Tony Anselmo

Tony Anselmo (born February 18, 1960) is an American voice actor and animator. He has been the official character voice of Donald Duck since 1985 following the death of the original voice actor, Clarence Nash. He has also provided voices for Donald's triplet nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and his girlfriend, Daisy Duck.

Prior to voicing for Disney projects, he became an animator for the company in 1980. As of 2023, he has been credited in 23 animation roles. Anselmo was inducted as a Disney Legend in 2009 for his decades of contribution to animation and the character of Donald Duck.

Early life and education Anselmo was born on February 18, 1960, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Anselmo's family moved to Sunnyvale in northern California when he was seven, and he continued to actively study Disney and animation. He began drawing, using the famed Preston Blair art book, Advanced Animation, built a light table of his own, and began creating animation with a Super 8 camera. Anselmo stated, "Ollie wrote a lot and sent me drawings, advising me to learn quick sketch, life drawing, and design."

Anselmo studied at the Character Animation Department of California Institute of the Arts on a full scholarship from the Disney Family in fall 1978.

Career

Anselmo's career as an animator began in 1980, at age 20. In subsequent years, Anselmo contributed to the animation of 20 Disney animated features, including The Black Cauldron, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Tarzan and The Emperor's New Groove. He first voiced Donald on a 1986 D-TV Valentine special on The Disney Channel.

During an interview, Anselmo stated that "Most people believe that Donald's voice is done squeezing air through the cheek, that is not true. I can't reveal how it's actually done, but it is definitely not done by squeezing air through the cheek. The Hanna-Barbera character 'Yakky Doodle' is done that way. Donald Duck is not." as well as the BTVA Video Game Voice Acting Award for Best Vocal Ensemble in a Video Game - Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.

In September 2009, Tony Anselmo was named a Disney Legend by Roy E. Disney.

Anselmo began collecting Disney merchandise at an early age, and is known for his comprehensive collection of Disney posters relating to the works of Walt Disney. This expertise resulted in a 2002 art book, The Disney Poster Book: Featuring the Collection of Tony Anselmo. Anselmo's collection was used in exhibits at The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. Mickey Mouse Kindergarten Theme park attractions Year Title Role 1993 Mickey's Movie Barn Donald Duck 2002 Animagique 2003 Mickey's PhilharMagic 2007 Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros 2020 Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway

Animator Year Film Animation Characters 1985 The Black Cauldron Assistant Animator 1986 The Great Mouse Detective Key Assistant Animator 1988 Oliver & Company Animating Assistant 1989 The Little Mermaid Character Animator 1990 The Prince and the Pauper (Short) 1991 Beauty and the Beast Animator Wardrobe 1992 Aladdin Assistant Animator Jasmine 1994 The Lion King Key Assistant Animator Additional Young Simba and Miscellaneous Characters 1995 Pocahontas Flit 1996 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Associate Lead Key Assistant Clean-Up Animator Gypsies, Guards and Others 1997 Hercules Key Assistant Animator: Additional Clean-Up Animation 1998 Mulan Additional Key Assistant Clean-Up Animator 1999 Tarzan Lead Key Assistant Animator Professor Archimedes Quincy Porter Fantasia 2000 Key Assistant Animator / Additional Animator 2000 The Emperor's New Groove Key Assistant Animator Pacha 2002 Treasure PlanetSarah Hawkins and Miscellaneous Characters 2004 Home on the Range Key Assistant Animator Miscellaneous Characters Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (Video) Animation Clean-Up / Key Clean-Up Artist Donald Duck 2005 Pooh's Heffalump Movie Clean-Up Artist 2006–07 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Storyboard Revisionist / Prop Designer Episodes: "A Surprise for Minnie", "Mickey's Great Clubhouse Hunt" 2008 The Replacements Storyboard Revisionist Episode: "Tasumi Unmasked" 2010 Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil Prop Designer Episode: "Mellowbrook Drift"/"The Gift of Wacky"

Awards and nominations +Awards and nominations Year Award Category Title Result 2005 Annie Awards Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers 2009 Disney Legend Award Animation — Voice 2009 Behind the Voice Actors Television Voice Acting Award Best Vocal Ensemble in a Television Series — Children's/Educational Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 2014 Behind the Voice Actors People's Choice Voice Acting Award Best Male Vocal Performance in a Television Series — Children's/Educational 2014 Best Vocal Ensemble in a Television Series — Children's/Educational 2015 2015 Best Male Vocal Performance in a Television Series — Children's/Educational 2018 Best Vocal Ensemble in a New Television Series DuckTales 2018