Sterling Price Holloway Jr. (January 4, 1905 – November 22, 1992) was an American actor and voice artist from Georgia.
Known for his softly raspy high-tenor voice, Holloway had a long and prolific career, spanning over fifty years and more than a hundred films and TV shows. He was probably best known for lending his voice to numerous Disney animated films and shorts, most prominently voicing Winnie the Pooh from 1966 to 1977.
Not to be confused with the English comedic actor Stanley Holloway, of My Fair Lady fame.
Notable roles:
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Film
- Blonde Venus (1932) as Joe
- Lawyer Man (1932) as Olga's Dining Friend
- Blondie Johnson (1933) as Red Charley
- Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) as Delivery Boy
- When Ladies Meet (1933) as Jerome
- Wild Boys of the Road (1933) as Ollie
- The Blue Bird (1940) as Wild Plum
- Remember the Night (1940) as "Chilly" Willie Sims
- Meet John Doe (1941) as Dan
- Dumbo (1941) as Mr. Stork (voice)
- Bambi (1942) as Adult Flower (voice)
- The Three Caballeros (1944) as Narrator (The Cold-Blooded Penguin segment)
- Donald's Crime (1945) as Donald's Conscience (voice)
- A Walk in the Sun (1945) as Private McWilliams
- Make Mine Music (1946) as Narrator (Peter and the Wolf segment)
- Alice in Wonderland (1951) as Cheshire Cat (voice)
- Lambert the Sheepish Lion (1952) as Narrator
- Ben and Me (1953) as Amos (voice)
- Shake, Rattle & Rock! (1957) as Albert "Axe" McAllister
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh as Winnie-the-Pooh (1966-1977, voice)
- Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966)
- Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968)
- Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, Too (1974)
- It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) as Fire Chief (cameo)
- The Jungle Book (1967) as Kaa (voice)
- Live a Little, Love a Little (1968) as The Milkman
- The Aristocats (1970) as Roquefort (voice)
Television
- The Adventures of Superman (1952-1958) as Professor Oscar Quinn / Professor Twiddle
- Fun and Fancy Free (1955 television version) as the Narrator (Mickey and the Beanstalk segment)
- The Andy Griffith Show (1962) as Bert the traveling salesman ("The Merchant of Mayberry")
- The Twilight Zone (1959) (1964) as TV Repair Man ("What's In The Box")
Tropes relating to Sterling Holloway:
- Deadpan Snarker: His distinctively soft voice was an excellent vehicle for characters sporting a gentle yet dry wit.
- Mellow Fellow: He became renowned for playing genial and lighthearted roles thanks to his soft-spoken Southern drawl. Even his more antagonistic roles tend to have an inherent calmness to them.
- Playing Against Type: His cameo as the Fire Chief in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is almost unrecognizable since he bellows frustratedly at the cast the entire time, a far cry from his usual Mellow Fellow performances.
- Vocal Evolution: His voice became more raspy and hoarse in his later years. When he auditioned for a Role Reprise in The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Disney turned him down for this reason.
