When Jim Cummings began doing voice acting work, he never imagined his voice could touch people so deeply.
“I’ve been called ‘the voice of your childhood,’” he told the “Jesus Calling” podcast. “So I’ll take it. And I’m glad to be here.”
Cummings’ most famous voice roles are Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, but he has also appeared in popular movies like ALADDIN, THE LION KING, A GOOFY MOVIE and SHREK.
“Pooh’s a good comfort. He’s like comfort food for the soul, Winnie the Pooh is,” he said of his most famous role. “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. He’s got a lot of that sort of folksy wisdom that people rely on to get through tough times. And I’ve just been very fortunate to be a part of that.”
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While Cummings knew his work was in popular movies and shows, it wasn’t until he talked to an autistic fan who “didn’t interact with a lot of people” that he understood the impact his work has had.
The pair spoke on the phone for a long time, but when Cummings spoke to the boy’s mother, she told him, “Ronnie doesn’t speak.”
“I said, ‘This chatterbox, this little guy that I couldn’t shut him up? He’s the one who doesn’t speak?’” Cummings shared. “She goes, ‘We heard him when he was 3. That was the last time we heard his voice.’ He was 9.”
He continued, “To this day, he’s a buddy of mine. He’s out there in the world. He still has his cross to bear, but he’s doing fine, knock on wood.”
The voice actor has previously spoken about his role as Winnie the Pooh and what it has meant to him over the years.
“Being the official voice of Winnie the Pooh for all these years is a beautiful thing, because he’s not just a cartoon character, he’s almost like a state of mind,” Cummings told PEOPLE. “I always say that, there’s a new Pooh fan, a new generation of Winnie the Pooh fans every three years, and they just keep on coming, and it’s because it brings everybody back to their childhood. And no matter who you are, that was a good time.”
Speaking to Media Mikes in 2010, Cummings explained, “When it comes to Winnie the Pooh and the Hundred Acre Woods and Disney, it has always been the gold standard…It is an honor and a privilege.”
Cummings’ work as a voice actor has impacted so many fans over the years, sharing characters who are all about love, kindness and sincerity.
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