• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Actor who played 'Goofy' for 30 years shocks fans by revealing the character isn't actually a dog

Home> Film & TV> Disney

Updated 12:44 11 Nov 2024 GMTPublished 16:45 10 Nov 2024 GMT

Actor who played 'Goofy' for 30 years shocks fans by revealing the character isn't actually a dog

Goofy's voice actor, Bill Farmer, has explained why the Disney character is not a dog

Joe Yates

Joe Yates

It's almost been an entire century since Goofy first appeared on TV and people have long debated what kind of animal he actually is.

Walt Disney made it pretty obvious that Mickey Mouse is a mouse, Donald Duck is a duck and Clarabelle Cow is a cow.

Then you've got Pluto who is clearly a dog due to his mannerisms and there's Pete who, despite his bearish looks, is actually a cat.

And while looking at Goofy - best known for his clumsy but loveable nature - you'd think he's a some kind of hound, according to his voice actor Bill Farmer, you've got the beloved character all wrong.

Advert

Mickey Mouse has been going since 1928, but it wasn't until 1932 that Goofy first appeared in the animated short titled Mickey's Revue - when he was originally named 'Dippy Dawg' by Disney artists.

He made a total of six appearances, but by his seventh in 1934 he gained a new name 'Goofy' and became a regular in the show.

But other than him originally being called a dawg, no one has ever highlighted what animal he is - and if you compare him to Mickey's dog Pluto, he's not very dog-like.

Bill Farmer has been the voice of Goofy since 1987 (The Walt Disney Company/Getty Images/Disney)
Bill Farmer has been the voice of Goofy since 1987 (The Walt Disney Company/Getty Images/Disney)

Advert

Goofy walks on two feet and can talk, while Pluto just barks and gets about on all fours.

There's even been speculation online as to whether or not Goofy's another animal entirely because of his romantic interest in Clarabelle Cow, with one Twitter user questioning: "The people have been debating for years & years… Is goofy a dog or a cow?"

Farmer - who has been the 'official voice' of Goofy since taking on the role way back in 1987 - weighed in on the age-old debate of what kind of animal his character is.

He claimed that for decades people have been barking up the wrong tree.

Advert

In 2020, Farmer told Yahoo News!: "He is not a dog.

Farmer revealed Goofy isn't a dog (Disney)
Farmer revealed Goofy isn't a dog (Disney)

"Pluto is a dog, but Goofy seems to be in the canine family in the same way that a wolf is not a dog, but they also are in the canine family. I think 'Canis Goofus' is the technical Latin term for what Goofy is. He’s just Goofy."

Well there you have it, Goofy's voice actor has spoken... but with Goofy originally being named Dippy Dawg I'm sure there will be some fans, including myself, who have their suspicions that he may still just be a clumsy dog.

Featured Image Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images/Disney

Topics: Animals, Disney, Film and TV

Joe Yates
Joe Yates

Joe is a journalist for UNILAD, who particularly enjoys writing about crime. He has worked in journalism for five years, and has covered everything from murder trials to celeb news.

X

@JMYjourno

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

2 hours ago
3 hours ago
4 hours ago
14 hours ago
  • 2 hours ago

    Cult classic film removed from Disney+ over controversial scene that had it banned from TV

    The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has long expressed its concerns about the scene in the 1989 movie

    Film & TV
  • 3 hours ago

    Netflix viewers urge Ozark fans to add 'absolute must-see series' to their watchlist

    Fans of the well-loved show starring Jason Bateman are being told to watch another series on Netflix

    Film & TV
  • 4 hours ago

    Vin Diesel hints Paul Walker could be in upcoming Fast and Furious movie and it's left fans very divided

    He's desperate to reunite Dom and Brian

    Film & TV
  • 14 hours ago

    Perfect Netflix series hailed as must watch hidden gem as fans binge for 16,500,000 hours

    'Gut-bustlingly funny'

    Film & TV
  • Walmart is selling tiny 20-foot home for just $15,900
  • Harrison Ford sparks concern with fans as they notice something peculiar about his recent public event
  • Lead actor from 'super inappropriate' film responds to calls for it to be removed from streaming
  • Star Wars actress breaks silence on show's abrupt cancellation