Kathryn Beaumont facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kathryn Beaumont
Beaumont in 1951, dressed as Alice from Alice in Wonderland
Born	(1938-06-27) 27 June 1938 (age 87) London, England
Education	University of Southern California
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1944–2005 2010 2023–present
Known for	Alice in Wonderland Peter Pan
Spouse(s)	Allan Levine ​ (m. 1985)​
Awards	Disney Legend (1998)

Kathryn Beaumont Levine (born June 27, 1938) is a British actress. She is famous for being the voice of Alice in Disney's Alice in Wonderland (1951). She also voiced Wendy Darling in Peter Pan (1953). For her amazing voice work, she was named a Disney Legend in 1998.

Kathryn's Early Life

Kathryn Beaumont was born in London, England, on June 27, 1938. Her mother, Evelyn, was a professional dancer. Her father, Kenneth, was a singer.

Growing Up During World War II

Kathryn was a baby when World War II started. At first, officials in England wanted her mother to send Kathryn away for safety. But Evelyn said no. Later, the ship they wanted Kathryn to go on sank.

After many bombings, Kathryn and her mother moved to a safer place. They went to Bangor, Wales. When the war ended in 1945, the whole family moved back to London.

Discovering Acting

Kathryn's first acting experience was at school. Her mother enrolled her when she was very young. Kathryn performed in a school play. Her teacher saw her talent and told her mother.

Kathryn's Acting Career

Kathryn Beaumont started her film career in 1944. Her first movie was It Happened One Sunday. A big movie studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), noticed her. They offered her a contract.

Working with MGM

MGM wanted to make movies with British characters. So, they brought Kathryn to America. She played small parts in a few MGM movies. These included On an Island with You (1948) and The Secret Garden (1949).

Becoming Alice in Wonderland

When Kathryn was 10, Walt Disney Pictures was looking for a young British actress. They needed someone to voice Alice in their new animated movie. This movie was Alice in Wonderland.

Kathryn auditioned three times and got the role. While making the movie, her mother and tutor were always with her. Kathryn worked four hours a day. She also studied for three hours. After the movie was finished, Kathryn went on a tour to promote it. She even appeared on screen with Walt Disney himself.

Voicing Wendy in Peter Pan

Walt Disney liked Kathryn's work so much that he cast her again. She became the voice of Wendy Darling in Peter Pan (1953). Production for Peter Pan started in 1951.

Kathryn not only voiced Wendy, but she also helped the animators. She acted out Wendy's movements for them. This helped the artists draw the characters more realistically. When she acted as Wendy flying, she was hung in the air. Kathryn was afraid of heights, but she was brave. She said she just "gritted her teeth" and did it.

Later Voice Roles

Kathryn returned to voice Alice in two episodes of the TV show House of Mouse (2001–2003). She also voiced both Alice and Wendy in the 2002 video game Kingdom Hearts.

In 1998, Kathryn received a special award. She was named a Disney Legend for her voice work. This was for her roles in Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.

Kathryn stopped acting in 2005. Other actresses took over the voices of Alice and Wendy. But she made a short return in 2010. She voiced Kairi's grandmother in the game Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. In 2023, she was a guest voice on the show Alice's Wonderland Bakery.

Kathryn's Personal Life

After finishing Peter Pan, Kathryn went to high school. She joined a drill team and was part of student government. After high school, she went to the University of Southern California. She earned a degree in education.

Kathryn then became an elementary school teacher. She taught in Los Angeles for 36 years. She has been married to Allan Levine since 1985.

Kathryn's Film and TV Work

Kathryn Beaumont has been in many films, TV shows, and video games.

Movies

Television Shows

Video Games

Theme Park Attractions

Awards Kathryn Has Won

See also

In Spanish: Kathryn Beaumont para niños