Adriana Elena Loreta Caselotti was an American actress, voice actress, and singer, best known for providing the voice and physical modeling of Snow White in Walt Disney's first full-length animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, in 1937. She also provided her voice for Donald Duck cartoons Modern Inventions, Donald's Ostrich, and Donald's Off Day as well as the Silly Symphony Toby Tortoise Returns.
She overheard a phone conversation in which Walt Disney was asking her father, Guido, if he knew of any suitable voices for Snow White. She then approached him, suggesting herself for the role. After auditioning for the part in September 1934, she was offered the part and accepted it. She had previously been a chorus girl for MGM.
However, after Snow White was finished, she never landed any starring roles in movies and shows, due to signing a contract with Disney that stated she will only use her voice on Snow White. She did, however, make uncredited cameo appearances in The Wizard of Oz, We Were Dancing, It's a Wonderful Life, and a short film called Hobo's Lady, written by and starring Snow White co-star Pinto Colvig.
She continued to appear in several promotional spots for the company and for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and sign memorabilia. In 1967, Caselotti recorded "Snow White" dialogue for the Telephone Association of Canada Exhibit for Montreal's Expo '67 which allowed children to dial-a-conversation with their favorite Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, and Pinocchio. She later guest-starred on an episode of The Julie Andrews Hour, saluting the music of Disney Studios, singing "I'm Wishing" and "Someday My Prince Will Come" with Andrews. In the early 1990s, she re-recorded "I'm Wishing" for the Snow White Wishing Well in Disneyland at the age of 75.
Caselotti also attempted a career in opera, performing in a production of Rigoletto, as well as investing in real estate and the stock market, and wrote a how-to book "Do You Like to Sing?". In 1994, she was named a Disney Legend and was the first female voice actress to be named so.[1]