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• Who has voiced Mickey Mouse?
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Ask the Chatbot a Question Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Dec. 11, 2025 •History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot Top Questions

Who is Mickey Mouse?

Mickey Mouse is the most popular character of Walt Disney’s animated cartoons and arguably the most popular cartoon star in the world. Mickey is often presented as a cheerful and mischievous anthropomorphic rodent.

What was Mickey Mouse originally called?

Walt Disney named his first iteration of the character Mortimer Mouse. However, at the urging of Lillian Disney, his wife, the character was renamed Mickey Mouse; reportedly, Lillian disliked the name Mortimer for the mouse and suggested Mickey.

How was Mickey Mouse created?

Walt Disney began his first series of fully animated films in 1927, featuring the character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. When his distributor appropriated the rights to the character, Disney altered Oswald’s appearance and created a new character that ultimately became Mickey Mouse. Mickey made his first appearance in 1928.

Who has voiced Mickey Mouse?

Mickey Mouse was voiced by just three voice actors between 1929 and 2009. Walt Disney lent his voice to Mickey beginning in 1929. Jimmy MacDonald took over in 1946. Wayne Allwine voiced Mickey beginning in 1983 and continued for the next 32 years, until his death in 2009. Bret Iwan then became the official voice for Mickey. Beginning in 2013, Chris Diamantopolous provided the voice for the eponymous Mickey Mouse television show.

Why is Mickey Mouse so popular?

Mickey Mouse’s enduring popularity can likely be credited to the way he ubiquitously represents wholesome values of kindness and innocence. It can also be credited to the Walt Disney Company’s unprecedented success in marketing his likeness through a variety of merchandise, which made Mickey Mouse one of the most lucrative cartoon characters in history.

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Mickey Mouse, the most popular character of Walt Disney’s animated cartoons and arguably the most popular cartoon star in the world.

Walt Disney began his first series of fully animated films in 1927, featuring the character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. When his distributor appropriated the rights to the character, Disney altered Oswald’s appearance and created a new character that he named Mortimer Mouse; at the urging of his wife, Disney rechristened him Mickey Mouse. Two silent Mickey Mouse cartoons—Plane Crazy (1928) and Gallopin’ Gaucho (1928)—were produced before Disney employed the novelty of sound for the third Mickey Mouse production, Steamboat Willie (1928), though Mickey did not utter his first words (“Hot dogs!”) until The Karnival Kid (1929). Steamboat Willie was an immediate sensation and led to the studio’s dominance in the animated market for many years.

During the early years, Mickey was drawn by noted animator Ub Iwerks, and Disney himself provided Mickey’s voice until 1947. Mickey was often joined by his girlfriend, Minnie Mouse, as well as an animated gang of friends that included Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto. Mickey was a cheerful and mischievous anthropomorphic rodent who starred in more than 100 cartoon shorts and became a worldwide cult figure. The Mickey Mouse Club was one of the most popular television shows for children in the United States in the 1950s, and the signature black cap with mouse ears worn by the show’s stars has become one of the most widely distributed items in merchandising history. In 1932 Disney was given a special award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the creation of Mickey Mouse.

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