Remembering June Foray, the woman of a thousand cartoon voices
CBC Radio | Posted: July 27, 2017 9:45 PM | Last Updated: July 27, 2017
June Foray was the woman of a thousand voices — Rocky of the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, Cindy Lou Who of How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Granny of Looney Tunes, and countless others.
The renowned voice actress died on Wednesday at the age of 99.
Back in 2000, Foray was all set to star in the feature film remake of Rocky and Bullwinkle, when she spoke to As It Happens guest host Mary Hynes.
Here's part of that interview, from our archives:
Foray got her start voicing radio dramas as a teen. Over the course of her prolific 85-year career, she went on to voice hundreds of characters for radio, television and film.
Whether it was Granny, the little old lady who owned Tweety Bird and Sylvester in Looney Tunes, or the delightfully evil Witch Hazel in the Bugs Bunny cartoons, Foray brought her acrobatic vocal range to every character she played.
Her best known work was with the '60s cartoon series the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, where she voiced two characters, effortlessly pivoting between the high-pitched boyish timbre of Rocky the Flying Squirrel and the throaty Russian accent of his nemesis, Natasha Fatale.
Often referred to as the "First Lady of Animation" by her colleagues, Foray was a trailblazer in her field. She is recognized as coming up with the idea for the Annie Awards, which honours excellence in animation. She was instrumental in the creation of the animated feature category at the Oscars.