Longest run for voice actor as character?

[lupercal]

I just got wondering about this tonight.

Can anybody beat Mae Questel's 58 years as Betty Boop?

(of course, if not for 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit, her run would only have been 9 years. She did, though, clock up 24 continuous years as Olive Oyl.)

The second longest I can think of is Mel Blanc, with 51 years as Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. This is a more credible run, though even here, these Warner characters were in retirement from the late 60's till the late 70's. Still the total number of years still easily beats Questel.

Clarence Nash racked up 49 years as Donald Duck... again, if you count 'Mickey's Christmas Carol', which I haven't seen, and don't know if they were using old footage. If so, then the run drops to 31 years.

Jack Mercer clocked up 43 years as Popeye, though again, with a 15 year break encompassing all of the 60's.

Daws Butler managed 30 years as Yogi Bear,
Huckleberry Hound and a few other original HB characters.

And mustn't forget Walt Disney with 27 years as Mickey Mouse, if you allow the gap between the last of the shorts, and 'The Mickey Mouse Club'

Who am I missing, up in that sort of company? I've deliberately stopped thinking about it now, before I think of too many more.

Loop

[starlac]

Apart from the ones you've mentioned and on the top of my head.

June Foray has been doing the voice of Granny for 52 years and is still the offical voice of Granny (unless you count the "prototype" Granny in Hiss and Make Up in which case it would be 62 years [Warner Bros. don't see those two as the same character in much the same way as the hare in Porky Hare Hunt is Bugs Bunny]).

Stan Freberg has been doing the role of Baby/Junyer Bear on/off for 55 years.

That's all I can think of at present.

Clarence Nash racked up 49 years as Donald Duck... again, if you count 'Mickey's Christmas Carol', which I haven't seen, and don't know if they were using old footage. If so, then the run drops to 31 years.

As far as I can tell it was mostly all new footage: with a little bit of animation recycling (e.g. the dancing at Fizziwig's party is recycled from Snow White) although I don't think that's the kind of recycling you mean. Off further interest is that though Christmas Carol was Nash's last film, it was Wayne Allwine's first role as Mickey Mouse.

[P.C. Unfunny]

Jack Mercer comes pretty close.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0580271/

He preformed Popeye for over 50 years.

[lupercal]

That can't be right. 50 years after his first popeye cartoon, he was dead. I make it 43 years. There was another voice actor played Popeye for a few years before Mercer started.

I read that Popeye was actually voiced by Mae Questel in one cartoon, though if that's true, either her range must have been amazing (which by all accounts it was), or that cartoon must have sounded very weird.

Loop

(Another one that belongs up there is Pinto Colvig - 33 years as Goofy)

[P.C. Unfunny]

That can't be right. 50 years after his first popeye cartoon, he was dead. I make it 43 years. There was another voice actor played Popeye for a few years before Mercer started.

The site says from 1933 to 1983, so that is 50 years on the dot. Forty three years whould be in 1976, two years before the all new popeye hour. That show had all new cartoons with Jack Mercer as the voice of Popeye and it ended a year before he died.

[lupercal]

The site says from 1933 to 1983, so that is 50 years on the dot.

Actually it says 1935 to 1978. 1978 seems to be the correct starting date for the program you're talking about - but you're right: it seems it did run till 1983, which would make it 48 years total. The 1933 cartoon listed is a Betty Boop one, with Mercer not credited as Popeye, just as 'voice'.)

Loop

(Oh, and according to cricinfo.com, another Jack Mercer is still the only Glamorgan bowler to have taken all ten wickets in an innings.)

[P.C. Unfunny]

Actually it says 1935 to 1978. 1978 seems to be the correct starting date for the program you're talking about - but you're right: it seems it did run till 1983, which would make it 48 years total. The 1933 cartoon listed is a Betty Boop one, with Mercer not credited as Popeye, just as 'voice'.)

Okay I see, you're right.


(Oh, and according to cricinfo.com, another Jack Mercer is still the only Glamorgan bowler to have taken all ten wickets in an innings.)

Okay, that's, uh, cool.