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Tony Anselmo
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Tony Anselmo (born February 18, 1960)[1] 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.
Key Information
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.
Early life
[edit]Anselmo was born on February 18, 1960, in Salt Lake City, Utah.[1]
Anselmo formed an early interest with Disney after attending a screening of Mary Poppins at the age of four.[1] Anselmo said, "I remember leaving the theater and asking, 'How did they do this? Who did that?' and so on...So a seed was planted there, and from that time on I never wanted to be a fireman, an astronaut, or anything else. I wanted to work for Disney."[2]
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.[2]
He attended Marian A. Peterson High School in Sunnyvale, California. He began night art classes at local colleges and began a regular correspondence with the artists who animated the Disney films, including Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Eric Larson, and Milt Kahl.[3] Anselmo stated, "Ollie wrote a lot and sent me drawings, advising me to learn quick sketch, life drawing, and design."[4]
Anselmo studied at the Character Animation Department of California Institute of the Arts on a full scholarship from the Disney Family in fall 1978.[4] The department head was Jack Hannah, director of the Donald Duck unit under Walt Disney. Anselmo's other teachers included Disney veterans T. Hee, Ken O'Connor, Elmer Plummer, and Bill Moore.[5]
Career
[edit]
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.[1][4] Anselmo was trained and mentored by the original voice of Donald, Clarence Nash, who died in 1985 and Anselmo inherited the role of Donald Duck just as Nash had wished.[1][3][6] He first voiced Donald on a 1986 D-TV Valentine special on The Disney Channel.[3]
Walt Disney insisted on character consistency and integrity. As long as Clarence Nash was alive no one other than Nash was permitted to provide Donald's voice. Continuing in that tradition, in 1988, Michael Eisner and Roy E. Disney created the department of Disney Character Voices to ensure the continuation of character integrity, consistency, and quality in recording methods.[7]
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."[4]
Anselmo is the only person to both animate, and voice Donald Duck in Mickey Donald Goofy: The Three Musketeers, Funny You Don't Look 200, and The Prince and the Pauper.[3]
He has voiced the nephews on the TV special Down and Out With Donald Duck (in which he also voiced Daisy Duck) and the shows Mickey Mouse Works and House of Mouse (while Russi Taylor (the voice of Minnie Mouse) voiced the nephews in DuckTales, Mickey's Once and Twice Upon a Christmas, Mickey's Speedway USA and the remastered DuckTales video game in 2013).[2][4] He also lent his voice to minor characters in The Great Mouse Detective, Mickey's Around the World in 80 Days and Phineas and Ferb.[2]
Anselmo has also worked as a voice actor for the Kingdom Hearts series, which features Donald Duck as one of three main characters. He also provided the voice of Donald in the video game Kinect Disneyland Adventures in 2011.
Honors and acclaim
[edit]Anselmo has been honored with several awards and nominations. He was a winner of the 2014 BTVA Television Voice Acting Award for Best Vocal Ensemble in a Television Series — Children's/Educational for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,[8][9] as well as the BTVA Video Game Voice Acting Award for Best Vocal Ensemble in a Video Game - Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.[10]
In September 2009, Tony Anselmo was named a Disney Legend by Roy E. Disney.[11]
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.[12] Anselmo's collection was used in exhibits at The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.[4]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Great Mouse Detective | Thug Guard No. 3 | |
| 1987 | Down and Out with Donald Duck | Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Huey, Dewey, Louie | |
| 1988 | Who Framed Roger Rabbit | Donald Duck | |
| 1990 | The Prince and the Pauper | ||
| Disney Sing-Along Songs: Disneyland Fun | Direct-to-video | ||
| 1994–1995 | Mickey's Fun Songs series | Direct-to-video series | |
| 1998 | The Spirit of Mickey | Direct-to-video film | |
| 1999 | Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas | ||
| Fantasia 2000 | |||
| 2001 | Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse | Donald Duck, Huey, Dewey, Louie | Direct-to-video film |
| 2002 | Mickey's House of Villains | ||
| 2004 | The Lion King 1½ | Donald Duck | |
| Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers | Nominated - Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Feature Production Direct-to-video film | ||
| Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas | Direct-to-video film | ||
| 2023 | Once Upon a Studio | Short film |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Real Ghostbusters | The Mayor of Morrisville | 1 episode |
| D-TV Valentine | Donald Duck | Television special | |
| 1987–1988 | DuckTales | 8 episodes | |
| 1988 | Totally Minnie | Television special | |
| Mickey's 60th Birthday | |||
| 1989–1990 | Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color | ||
| 1993 | Bonkers | Episode: "Going Bonkers" | |
| 1995 | Gargoyles | Additional voices | |
| 1996 | Quack Pack | Donald Duck | 39 episodes |
| 1999–2000 | Mickey Mouse Works | Donald Duck, Huey, Dewey, Louie | 31 episodes |
| 2001–2003 | House of Mouse | 48 episodes | |
| 2006–2016 | Mickey Mouse Clubhouse | Donald Duck | 122 episodes |
| 2011 | Phineas and Ferb | Additional voices | Episode: "Mommy Can You Hear Me?/Road Trip" |
| 2012–2016 | Minnie's Bow-Toons | Donald Duck | 40 episodes |
| 2013 | Wheel of Fortune: Making Disney Memories Week | ||
| 2013–2019 | Mickey Mouse | 38 episodes | |
| 2016 | Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special | Television special | |
| 2017 | The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular | Television special | |
| 2017–2021 | DuckTales | Main cast | |
| 2018 | Legend of the Three Caballeros | ||
| 2020–2023 | The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse | ||
| 2021–2025 | Mickey Mouse Funhouse | ||
| 2025–present | Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+ |
Video games
[edit]Web series
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hot Ones | Donald Duck | Episode: "Donald Duck Tries to Keep His Cool While Eating Spicy Wings"[14][15] |
Theme park attractions
[edit]| 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
[edit]| 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 Planet | Sarah 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
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Annie Awards | Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production | Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers | Nominated |
| 2009 | Disney Legend Award | Animation — Voice | Won | |
| 2009 | Behind the Voice Actors Television Voice Acting Award | Best Vocal Ensemble in a Television Series — Children's/Educational | Mickey Mouse Clubhouse | Nominated |
| 2014 | Behind the Voice Actors People's Choice Voice Acting Award | Best Male Vocal Performance in a Television Series — Children's/Educational | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Best Vocal Ensemble in a Television Series — Children's/Educational | Nominated | ||
| 2015 | Nominated | |||
| 2015 | Best Male Vocal Performance in a Television Series — Children's/Educational | Nominated | ||
| 2018 | Best Vocal Ensemble in a New Television Series | DuckTales | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Won |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Joseph Walker (May 27, 1987). "An Utahn is the man behind Donald Duck". The Deseret News. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Feder, Joan (February 11, 2020). "I've Heard that Voice Before: Donald Duck, Part 2: Tony Anselmo". AllEars.net. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "If it Quacks like a Duck, it Must be Tony Anselmo: The Only Animator to have Voiced the Character He Animated". The National Era. 2022-02-18. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
- ^ a b c d e f "Uncovering Donald Duck's Official Voice, Tony Anselmo | 🎥 LatestLY". LatestLY. 2022-01-29. Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
- ^ "After Disney" by Neil O'Brien pg.91 last paragraph, Pg.92 first paragraph
- ^ "If It Quacks Like This Odd Duck, It Must Be Tony Anselmo". People.com. May 18, 1987. Archived from the original on February 2, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
- ^ "The Classic Character Voice Department". Disney. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
- ^ "2013 BTVA Voice Acting Awards". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ "2014 BTVA Voice Acting Awards". Behind the Voice Actors. Archived from the original on July 15, 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ "2012 BTVA Voice Acting Awards". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ "2009 Disney Legends Award Recipients to Be Honored During D23 Expo in Anaheim" (Press release). The Walt Disney Company. September 1, 2009. Archived from the original on September 5, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
- ^ Anselmo, Tony; Maltin, Leonard (September 2, 2002). The Disney Poster Book: Featuring the Collection of Tony Anselmo. Disney Editions. ISBN 978-0786853632.
- ^ a b c d e "Tony Anselmo (visual voices guide)". Behind the Voice Actors (A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information).
- ^ Becker, Amy (August 23, 2024). "Donald Duck takes on the hot seat in 'Hot Ones' interview". ABC7 Eyewitness News. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
- ^ "Donald Duck Tries to Keep His Cool While Eating Spicy Wings". YouTube. August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tony Anselmo.
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Tony Anselmo
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Early life and education
Early years
Tony Anselmo was born on February 18, 1960, in Salt Lake City, Utah.[1] At the age of four, Anselmo saw his first film, Mary Poppins, which ignited his passion for Disney animation and voice performance.[4] This early exposure to the magical blend of live-action and animation in the 1964 Disney classic left a lasting impression, inspiring him to dream of contributing to similar productions.[1] When Anselmo was seven years old, his family relocated to Sunnyvale, California, bringing him closer to the heart of the entertainment industry in the Bay Area and broadening his access to creative influences.[4] He attended Marian A. Peterson High School, where he took night art classes at local colleges. In this new environment, he deepened his engagement with animation by studying Disney techniques, drawing prolifically, and experimenting with stop-motion projects using a Super 8 camera to create his own short films.[1] These hands-on activities honed his artistic skills and foreshadowed his professional path.[4] During high school, Anselmo developed a talent for voice imitation, playfully mimicking teachers and celebrities, which sparked his interest in character voices and laid the groundwork for his future work in animation sound design.[4]Formal training
In 1978, Tony Anselmo enrolled at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in the Character Animation program, supported by a full scholarship from the Disney family that covered his tuition after he demonstrated exceptional drawing talent through a personal portfolio.[1][2] This opportunity arose from his early fascination with Disney animation, sparked by films like Mary Poppins.[1] During his time at CalArts, Anselmo studied under prominent Disney veterans who shaped the institution's curriculum, including department head Jack Hannah, a longtime director of Disney shorts; T. Hee, known for his work in character design and layout; and Ken O'Connor, a layout artist with extensive studio experience.[2] These mentors emphasized foundational techniques in character animation, such as squash-and-stretch principles for expressive movement, detailed figure drawing to capture personality, and the integration of timing and appeal to bring static designs to life in sequence. After his initial years at CalArts, Anselmo was invited to the Disney School of Animation on the studio lot, a supplementary program led by figures like Eric Larson—one of Walt Disney's "Nine Old Men"—where he refined these skills through hands-on exercises focused on classic Disney principles of storytelling and emotional depth in animation.[2][5] Anselmo also explored early voice elements during his college years, self-taught through imitating iconic Disney characters in student projects and providing vocal performances for classmates' animated films to enhance synchronization between sound and motion.[5][2] This practical application complemented his animation training, fostering an understanding of how voice inflections could amplify character traits. Anselmo attended CalArts from 1978 to 1980, after which he joined The Walt Disney Studios, and is recognized as an alumnus of the institution.[2][6]Animation career
Entry into the industry
Tony Anselmo entered the animation industry in 1980 when he joined The Walt Disney Studios as a junior animator at the age of 20, following his completion of training at the California Institute of the Arts supported by a Disney Family Fellowship.[1][2] His hiring on September 1, 1980, marked the beginning of a professional career dedicated to character animation.[3] In his initial role, Anselmo undertook in-betweening and clean-up animation tasks under the supervision of senior animators, contributing to the foundational aspects of Disney's animation pipeline during the early 1980s.[2] These assignments involved refining key drawings and ensuring smooth motion in sequences for various productions, providing him with hands-on experience in traditional animation techniques.[2] During this early period at the studio, Anselmo developed a mentorship relationship with Clarence Nash, the original voice actor for Donald Duck, who guided him through informal sessions and demonstrations of character vocalization.[1] Nash, encountered on Anselmo's first day, offered ongoing tutelage over three years, including opportunities for Anselmo to observe and practice voice creation methods, fostering his understanding of integrated animation and sound elements.[2] This collaboration highlighted Nash's role in passing down Disney's animation legacy to emerging talents.[1] Anselmo's early contributions extended to support work on non-feature animation projects, such as shorts and internal studio efforts, where he honed his skills in character development and timing before advancing to more prominent responsibilities.[2]Key Disney contributions
Tony Anselmo joined Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1980 and contributed to the animation of approximately 20 feature films from the 1980s through the 2000s, supporting the studio's resurgence during the Disney Renaissance period.[1] His roles ranged from clean-up animation—refining rough sketches for fluidity and detail—to key assistant animation, ensuring expressive character performances that enhanced narrative depth in these productions.[2] These efforts were integral to Disney's output of critically acclaimed animated features that blended storytelling with innovative visual techniques. In The Little Mermaid (1989), Anselmo served as a character animator, polishing character designs and movements to capture the film's underwater grace and emotional range.[2][7] For Beauty and the Beast (1991), he animated the enchanted Wardrobe, bringing lively personality to the household objects in sequences like "Be Our Guest," where dynamic transformations highlighted the film's musical spectacle.[8] Anselmo's work on The Lion King (1994) involved general animation tasks that supported the depiction of majestic wildlife and dramatic savanna scenes, contributing to the movie's groundbreaking use of realistic animal anatomy and epic scale.[3] Anselmo's contributions extended to later Renaissance-era films, including Tarzan (1999), where he served as lead key assistant animator for Professor Archimedes Q. Porter, aiding in the character's bumbling yet endearing jungle explorations through precise timing and exaggerated gestures.[9] Throughout his tenure, he employed classic Disney animation principles, such as squash-and-stretch for elastic character motions and detailed scene breakdowns to maintain pacing in ensemble dynamics. His involvement persisted into the early 2000s, as a key assistant animator on Home on the Range (2004), bridging traditional hand-drawn methods with emerging digital processes at the studio.[2][10] These roles underscored Anselmo's impact on Disney's evolution, fostering memorable character animations that bolstered the studio's legacy in feature filmmaking. Anselmo has continued to contribute to Disney animated features beyond 2004, working on nearly every production from 1980 to the present.[1]Voice acting career
Assuming the role of Donald Duck
Tony Anselmo began his apprenticeship with Clarence Nash, the original voice of Donald Duck, in the early 1980s while working as an animator at Walt Disney Productions.[1] Initially curious about Nash's unique vocal technique, Anselmo asked for a demonstration, leading to informal lessons where he learned to produce the distinctive "quack" and inflections by contorting his mouth and controlling his larynx.[1] Over the course of three years, Nash tutored Anselmo, helping him refine the voice through persistent practice despite initial struggles.[1] Following Nash's death on February 20, 1985, Disney selected Anselmo as his successor for the role, honoring Nash's wish for a trained apprentice to continue the legacy. Anselmo's official debut as Donald Duck occurred in the television special D-TV Valentine, which aired on January 31, 1986, on The Disney Channel. Replicating Nash's style presented significant challenges for Anselmo, requiring precise muscle control in the throat and mouth—described by Anselmo as "like lifting weights"—to achieve the raspy, duck-like timbre without losing emotional expressiveness.[1] He balanced fidelity to Nash's inflections with personal touches, expanding the vocal range to convey Donald's frustration, joy, and mischief more dynamically while maintaining the character's iconic incomprehensibility.[1] By 2025, Anselmo's tenure as Donald Duck's voice had spanned nearly 40 years, making it the defining element of his career and ensuring the character's continuity across Disney media.[1] He has expressed commitment to the role indefinitely, stating, "Pending natural disaster, I expect to be doing Donald the rest of my life," and continues to voice the character in ongoing productions such as Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+ (2025–present).[1][3]Other character voices
In addition to his primary role as Donald Duck, which serves as the foundational quack for the Duck family, Tony Anselmo has provided voices for Donald's nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, in various Disney projects since 1987, beginning with the television special Down and Out with Donald Duck.[3] He typically employs a slightly higher-pitched variation of Donald's distinctive vocal style for the triplets, allowing for seamless family dynamics in scenes where they appear together. In productions like Mickey Mouse Works and House of Mouse, Anselmo voiced all three nephews, using subtle tonal shifts to reflect their mischievous yet unified personalities—such as quicker, more energetic inflections for group antics—while sharing duties with Russi Taylor in other instances.[11] Anselmo has also portrayed Daisy Duck in select early projects, adapting his delivery with feminine inflections and a falsetto to capture her sassy demeanor. Notably, he voiced Daisy in the 1987 educational short Down and Out with Donald Duck, where the character's exasperation toward Donald required a lighter, more melodic tone distinct from his usual raspy quacks.[12] Beyond the core Disney Duck universe, Anselmo has contributed guest voices in non-Disney media, including video game cameos and theme park recordings for secondary characters. In the animated series The Real Ghostbusters (1986), he lent his voice to the Mayor of Morrisville in the episode "Look Homeward, Ray," employing a gruff, authoritative timbre unrelated to his Duck work.[13] His theme park contributions extend to non-Duck roles, such as additional character audio in Disney attractions, though these often draw on his versatile vocal range honed through ensemble experiences. Over time, Anselmo's voice techniques have evolved to handle complex ensemble scenes, particularly in family-oriented narratives. In the DuckTales reboot (2017–2021), where the nephews were voiced by distinct actors like Danny Pudi (Huey), Ben Schwartz (Dewey), and Bobby Moynihan (Louie), Anselmo adjusted Donald's delivery for heightened emotional interactions—incorporating more intelligible phrasing amid the chaos while relying on post-production speed-ups of up to 20% to amplify urgency in group dialogues.[14] This adaptation allowed for richer portrayals of Donald's protective frustration during family adventures, blending his classic rasp with modern clarity to complement the ensemble's diverse tones.[15]Awards and honors
Disney Legend recognition
In 2009, Tony Anselmo was inducted as a Disney Legend during the inaugural ceremony at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, on September 10, honoring his extensive contributions to Disney animation and voice acting.[16][17] The award recognized his work as an animator on nearly every Disney feature film since joining the studio in 1980, alongside his role as the official voice of Donald Duck since 1985, a position he assumed after apprenticing under original voice artist Clarence "Ducky" Nash.[1][18] The ceremony, hosted in the Anaheim Convention Center, celebrated Anselmo alongside other honorees including Bill Farmer and Betty White, with the Disney Legends award—a bronze statue created by artist Andrea Favilli—presented to recipients for their lasting impact on the company.[16] Named a Disney Legend by Roy E. Disney, the induction highlighted Anselmo's unique dual expertise in bringing Donald Duck to life through both animation and vocal performance, as seen in projects like DuckTales and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.[19][1] This lifetime achievement accolade significantly enhanced Anselmo's legacy, emphasizing the vital role of voice performers in preserving Disney's iconic characters and increasing visibility for such artists within the company's historical narrative.[1] During reflections on his career, Anselmo noted, “Pending natural disaster, I expect to be doing Donald the rest of my life,” underscoring his enduring commitment to the role.[1]Voice acting accolades
Tony Anselmo has received recognition for his voice work, particularly in portraying Donald Duck across television, film, and video games, with awards highlighting his contributions to ensemble performances and individual character interpretations. His accolades include nominations from prestigious industry bodies like the Annie Awards and wins from fan-voted honors such as the Behind The Voice Actors (BTVA) Awards, which emphasize vocal ensemble dynamics in animated projects.[20][21] In 2005, Anselmo earned a nomination for the Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production for his role as Donald Duck in the direct-to-video film Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers. This category, presented by the International Animated Film Society (ASIFA-Hollywood), recognizes excellence in character voice work within feature-length animated productions, placing Anselmo alongside nominees like Antonio Banderas for Shrek 2. The nomination underscored his ability to capture Donald Duck's signature raspy temperament and comedic timing in a narrative-driven adventure.[20] Anselmo's BTVA Awards further affirm his impact in children's programming and gaming. In 2014, he shared in the win for Best Vocal Ensemble in a Television Series - Children's/Educational for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, a fan-voted honor that celebrated the collaborative vocal performances fostering educational entertainment for young audiences. That same year, he contributed to the BTVA Video Game Voice Acting Award for Best Vocal Ensemble in a Video Game for Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, where his portrayal of Donald Duck as a loyal, exasperated companion was praised for enhancing the game's emotional and action-oriented scenes alongside co-stars like Haley Joel Osment as Sora. These ensemble-focused categories reflect BTVA's emphasis on how voice actors elevate group dynamics in interactive media.[22] Subsequent nominations highlight Anselmo's ongoing acclaim. He received a 2018 BTVA nomination for Best Vocal Ensemble in a New Television Series for DuckTales (2017), competing in a category that spotlighted fresh animated revivals and their cast chemistry. Additional BTVA nods across 2017–2021 for DuckTales and in 2019 for Kingdom Hearts III recognized his consistent delivery of Donald Duck's frustrated yet endearing persona, with fan feedback often noting the authenticity inherited from Clarence Nash's original style. These honors, voted by the voice acting community on BTVA, illustrate Anselmo's enduring influence in maintaining iconic character integrity amid evolving storytelling formats.[21][23]| Year | Award | Category | Project | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Annie Award | Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production | Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers | Nominated |
| 2014 | BTVA Voice Acting Award | Best Vocal Ensemble in a Television Series - Children's/Educational | Mickey Mouse Clubhouse | Won (ensemble) |
| 2014 | BTVA Voice Acting Award | Best Vocal Ensemble in a Video Game | Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance | Won (ensemble) |
| 2018 | BTVA Voice Acting Award | Best Vocal Ensemble in a New Television Series | DuckTales (2017) | Nominated (ensemble) |
| 2019 | BTVA Voice Acting Award | Best Vocal Ensemble in a Video Game | Kingdom Hearts III | Nominated (ensemble) |
Filmography
Feature films
Anselmo made his feature film voice acting debut as Donald Duck in the 1988 hybrid live-action and animated comedy Who Framed Roger Rabbit, where the character appears in a memorable piano duet scene with Daffy Duck. In the 1990 Disney animated film The Prince and the Pauper, Anselmo provided the voice for Donald Duck while also serving as the character's animator, marking the first time he performed both roles for the same character in a production.[1][24] Anselmo contributed animation work to several major Disney feature films during the 1990s, including character animation on The Lion King (1994), where he helped bring the film's animal characters to life. For the 1999 direct-to-video holiday anthology Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas, Anselmo voiced Donald Duck across multiple segments featuring the Duck family, alongside animation contributions to the production.[25]Television series
Tony Anselmo has provided voice work for several Disney animated television series, primarily as Donald Duck, with additional roles voicing Huey, Dewey, and Louie in select productions. His contributions span anthology formats and narrative-driven shows, often sharing duties for the nephews with Russi Taylor.[3] In Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (2006–2016), Anselmo voiced Donald Duck across 125 episodes, contributing to the educational preschool series that featured interactive problem-solving adventures with Mickey and friends; he also provided incidental voices for other characters.[26][13] Anselmo recurred as Donald Duck in the reboot DuckTales (2017–2021), appearing in 29 episodes of the 69-episode run, alongside occasional voices for Huey, Dewey, and Louie, supporting the action-comedy narratives centered on Scrooge McDuck and his family.[27][28] Earlier in his career, Anselmo voiced Donald Duck, Huey, Dewey, and Louie in Mickey Mouse Works (1999–2000), an anthology series comprising 25 episodes (96 segments) of short segments that aired on ABC and Toon Disney.[13] He continued in this capacity for House of Mouse (2001–2003), voicing Donald Duck in 47 of the series' 52 episodes, where Donald served as co-owner and assistant manager in a variety show format featuring Disney characters as club patrons.[29][13] Anselmo reprised the role of Donald Duck in the 2025 series Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+, with episodes premiering on Disney Jr. starting July 21, 2025. He also voiced Donald in the special Mickey & Minnie's Holiday Songs: Halloween (2025).[3]Video games
Tony Anselmo has been the primary voice actor for Donald Duck in a wide array of Disney video games since the late 1980s, bringing the character's signature quacky temperament to interactive media.[13] His performances emphasize Donald's frustrated energy and magical outbursts, particularly in action-adventure titles where the duck serves as a key companion.[1] Anselmo's most prominent video game role is in the Kingdom Hearts series, developed by Square Enix in collaboration with Disney, where he voiced Donald Duck across multiple entries from 2002 to 2019.[30] In the original Kingdom Hearts (2002, PlayStation 2), Donald appears as King Mickey's court magician, assisting protagonist Sora with spells and comic relief. This role continued through sequels and spin-offs, including Kingdom Hearts II (2005, PlayStation 2), Birth by Sleep (2010, PlayStation Portable), Dream Drop Distance (2012, Nintendo 3DS), and culminating in Kingdom Hearts III (2019, PlayStation 4, Xbox One), where his voice lines integrate with real-time combat and narrative cutscenes. Anselmo recorded his lines in dedicated sessions, syncing Donald's dialogue to motion-captured animations for fluid in-game interactions. Beyond Kingdom Hearts, Anselmo voiced Donald in the Epic Mickey series, starting with Epic Mickey (2010, Wii), where the character features in animated sequences within the game's dark twist on Disney lore. He reprised the role in Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (2012, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC) and Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion (2012, Nintendo 3DS). In the Disney Infinity series, Anselmo provided Donald's voice for the toy-box style gameplay across its iterations from 2013 to 2016, allowing players to control the character in open-world adventures on platforms like PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and later-generation consoles. The following table summarizes key video games featuring Anselmo's voice work as Donald Duck, presented chronologically with release years and primary platforms:| Year | Title | Platforms | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers | PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, PC | Platformer starring Donald as lead. |
| 2002 | Kingdom Hearts | PlayStation 2 | Series debut for Donald. |
| 2005 | Kingdom Hearts II | PlayStation 2 | Expanded role in sequel. |
| 2010 | Epic Mickey | Wii | Donald in cameo animations. |
| 2012 | Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC | Co-op adventure with Donald elements. |
| 2013 | Disney Infinity | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC | Donald as playable figure. |
| 2014 | Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, PC | Donald integrated into Marvel crossover. |
| 2015 | Disney Infinity 3.0: Star Wars | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, PC | Final entry with Donald playable. |
| 2019 | Kingdom Hearts III | PlayStation 4, Xbox One | Series finale with full Donald arc. |