Will Ryan facts for kids

William Frank Ryan (born May 21, 1949 – died November 19, 2021) was an American voice actor, musician, and singer. He was famous for giving voices to many cartoon characters.

Some of his most well-known roles include Petrie in the 1988 animated movie The Land Before Time. He also voiced Eugene Meltsner in the Christian radio drama Adventures in Odyssey. Another popular character he voiced was Grubby in The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin.

Will Ryan's Life and Career

Will Ryan was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 21, 1949. He grew up there and later became known for singing songs about the American West.

Early Career and Willio and Phillio

In the late 1970s, Will Ryan teamed up with Phil Baron. They formed a comedy and music duo called Willio and Phillio. They performed on TV, radio, and at comedy clubs across the U.S.

Later, they worked together again to voice characters for the popular Teddy Ruxpin series. Phil Baron voiced Teddy Ruxpin, and Will Ryan voiced Teddy's best friend, Grubby the Octopede. This included the book and tape series, and the 1986–87 TV show The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin.

After moving to California, Will Ryan started writing and recording songs for The Walt Disney Company. Willio and Phillio even sang "I Wish it Could Be Christmas All Year Long" on a Disney Christmas album.

Voice Acting for Disney and Beyond

Will Ryan voiced many beloved characters for Disney. He was the voice of Rabbit and Tigger in the Disney Channel series Welcome to Pooh Corner. He also sang as Eeyore in many Pooh cartoons. Another character he voiced was Barnaby the Dog on the show Dumbo's Circus.

In 1987, Ryan became a regular on the radio drama Adventures in Odyssey. He voiced Eugene Meltsner, Harlow Doyle, and over 100 other characters. He also voiced Rabbit in Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore and Digit in An American Tail. He was Petrie in The Land Before Time and Willie the Giant in Mickey's Christmas Carol.

Will Ryan continued his voice work for many years. In 2009, he was working on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Adventures in Odyssey. He also had a new radio series with his band, The Cactus County Cowboys. In the Family Guy episode "Road to the North Pole", he voiced Winnie-the-Pooh.

From January 2021 until his death, Will Ryan co-hosted the "Tell Ya Later" show on YouTube. He worked with his longtime friend and co-star Katie Leigh.

Passing Away

Will Ryan passed away on November 19, 2021, at the age of 72. He died from pancreatic cancer.

Selected Voice Roles

Will Ryan's voice brought many characters to life. Here are some of his most notable roles in movies, radio, and television.

Movies

• Mickey's Christmas Carol – Mole, Willie the Giant, Pete, Big Bad Wolf (1983)
• An American Tail – Digit (1986)
• The Land Before Time – Petrie (1988)
• The Little Mermaid – Harold, the seahorse (1989)
• Rock-a-Doodle – Stuey (1991)
• Thumbelina – Hero, Reverend Rat (1994)
• A Troll in Central Park – Boss, Guard (1994)
• The Pebble and the Penguin – Royal, Tika (1995)
• Looney Tunes: Back in Action – Papa Bear (2003)
• Get a Horse! – Peg-Leg Pete (2013)

Radio Shows

• Adventures in Odyssey – Eugene Meltsner (1987–2000, 2005–2022)

Television Shows

• Welcome to Pooh Corner – Rabbit, Tigger (1983)
• Dumbo's Circus – Barnaby (1985)
• The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin – Grubby, Louie (1986–1987)
• Sport Goofy in Soccermania – Scrooge McDuck, Beagle Boys (1987)
• DuckTales – Pete/Sharkey (1987)
• Disney's House of Mouse – Willie the Giant (2001–2003)
• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse – Willie the Giant (2006–2016)
• Family Guy (episode Road to the North Pole) – Winnie the Pooh (2010)
• Mickey Mouse Funhouse – Willie the Giant (2021) (His final performances)

Music Albums

Will Ryan also released several music albums.

• Eugene Sings!
• Eugene Sings! Christmas
• Am I Cool or What?
• Goin' Quackers
• Elmo Aardvark: Outer Space Detective!
• Elmo Aardvark: Vintage Cartoon Sound Tracks
• Elmo Aardvark: Classic Cartoon Soundtracks
• Classic Songs for Leonard Reed's Shim Sham Shimmy
• Adventures in Odyssey (Eugene Meltsner/Harlow Doyle)
• Frosty's First Adventure
• Frosty
• Frosty the Snowman