Today we discuss a legacy with a voice so iconic, you’ve likely grown up with her entertaining you without even being aware!
Eleanor Audley is royalty – Disney royalty, that is. Eleanor was the voice of not one, but two iconic Disney Villains in the 1950s. Her unique voice allowed her the opportunity to give both Lady Tremaine and Maleficent life, and with them, began building a legacy of her own that has kept her in family households for seven decades and many more to come.
Not much is known about Audley’s childhood and private life. Eleanor, her real last name Zellman, was born in 1905 in Newark, New Jersey, and moved to New York City as a child with her family. Her career began at age 20 on Broadway in December 1926 with a role in Howdy, King. That time spent on Broadway lasted through 1944 with roles in numerous productions – Susan and God, On Call, Thunder on the Left, and Kill that Story – are just a few.
Eleanor’s career post-broadway consisted of radio show appearances. These aren’t what you may be picturing in your mind either. In the ’40s and early ‘50s, radio shows were more popular than TV, as televisions weren’t readily available in most homes at that time. The appearances Eleanor Audley made were on radio sitcoms. One radio role she famously played was mother-in-law, Mrs. Cooper, in My Favorite Husband starring Lucille Ball and Richard Denning.
Beyond her work with Disney, Audley made guest appearances on a wide variety of TV shows. From the pilot episode of The Mickey Rooney Show to I Love Lucy to The Twilight Zone, there are plenty of opportunities to go searching for her one-off guest roles. She stayed busy with this form of work from 1954 to 1970.
One of the few personal fun facts known about Eleanor is that she actually initially passed on the role of Maleficent due to having tuberculosis. Thankfully, she recovered. Had she not, Maleficent would be a much different villain than the one currently known and loved by many.
The eternally legendary voice Eleanor possessed lent itself to Disney one final time in the 1960s for Madame Leota in The Haunted Mansion.
Eleanor Audley passed away from respiratory failure 6 days after her 86th birthday on November 5, 1991. She is buried in Los Angeles, California.
Eleanor Audley Roles You May Recognize:
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Dominique Benedict is the founder and owner of Breakfast At Dominique’s. Her favorite topics include classic everything from movies to music to cars and the 90s film, Dazed and Confused.