Tony Anselmo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Anselmo
Anselmo with Donald Duck in 1998
Born	(1960-02-18) February 18, 1960 (age 65) Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Alma mater	California Institute of the Arts
Occupation	Voice actor animator
Years active	1980–present

Tony Anselmo (born February 18, 1960) is an American voice actor and animator. He is best known as the official voice of Donald Duck. He took over this famous role in 1985 after the original voice actor, Clarence Nash, passed away. Tony Anselmo also voices Donald's three nephews: Huey, Dewey, and Louie.

Before becoming Donald's voice, Tony started working as an animator for Disney in 1980. By 2023, he had worked on 23 animated projects.

Early Life and Disney Dreams

Tony Anselmo was born on February 18, 1960, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

When he was just four years old, Tony watched the movie Mary Poppins. This movie made him very curious about how animated films were made. He remembers asking, "How did they do this? Who did that?" From that moment on, he knew he wanted to work for Disney. He never wanted to be a fireman or an astronaut; he just wanted to be part of Disney magic.

When Tony was seven, his family moved to Sunnyvale in northern California. He continued to study Disney and animation. He started drawing using a famous art book called Advanced Animation by Preston Blair. He even built his own light table and began making his own animations with a Super 8 camera.

Tony went to Marian A. Peterson High School in Sunnyvale. He also took art classes at local colleges at night. He wrote letters to the artists who animated Disney films, like Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Eric Larson, and Milt Kahl. Ollie Johnston even sent him drawings and told him to practice quick sketching and life drawing.

In 1978, Tony received a full scholarship from the Disney Family to study at the Character Animation Department of California Institute of the Arts.

Career as Donald Duck's Voice

Tony Anselmo and Clarence Nash, 1980s

Tony Anselmo began his career as an animator in 1980 when he was 20 years old. Over the years, he helped animate 20 Disney movies. Some of these include The Black Cauldron, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Tarzan, and The Emperor's New Groove.

Tony was trained and guided by Clarence Nash, the original voice of Donald Duck. When Clarence Nash passed away in 1985, Tony Anselmo took over the role of Donald Duck, just as Nash had wished. Tony first voiced Donald in a 1986 TV special called D-TV Valentine on The Disney Channel.

Walt Disney always wanted characters to sound and act the same. So, as long as Clarence Nash was alive, only he could voice Donald. To continue this tradition, Roy E. Disney created the Disney Character Voices department in 1988. This department makes sure that character voices stay consistent and high-quality.

Tony Anselmo has shared that many people think Donald's voice is made by squeezing air through the cheek. However, he says this is not true for Donald Duck. He cannot reveal the secret, but he confirms it's not done that way.

Tony Anselmo is the only person who has both animated and voiced Donald Duck in several projects. These include Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers, Funny You Don't Look 200, The Prince and the Pauper, and the 60th Annual Academy Awards.

He has also voiced Donald's nephews in shows like Mickey Mouse Works and House of Mouse. He even lent his voice to other small characters in movies like The Great Mouse Detective and shows like Phineas and Ferb.

Tony has also worked as a voice actor for the popular Kingdom Hearts video game series. In these games, Donald Duck is one of the three main characters. He also voiced Donald in the 2011 video game Kinect Disneyland Adventures.

Awards and Recognition

Tony Anselmo has received several awards and nominations for his voice work. In 2014, he won a BTVA Television Voice Acting Award for Best Vocal Ensemble in a Children's/Educational Television Series for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He also won a BTVA Video Game Voice Acting Award for Best Vocal Ensemble in a Video Game for Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.

In September 2009, Tony Anselmo was honored as a Disney Legend by Roy E. Disney. This award recognizes individuals who have made important contributions to The Walt Disney Company.

Tony started collecting Disney items when he was young. He is known for his large collection of Disney posters related to the works of Walt Disney. Because of his knowledge, he helped create a 2002 art book called The Disney Poster Book featuring the Collection of Tony Anselmo. His collection has also been shown in exhibits at The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.

Voice Acting Roles

Tony Anselmo has voiced Donald Duck and other characters in many films, TV shows, and video games. Here are some of his notable works:

Films

Television Shows

Video Games

Web Series

Theme Park Attractions

Animator Work

Tony Anselmo also worked as an animator on many Disney films. He helped bring characters to life through his drawing and animation skills. Here are some of the films he worked on:

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Tony Anselmo para niños