Billie Mae Richards
Billie Mae Richards (November 21, 1921 — September 10, 2010) was a Canadian voice actress, who also appeared onstage and on television.
Born as Billy Mae Dinsmore in Toronto, she was best known for voicing the role of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1964's television special (credited as "Billy Richards" to mask the fact that she was a woman[1]). She also voiced Tenderheart Bear in the first two Care Bears movies, as well as the DIC-produced television series (credited as "Billie Mae Richard"), and Brightheart Raccoon in the Nelvana-produced Care Bears television series.[2]
In an interview, she pointed out that "I'm just so glad that my kids, my grandkids, my great-grandkids and probably my great-great-grandkids will see Rudolph."[3] She voiced Rudolph again in two other Rankin-Bass productions, 1976's Rudolph's Shiny New Year and 1979's summertime sequel Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July.
Richards' four other appearances in Rankin-Bass productions were in Willie McBean and his Magic Machine, The King Kong Show, The Smokey Bear Show and The Daydreamer (both from the mid-1960s). About that same time, she appeared in the original Spider-Man television series. She also voiced all the female characters in The Undersea Adventures of Captain Nemo and The Toothbrush Family with Len Carlson, who voiced all the male ones. [citation needed]
She also made a guest appearances on the television shows Maniac Mansion, My Secret Identity, War of the Worlds and The Hidden Room. She appeared in Pennies from Heaven (1981; with Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters). She also had a bit part in the 1998 horror film Bram Stoker's Shadow Builder, in which her character was attacked with an axe by Paul Soles (who had played Hermey the elf in the original Rudolph special), and the 2001 short Bluehair.
Richards retired to Toronto. She was at one time married to musician Bill Richards and their daughter Judi Richards is a successful pop singer and songwriter.[4]
Death
On September 10, 2010, she died at the age of 88, following a series of strokes.[5]
References
- ^ http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39191172/ns/today-entertainment/ Voice of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer dies
- ^ "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" at Hymns and Carols of Christmas website. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
- ^ Schaefer, William M. "Billie Mae Richards: The Voice of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", Filmfax #105, January 2005. Archived on billiemaerichards.com. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
- ^ Betty Nygaard King. "Judi Richards". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
- ^ "Rudolph's voice, Billie Mae Richards, dies". CBC News.