The Disney star you never see: Jim Cummings, 73, the voice of Winnie the Pooh (and Tigger, too!) set to visit UK to help celebrate 100th anniversary of AA Milne classic

Published: 00:41, 5 April 2026 | Updated: 00:45, 5 April 2026 He’s one of Hollywood’s biggest stars you’ve never heard of. And though he has spent decades playing a quintessentially British character, he is – and small children may find this deeply shocking – 100 per cent American. Jim Cummings, 73, has been the voice of Winnie the Pooh in Disney films, TV series, video and computer games for nearly 40 years, and this month will be visiting Britain to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of AA Milne’s classic book. With a close-cropped silver beard and a receding hairline, Cummings is unlikely to be mistaken for a tubby honey-loving bear, and equally unlikely to be stopped in the street by Disney fans. ‘Everybody knows my voice, but not many people know my face,’ says Cummings at home in Los Angeles. ‘Winnie the Pooh changed my life, and it’s an honour to bring him to life. ‘And like Winnie the Pooh, I’m partial to a smackerel of honey.’ Remarkably, Cummings may be one of the most widely heard voices on the planet. He not only speaks for Pooh, but has given voice to Pooh’s bouncing friend Tigger since 1989, the whirling Tasmanian Devil since 1991, and supplied his vocal skills to characters in animated classics including Scooby-Doo and Tom and Jerry, as well as Star Wars. He has collaborated with Elton John and Randy Newman, and been heard on the soundtrack of movies including The Lion King, Pocahontas and Anastasia. Beyond his portrayal of Pooh, Cummings has voiced the energetic Tigger since 1989 and the iconic Tasmanian Devil since 1991, while lending his talents to legendary franchises ranging from Scooby-Doo and Tom and Jerry to Star Wars For nearly four decades, 73-year-old Jim Cummings has served as the definitive voice of Winnie the Pooh across Disney’s films, television shows, and video games Like the beloved bear he voices, Cummings took a meandering path to acting, working as a Mississippi riverboat deckhand, drummer and video store manager before launching himself as a vocal talent in 1984. Four years later, he took over as Winnie the Pooh from another American actor, Sterling Holloway, who had originated the bear’s breathy vocals for Disney in 1966. But after suffering a heart attack in 1977, Holloway ‘just couldn’t crank them out’, said his biographer, Rod Taylor. ‘That’s when they pivoted to Jim Cummings.’ Cummings arrives in the UK as the nation gears up to celebrate Pooh’s 100th birthday. Disney is launching a slew of centenary merchandise, while there are Winnie the Pooh collaborations with companies including Lego, Vera Bradley and PopSockets. And the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, which served as inspiration for Christopher Robin’s Hundred Acre Wood, is planning anniversary events. Not bad for a bear of very little brain. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.