Mae Questel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mae Questel
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Questel in 1930
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| Born |
Mae Kwestel
September 13, 1908 New York City, New York, U.S.
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| Died | January 4, 1998 (aged 89) New York City, New York, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Columbia University |
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| Years active | 1930–1997 |
| Known for | Voice of Betty Boop, Olive Oyl and Little Audrey |
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Notable work
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Betty Boop Popeye the Sailor Noveltoons |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Leo Balkin (m. 1928–?; divorced) Jack E. Shelby (m. 1970–1996; his death) |
| Children | 2 |
Mae Questel (born Mae Kwestel, September 13, 1908 – January 4, 1998) was an American actress. She was famous for giving voices to cartoon characters. Her most well-known roles were Betty Boop and Olive Oyl.
Mae started her career in vaudeville, which was a type of live stage show. She was good at imitating other people. Later, she acted in plays on Broadway, in movies, and on TV. She even played Aunt Bethany in the movie National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989).
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Becoming Betty Boop
Mae Kwestel was born in the Bronx, New York City. She loved to entertain, but her parents did not want her to be an actress.
When she was 17, Mae won a talent show. She did a great impression of singer Helen Kane. An agent quickly signed her, and she began performing in vaudeville. She was known for her impressions of famous people like Fanny Brice and Mae West. She could also imitate animals!
A cartoon maker named Max Fleischer saw her. He was looking for a voice for his new character, Betty Boop. Mae's "Boop-boop-a-doop" sound was exactly what he wanted. She was hired in 1931. Soon, she became the only voice for Betty Boop.
From 1931 to 1939, Mae voiced Betty Boop in over 50 cartoons. This was the longest time anyone voiced the character. In 1988, she voiced Betty Boop again in the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Voicing Olive Oyl
In 1933, Mae Questel started voicing Olive Oyl in the Max Fleischer Popeye cartoons. Her first cartoon as Olive Oyl was "I Eats Me Spinach." She became the regular voice for Olive Oyl. She based Olive's unique voice on another actress, ZaSu Pitts.
Mae took a break in 1938 to start her family. Another actress, Margie Hines, took over the role. Mae returned as Olive Oyl in 1944. She continued to voice Olive Oyl until 1962. She even filled in as the voice of Popeye a few times. This happened when the usual voice actor, Jack Mercer, was away for war service.
Later, when new Popeye cartoons were made for TV in 1978, Mae tried out for Olive Oyl again. But she did not get the part that time.
Other Cartoon Voices
Besides Betty Boop and Olive Oyl, Mae Questel voiced many other characters. She was the voice of Little Audrey. In 1958, she voiced Wendy the Good Little Witch in a Casper cartoon.
In the 1950s, she was the voice for the main character in Winky Dink and You. This was a very early interactive TV show for kids. She also voiced Casper, the Friendly Ghost for a record in 1962.
She also voiced characters in The Flintstones spin-off shows. She continued to voice Betty Boop and Olive Oyl in commercials and TV specials for the rest of her life.
Acting on Camera
Mae Questel also acted in movies and TV shows. She had small parts in early films like Musical Justice (1931).
In 1962, she appeared in a TV crime show called Naked City. She was also in the movie It's Only Money with Jerry Lewis in 1961. She played one of Fanny Brice's friends in the movie Funny Girl (1968).
Her last movie role was as Aunt Bethany in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989). This was a very memorable part for many people.
Mae was also famous for her TV commercials. She played "Aunt Bluebell" for Scott Towels for many years. She also appeared in ads for Playtex and Folger's Coffee.
Broadway Shows
Mae Questel performed on Broadway four times:
- Doctor Social (1948)
- A Majority of One (1959) – she also acted in the movie version of this play.
- Enter Laughing (1963)
- Bajour (1964)
Personal Life and Politics
Mae Questel was married twice. Her first marriage was to Leo Balkin in 1930. She later married Jack E. Shelby in 1970. She had two sons, Robert and Richard.
Mae was a member of the Democratic Party. She supported Adlai Stevenson in the 1952 presidential election.
Death
Mae Questel passed away on January 4, 1998. She was 89 years old. She died from problems related to Alzheimer's disease. She was buried in New Montefiore Cemetery in West Babylon, New York.
See also
In Spanish: Mae Questel para niños
