Bret Iwan
Bret Iwan (born September 10, 1982)[1] is an American voice actor and illustrator. He has been the fourth and current voice of Mickey Mouse following the death of Wayne Allwine in May 2009.[2]
Bret Iwan | |
|---|---|
 Iwan at the 2022 GalaxyCon Richmond | |
| Born | September 10, 1982 Pasadena, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Ringling College of Art and Design |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Spouse |
Douglas Hoffman (m. 2021) |
Early life
Bret Iwan was born on September 10, 1982, and raised in Pasadena, California, he is the son of Bill and Fiona Iwan.[1]
He attended LeRoy High School in Le Roy, Illinois, from 1996 to 2000. He graduated from the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, in 2004. Iwan was previously an illustrator at Hallmark.[3]
Career
Iwan was hired to voice Mickey Mouse and replace Wayne Allwine after the latter died on May 18, 2009.[2] Iwan had previously understudied for the role when Allwine was facing health difficulties and Iwan credits Allwine's archival work as providing excellent mentorship.[4]
Iwan first recorded Mickey Mouse dialogue for the Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park as well as the 2009 shows Disney On Ice: Celebrations and Disney Live: Rockin' Road Show.[5] He voiced Mickey Mouse in Have a Laugh!. He gave his first full performance as Mickey Mouse for the English version of the PlayStation Portable game Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.
His first voice-over work in a Disney Park could be heard in the Animal Kingdom closing show "Adventurers' Celebration Gathering" as well as on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover attraction at the Magic Kingdom in which, upon passing through Mickey's Star Traders, Mickey responds with his signature laugh and says, "That's right, it's outta this world!".
Personal life
Iwan is gay, making him the first openly LGBTQ+ actor to voice Mickey Mouse. He married his longtime partner, art director Douglas Hoffman, in July 2021.[6]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Mickey: The Story of a Mouse | Himself, Mickey Mouse | Voices Mickey in the film’s Mickey in a Minute animated short |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–2012 | Have a Laugh! | Mickey Mouse | 60 episodes |
| 2009–2016 | Mickey Mouse Clubhouse | 26 episodes | |
| 2011-2014 | Mickey's World Record Animals | 10 episodes | |
| 2012–2016 | Minnie's Bow-Toons | 40 episodes | |
| 2013 | Wheel of Fortune | Episode: "Making Disney Memories Week" | |
| 2017–2021 | Mickey and the Roadster Racers/Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures | 87 episodes[7] | |
| 2017 | Chip 'n Dale's Nutty Tales | 6 episodes | |
| 2018 | Mickey's 90th Spectacular | Television special | |
| 2020 | Mickey Mornings | ||
| CAVE iN | Himself | Episode: "Weldon's Troll Mob" | |
| 2021–present | Mickey Mouse Funhouse | Mickey Mouse Martian Mickey | Main cast[8] |
| 2022 | Mickey Saves Christmas | Mickey Mouse | Stop-motion television special |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep | Mickey Mouse | |
| Epic Mickey | |||
| 2011 | Kingdom Hearts: Re:Coded | ||
| Kinect Disneyland Adventures | |||
| 2012 | Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance | ||
| Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two | |||
| Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion | |||
| 2013 | Disney Infinity | ||
| Where's My Mickey | |||
| Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse | |||
| Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix | (358/2 Days HD cutscenes) | ||
| 2014 | Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix | (Birth by Sleep game and Re:coded HD cutscenes) | |
| 2015 | Disney Infinity 3.0 | [9] | |
| 2016 | Disney Magic Kingdoms | Initial release; voice lines were removed in a later update | |
| 2017 | Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue | ||
| Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX | (358/2 Days HD cutscenes, Birth by Sleep game and Re:coded HD cutscenes) | ||
| 2019 | Kingdom Hearts III | ||
| 2020 | Kingdom Hearts III Re:Mind | ||
| Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory | |||
| 2022 | Disney Dreamlight Valley | ||
| 2023 | Disney Illusion Island | ||
| Disney Speedstorm | Mickey Mouse Steamboat Mickey |
Theme park attractions
| Year | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Mickey and the Magical Map | Mickey Mouse | |
| 2015 | World of Color: Celebrate! | Animated sequences | |
| 2017 | Fantasmic! | Disneyland version | |
| 2019 | Disney's Not So Spooky Spectacular | Animated sequences | |
| 2022 | Disney Enchantment | Animated segment | |
| 2022 | Fantasmic! | Disney's Hollywood Studios version |
References
- Feder, Joan (September 17, 2019). "I've Heard that Voice Before: Bret Iwan". AllEars.net. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
- McLellan, Dennis (May 21, 2009). "Wayne Allwine, Voice of Mickey Mouse, Dies at 62". Los Angeles Times (Obituary). Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
- "Bret Iwan". Voice Chasers. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- Diehl, Jace (September 8, 2022). "How Bret Iwan Became the NEW Voice of Mickey Mouse". YouTube.
- "Iwan, Bret". D23. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020.
- @SalonMickeyBlog (July 13, 2021). "Bret Iwan the voice of Mickey Mouse for the last 12 years married his gay partner Art Director Douglas Hoffman today at a ceremony in Yosemite National Park. The couple will share a wedding anniversary with Walt and Lillian Disney who were married on 13 July, 1925" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- "Bret Iwan". Behind the Voice Actors. Archived from the original on February 25, 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
- "Spaced Out! / Treasure, Ahoy!". DisneyNow. August 20, 2021. Archived from the original on August 21, 2021.
- Avalanche Software. Disney Infinity 3.0. Scene: Closing credits, 5:39 in, Featuring the Voice Talents of.
External links
- Bret Iwan at IMDb
- Bret Iwan at Voice Chasers Archived January 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- Bret Iwan Interview