Jim Cummings, the long-time voice behind beloved Disney characters including Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and Pete, has voiced his displeasure after being overlooked for induction into Disney's Hall of Legends at this year's D23 event. The Hall of Legends annually honors individuals who have made significant contributions to Disney's vast array of projects.
This year's ceremony saw eleven new inductees, a list that featured prominent figures such as Anne Hathaway, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the Jonas Brothers, alongside former Disney CEO Bob Iger and veteran animator Eric Goldberg. Notably absent from this group was Cummings, a prolific voice actor with a career spanning over 1,545 recorded roles across film, television, and other media since the late 1980s.
Cummings took to Instagram to amplify sentiments from fans who expressed astonishment and disappointment over his exclusion. Many fans pointed out that newer figures with less tenure at the company were honored while Cummings, a voice for multiple generations, was not. "The fact that The Rock, Bob Iger, Jonas Brothers, and Lin-Manuel Miranda get this before Jim Cummings is still baffling to me… Come on, Disney," one fan's comment read, which Cummings reposted. Another fan stated, "Are you kidding? They still have not put one of the greatest Disney legends of all time, that is the Jim Cummings, who is the iconic [sic] Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Pete, Darkwing Duck, Ray the Firefly, and so many more. This is unbelievable."
Cummings also shared a video of himself on the grounds of the Anaheim Convention Center, set to The Beatles' "The Sound of Silence." His caption, "Jim Cummings at D23. 40+ years. 1500+ characters. The voice of generations. No comment," underscored his feelings about the situation. Fans echoed his sentiment, with one writing on Instagram, "The fact that Jim Cummings isn't an official Disney Legend makes the whole thing feel a bit like a farce, to be honest."
Despite Cummings' public disappointment, the D23 convention did present other significant announcements for fans, including early looks at "Kingdom Hearts IV," "Frozen 3," and the cast reveal for Marvel's "X-Men."