Gopher (Winnie-the-Pooh) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gopher |
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| First appearance | Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (February 4, 1966) |
| Voiced by | Howard Morris (1966–1977) Michael Gough (1988–present) |
| Information | |
| Species | Gopher |
| Gender | Male |
Gopher is a fun, fictional grey gopher character. He acts like a human, which is called anthropomorphic. Gopher first appeared in the 1966 Disney animated movie Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.
He is known for his unique way of speaking. Gopher often whistles when he says words with "s" sounds. He is a very hard worker, especially when digging his tunnels. Sometimes, he even falls into them! A fun fact about Gopher is that he is not in the original Winnie-the-Pooh books by A. A. Milne. He even mentions this in his first movie, saying, "I'm not in the book, y'know!" Howard Morris was the first voice actor for Gopher. Later, Michael Gough took over the role.
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Gopher's Appearances in Movies and Shows
Gopher has been in several Winnie the Pooh adventures. He appeared in A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving and Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You.
He also had small roles in:
- A Very Merry Pooh Year
- House of Mouse
- Kingdom Hearts II
- Winnie The Pooh: 123's
Gopher was also in Boo to You Too! Winnie the Pooh, which was part of Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie. After a long break, Gopher returned in the video game Kingdom Hearts III in 2019.
About Gopher's Character
How Gopher Was Created
Gopher is special because he was the only main character in the first Winnie the Pooh cartoons who wasn't from A. A. Milne's original books. Disney created him. At first, Disney thought about having Gopher replace Piglet. But in the end, they decided to keep both Piglet and Gopher in the stories.
Disney wanted Gopher to have a "folksy, all-American" feel. People in America really liked him. However, audiences in Britain were not as happy about a new character who wasn't in the books. Like many characters in the Hundred Acre Wood, Gopher is named after the type of animal he is.
Gopher's Voice and Personality
Gopher has a very unique voice. He tends to whistle his "s" sounds, which makes him easy to recognize. In his first movie, Pooh tries to copy Gopher's whistling speech. Gopher then tells Pooh that he should fix his "speech impediment," even though Gopher himself has it!
Gopher spends most of his time working on his tunnels. He is a very hard-working character. Because he is often underground, not much is known about his social life. But even though he's busy, Gopher is not quiet. He loves to talk to the other animals, always with his whistling sounds.
