Sterling Holloway

Sterling Price Holloway, Jr. (January 4, 1905 - November 22, 1992) was an American voice actor. Most notably he was the original voice of Winnie the Pooh, as well being considered to voice Sleepy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and voiced Mr. Stork from Dumbo, the adult version of Flower from Bambi, the narrator from The Cold-Blooded Penguin and Peter and the Wolf segments, Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, Kaa from The Jungle Book, the narrator of the cartoon shorts, Susie the Little Blue Coupe, The Little House, and Roquefort from The Aristocats. He also filled in as the voice for Jiminy Cricket in 1973 when his original voice actor, Cliff Edwards, passed away in 1971.

Upon Sterling's death, Jim Cummings took over many of his roles. Sterling said that the role of Winnie the Pooh was his favorite role that he did for Disney. Besides a voice actor, Holloway was also a movie and stage actor and appeared in movies such as Meet John Doe (1941) and It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). He also appeared in a few Gene Autry movies and he also appeared on television in The Andy Griffith Show, A Family Affair, and Gilligan's Island. Holloway was awarded the Disney Legend of 1991 where he was escorted by the character of Pooh himself to receive the award. Sterling Holloway died on November 22nd, 1992 at the age of 87 from a cardiac arrest. He was never married but did adopt a son named Richard Holloway who survived him.