He remembered that there was a corporate-wide push to do this, until they got to the businesses division, “They tested the idea with a group and the answer came back that children see the characters as their own age. Now, this was before House of Mouse. Which now tests, ‘What are Mickey and Minnie?’ ‘They’re adults.’ ‘Why?’ ‘Because they drive cars and read a newspaper.’ Apparently that’s all it takes to be an adult these days.” They remembered that it sounded like a good idea at the time, but the Company decided to keep them, “An item.”

They were asked, “Have you ever had a fight or a disagreement and then had to record the voices of Mickey and Minnie the same day? ‘ They both answered, “Yeah.” And Wayne added, “The interesting thing about doing these voices is, they’re so up, they’re so happy, they’re so enthusiastic that no matter what’s going on in your life, not necessarily personally, but maybe something that’s happening on the periphery of your life, that might be quite sad… You guys all know that we do what we call the ‘mercy calls’ to little kids who are sick or dying.”

Wayne explained, “When you’re in character, when you’re portraying these characters it takes on a whole different part of you. It brings out a whole different part of you. And, no matter what’s going on in your life you can still perform the characters.” Russi added, “Even if we have had a spat or something, if we go in and do the characters we come out just fine and dandy… They really do bring out the best in you… It’s just what you do (the mercy calls) It’s what you have to do when you represent a character that has so much love and gives so much to the world. You become better because of the character… We’re the ones who are lucky.”

She added, “I was thinking, we are so blessed, so blessed, to be a part, and it’s really not that big a part, of this. We’re all Mickey. All of you as the fans and all of these wonderful people who have made the studio what it is (as she also acknowledged the Legends attending)… You’re all Mickey just as much as we are, in a sense. Because you keep it alive. I don’t mean to sound corny, but I mean it. You guys are what makes Mickey what he is today… It wouldn’t be there without you.” Wayne added, “Without you guys, we’d just be voices. You’re the ones who we are actually working for. It’s for that audience we very rarely ever get to see… You, indeed, are the people who keep the magic alive.”

Wayne agreed, adding, “The thing that’s wonderful about this business is that only the outside gets older. Inside we’re still working as the kids we were when we were in our teens and twenties… It is strange, though, when that child within looks in the mirror and goes, ‘What happened to you?’... I remember one morning Russi caught me looking into a mirror and saying ‘Who did that to ya kid? We’ll get ‘im.’” Russi added, laughing, “I was about 20 minutes late for work that day.”

Wayne was asked, “Of the pre-1960 Mickey shorts, which would you have liked to have worked on?” He answered, “Any of them, any one of them. I’d have loved to have been a fly on the wall while Walt was working… I’ve seen one little bit of film with him working… Because I always thought, ‘Gee, I wonder if he’s as animated as I am when he works?’ And, here he is doing this great voice, and he’s got his hand in his pocket, just standing there… this great voice is coming out and he’s just so casual and so cool. I’ve tried that and it’s real hard to keep my hands still… But, any of the early shorts… they’re all such masterpieces, such classics.”

Wayne then turned the tables on those in the ballroom and asked, “The big question I’d have for all of you guys is, Do you think Mickey should be more today? I don’t know. There have always been two factions at the company. One that wants to keep him as he was and one that wants to move him ahead. And, we try to sit right about in the middle. Once in a while we make little changes. But, for the most part, he is who he is and he is who he’s always been.” Russi added, “I think as long as he stays in character, as long as all of our characters stay in character. You can change his clothes all you want to and he’s still going to be Mickey. And, she’s still going to be Minnie.”

When asked, “What is the secret of your success?”, Wayne pointed to Russi and smiled, then answered, “Luck, luck and my father’s voice. My dad was a first tenor and sang in a barbershop quartet… That and the fact that I have such love and respect for the company. I would have done any job. I don’t think anybody knew but I would gladly have swept-up with Pickins and the crew, with the janitors, just to be part of the Disney Company. And to wind-up where I am now is, is… I’ve told my kids before, ‘If I go tomorrow kids, I’ve had a heck of a run.’… I didn’t shoot for the stars, I didn’t even shoot for the moon. But here I am on Mars waving at everybody… It’s just luck, being in the right place at the right time and my wonderful teachers. That’s what made me what I am.”

Wayne remembered, “While Jimmy MacDonald was still alive and I was working with him on the lot, nobody said ‘Hi Mickey’, they’d say ‘Hi Jimmy’ and that was just part of what Jimmy did. And this is just part of what I do… I think that’s part of what made the Studio great was the fact that everybody who worked there did double or triple duty. Everybody was trained to do several jobs… it was a great little repertory company… everybody could do several things. Everybody added, everybody added to the great artistic magic… That’s where the magic came from.”

Russi added, “We just follow in their footsteps.” And Wayne continued, “Literally, and we’ve said it before. We’re standing on the shoulders of giants. Ladies and gentlemen, we’re this tall because they’re right under us here holding us up. And that’s just the way I was trained. That’s what the Company was. Best place in the world. The best place in the world, a renaissance village, it was marvelous.”

When asked if they had a favorite Mickey or Minnie moment, Russi answered, “Getting married.” Wayne added, “Yeah, the only person we told was Roy Disney.” Russi recalled “And he said, ‘Well, I’m not surprised. But, I’m delighted.’” Wayne continued, “Roy was the only person who knew that Russi and I were going to get married.” Which they did in Hawaii, “We ran off, just the two of us… and two semi-strangers were our witnesses. And a lovely minister, who did most of the ceremony in Hawaiian, so I have no idea what he said… And it was pouring rain, which is supposed to be blessings. And it was.” Wayne added, smiling, “Yeah.”

When asked how much control they had over the scripts they were given, Russi answered, “We do get scripts sometimes that are not good. We don’t really argue with anybody. If it’s not in character, we won’t do it. It’s just that simple.” Wayne picked up her thought, adding, “When Disney Character Voices was created, all scripts that come in from any division run through that department. And, there are several people there capable of rewriting a script, keeping the spirit of what people want, but adapting it to the guidelines… Mickey and Minnie don’t really sell anything… If it’s out of character, they’ll change it… we’ve been known to change words to make it more Mickey or more Minnie.”

As the luncheon came to a close Wayne opened the mandolin case that protects Russi’s 1922 Martin ukulele, which goes everywhere Mickey and Minnie go these days. “It’s also known as filler… for those mornings when the interviews aren’t going well, I can open the case and play anything.”, he joked. And he began to play. In a salute to Jiminy Cricket he sang I’m No Fool and together they sang a medley of two all-time favorites, When You Wish Upon a Star and A Dream is A Wish.

As the last notes faded, and the tears were dried and sniffles ended, they were presented with their engraved awards. As Wayne said, “You know, what’s great? You guys have always been there for us. Thank You so much.” And as the standing ovation died down and everyone took their seats again, two people whom I adore joined the ranks of those whom I admire, the NFFC’s Legends.

A wonderful day with two wonderful people.

Discuss It

-- Posted July 27, 2009
-- Text by Kim Petersen