Lunch with June Foray

We couldn't talk about the '60's without mentioning the Talky Tina character from "The Twilight Zone," which hired her because of her previous work for a commercially-released talking doll. "It all started with the doll that I did – Chatty Cathy. And so, apparently, they loved the Chatty Cathy voice, because she was very sweet, and Talky Tina was very sweet, you know, when she said, 'My name is Talky Tina and I'm going to kill you.' But she said it in such a sweet dear way, it was even more menacing that way." In 1995, June reprised her role as a homicidal doll in an episode of the USA series "Weird Science" lampooning "The Twilight Zone."

Later in her career, June remained a go-to talent for new cartoon shows, including "The Smurfs." "I auditioned for [director] Gordon Hunt. He wanted to hear me do things, and I saw the only female there was Smurfette. And so Gordon said, 'why don't you try some of the other characters?' So I saw Jokey, and [when] he laughed, [the script] said H-Y-U-K, so that was hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk! That's how I came up with that voice. And next thing I knew I was hired as Jokey." Later on in the series, Hunt cast June as Mother Nature. Obviously, "The Smurfs" was only the first of the now classic '80's cartoon shows to feature her talent.

By the time Disney television was ready to cast for "Gummi Bears" and later "Ducktales," June didn't have to bother with an audition. "I guess they knew what they wanted and they just called me. I'd try something and they said, 'oh, that's fine.' I never had any problems." Her portrayal of Grammi Gummi, Ma Beagle and Magica DeSpell had affected the TV-watching kids of the late '80's just as their parents had been during the run of "Rocky and Bullwinkle". So I just had to ask June what a battle of wits would be like between Natasha Fatale and Magica DeSpell. "It would be even, dahling," she said. Interestingly, these shows recorded their actors together, in one recording booth. "It was always a lot of fun." No doubt.