have done better or I should have done better.”’
Despite this Iwan shared that the job “is a dream come true” for him as he was the first member of the LGBTQ+ community to voice Mickey.
Iwan said: “I grew up being fascinated by Walt Disney and his story and being a huge fan of Mickey Mouse in particular…
My dream was to be a Disney animator and as such, I set myself on that path to go to art school and to learn to draw for that reason, but I never dreamed that I would get to voice Mickey Mouse,’ he shared.”