Real Life Mickeys and Minnies
There have been dozens and dozens of talented people throughout Disney’s history who were fortunate enough to be hired by the studio to work on and/or perform in films and TV. Some were married couples, even working closely together, and occasionally on the same show! The tradition began at the studio during Walt’s time, and continues today. Here are some examples:
Marc Davis was one of Walt’s “Nine Old Men” and he animated many “leading lady” characters at the studio including Cinderella in Cinderella (1950), Tinker Bell in Peter Pan (1953), and Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty (1959). His widow, Alice Estes Davis, was a costume designer for Disney, and designed the Briar Rose costume for Sleeping Beauty. They were married in 1956, three years before “Beauty” was released, and not long after, Alice met with Walt Disney himself, who was blown away by her work. Walt also asked her to design costumes for the live-action film Toby Tyler or Ten Weeks With a Circus (1960) as well as the beloved Disney Parks attraction “It’s a Small World.” The Davises also worked together designing the animatronics and costumes for “Pirates of the Caribbean.” and “The Haunted Mansion.”
John McIntire and Jeanette Nolan were actors who were married for 56 years. They first appeared together in the Alfred Hitchcock classic Psycho (1960), and the film Cloak and Dagger (1984), as well as in television shows like Wagon Train (1957-1962), The Virginian (1962-1971), and The Fugitive (1963-1967). They made their first appearance for Disney in The Rescuers (1977) in which McIntire voiced Rufus the Cat and Nolan voiced Ellie Mae the Mouse. They did voice work again in The Fox and the Hound (1981) (McIntire voiced Mr. Digger the Badger and and Nolan played the Widow Tweed). McIntire also appeared in Disney’s Herbie Rides Again (1974) and the Touchstone Pictures film Turner & Hooch (1989) and Jeanette Nolan appeared in a made-for-television film called “The Sky’s the Limit,” which aired on The Wonderful World of Disney (1954-present).
Julie Andrews was cast in Mary Poppins (1964) as a result of impressing Walt Disney in her portrayal of Queen Guinevere in Lerner and Lowe’s Camelot. Not long after she was hired, Walt asked her then-husband, Tony Walton, what he did for a living, and he explained that he was a costume designer. That being the case, Walt also hired him to serve as a design consultant and a costume consultant for “Poppins,” and he received a Best Costume Design Oscar Nomination for his efforts, along with his wife who received a Best Actress Nomination for her performance as the magical nanny, and also won. Although Tony lost the Costume Design Award to Cecil Beaton in My Fair Lady (1964), he won a Best Art Direction Oscar 15 years later for the film All That Jazz (1979), an award that he also shared with Philip Rosenberg, Edward Stewart, and Gary J. Brink.
When ABC Studios (which is owned by Disney) green-lit Once Upon a Time (2011-2018), Ginnifer Goodwin was cast in the role of Mary Margaret Blanchard, aka “Snow White” and Josh Dallas was cast opposite her in the role of David Nolan, aka “Prince Charming.” It ironically led to a real life romance between Dallas and Goodwin and they were married on April 14th, 2014. They continued portraying their characters on “Once,” for the entire run of the show, though only appeared in the series finale episode of the show’s 7th season. In addition to “Once,” both Goodwin and Dallas provided voices to Disney’s Oscar-winning animated feature Zootopia (2016), in which Goodwin voiced leading character Officer Judy Hopps and Dallas voiced the Frantic Pig. Goodwin has also lent her voice to the Disney Channel/ Junior Series Sofia the First (2012-2018) and the direct-to-video movie Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Never Beast (2015) and Dallas portrayed Fandral in Marvel’s Thor (2011).
It’s fun to find out that people who share their private lives together were able to collaborate in their field of expertise. That it happened inside Disney’s wonderful world makes it even more special!
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