Actress Estelle Harris, best known to Disney fans as the voice of Mrs. Potato Head in the “Toy Story” franchise, has passed away at age 93.
“It is with the greatest remorse and sadness to announce that Estelle Harris has passed on this evening at 6:25 pm,” Harris’ son Glenn said in a statement. “Her kindness, passion, sensitivity, humor, empathy and love were practically unrivaled, and she will be terribly missed by all those who knew her.”
She had her first roles in the mid-1980’s, but she started her career with Disney in 1995, portraying background voice roles in the Disney Channel series, “Aladdin,” “Hercules,” and “Timon and Pumba,” and the voice of Mrs. Tammy Turtle in the TV show “Mickey Mouse Works.”
But it was in 1999 that she first appeared in her iconic voice role of Mrs. Potato Head in “Toy Story 2,” a role she would portray in all subsequent movies and TV specials for the franchise.
In 2004, she also voiced Mama Lipsky in three episodes of the Disney Channel show “Kim Possible,” before finally appearing in the flesh as Muriel in “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” from 2005 to 2008.
Other notable Disney appearances were as Old Lady Bear in 2003’s “Brother Bear,” Audrey in 2004’s “Home on the Range,” Mama Gunda in 2005’s “Tarzan II,” Lula in the Disney Channel series “Dave the Barbarian,” and as Peg-Leg Peg in 2014’s Disney Junior show, “Jake and the Never Land Pirates.”
Outside of her Disney appearances, Harris also played the memorable role of George Costanza’s mom, Estelle, on “Seinfeld” for several seasons.
Her last Disney role was in 2019, as Mrs. Potato Head in “Toy Story 4,” which was also her last filmed role.
Estelle Harris may not yet be an official Disney Legend, but her voice is legendary to Disney fans. Our condolences go out to her family.