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Voices for Pooh Pals Tigger, Piglet Dead

(Monday, June 27 11:53 AM)
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Two men who loaned their voices to Winnie the Pooh's beloved pals have died. Paul Winchell, an inventor and ventriloquist best known for voicing the exuberant Tigger, died at 82. John Fiedler, a stage and screen actor who gave Piglet his anxious voice, died at 80.
Winchell passed away in his Moorpark home on Friday morning, June 24, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Although he's known for his voice work as Tigger and other animated characters, he has equal acclaim for bringing dummies Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff to life and creating numerous inventions, including the artificial heart.

Winchell was born on Dec. 21, 1922 in New York City. A childhood speech impediment caused him to master his voice and he learned to throw his voice. At the tender age of 13, he imitated his idol Edgar Bergen -- and dummy Charlie McCarthy -- on the "Amateur Hour" radio show.
With his ventriloquist dummies, Winchell enjoyed fame on various TV shows including "The Bigelow Show," "The Paul Winchell-Jerry Mahoney Show," "Circus Time" and "The Spiedel Show." Both dummies are currently on display at the Smithsonian.

The actor first introduced Tigger's signature lisp in 1968's "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day," which won an Oscar for best animated short film. He credits his wife for the signature Tigger phrase "TTFN: Ta-ta for now." In 1974, he earned a Grammy for best children's recording for "The Most Wonderful Things About Tiggers" in which he sings, "Their tops are made out of rubber / Their bottoms are made out of springs." He continued as Tigger through 1999's "Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving," after which Jim Cummings took over.

Winchell also created voices for the wicked Gargamel in "The Smurfs," Boomer in "The Fox and the Hound," Dick Dastardly in "Wacky Races," "The Jetsons" and "Hong Kong Phooey."

Well versed in acupuncture and hypnosis, Winchell also extended his mind to inventing. He donated an early artificial heart that he created in the '60s to the University of Utah for research. He also held the patents for more than 20 other inventions including a disposable razor, a flameless cigarette lighter and an invisible garter belt.

Winchell is survived by his wife Jean, five children and three grandchildren.

John Fiedler, a celebrated Broadway and film actor, passed away on Saturday, reports The New York Times.

He was born on Feb. 3, 1925 in Platteville, Wisconsin to Donald and Margaret Fiedler. He began his love of acting in Milwaukee, where as a child he staged neighborhood productions out of the family garage.

After a stint in the Navy through World War II, he joined the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City and landed parts in "The Sea Gull" opposite Montgomery Clift, "A Raisin in the Sun" with Sidney Poitier and "The Odd Couple" with Walter Matthau and Art Carney.

He broke into films as Juror No. 2 in 1957's "Twelve Angry Men," which led to roles in "True Grit," "That Touch of Mink," "The Shaggy D.A." and "Cannonball Run."

In the 1960s, Walt Disney heard Fiedler's voice on a program and said, "That's Piglet," recalls Fiedler's brother James. Fiedler voiced the high-pitched worrier from the beginning in "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day" and continued up to the present with 2003's "Piglet's Big Movie" and 2005's "Pooh's Heffalump Movie."

He also loaned his voice for other animated projects such as Disney's "Robin Hood," "The Rescuers" and "The Fox and the Hound."

On the small screen, Fiedler was known for his character roles, notably playing the henpecked Mr. Peterson on "The Bob Newhart Show." He also made guest appearances on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," "Bewitched," "Star Trek," "Get Smart," "Fantasy Island" and "Hart to Hart."

Fiedler is survived by his brother James, sister Mary and numerous nieces and nephews.

RedRockSedona

Very sad, I had just read that and its just very sad...and weird too that we have lost both men.

barbeegurl00

That is sad...