Cause of death Stroke Role Voice actress Occupation Voice actress Resting place Cremation | Years active 1964–2010 Children Judi Richards Name Billie Richards | |
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Full Name Billy Mae Dinsmore Movies and TV shows Rudolph the Red‑Nos, The Care Bears, The Care Bears Movie, Rudolph and Frosty's C, Rudolph's Shiny New Year Similar People Paul Soles, Larry D Mann, Carl Banas, Alfie Scopp, Paul Kligman | ||
Billie Mae Richards (Rudolph) on radio with Rudolph expert Rick Goldschmidt 2004
Rare Radio Interview The Voice Of Rudolph Billie Mae Richards Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Billie Mae Richards (November 21, 1921 – September 10, 2010) was a Canadian voice actress, who also appeared onstage and on television.
Contents
- Billie Mae Richards Rudolph on radio with Rudolph expert Rick Goldschmidt 2004
- Rare Radio Interview The Voice Of Rudolph Billie Mae Richards Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
- Career
- Personal life
- Television
- Death
- Filmography
- References
Career
Born as Billy Mae Dinsmore in Toronto, she was best known for voicing Rankin/Bass' version of the character Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer from 1964 to 1979. 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.
Richards' four other appearances in Rankin-Bass productions animated were in Willy McBean and his Magic Machine, The King Kong Show, The Smokey Bear Show and The Daydreamer (both from the mid-1960s) and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and its sequels all written in the United States and animated in Japan. 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. She made guest appearances on the television shows Maniac Mansion, My Secret Identity, War of the Worlds and The Hidden Room. 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.
Personal life
She married musician Bill Richards in 1940; they remained married until his death in 1995. Their daughter, Judi Richards, is a singer-songwriter. She died of a stroke in 2010 at the age of 88.
Television
Death
Richards retired to Toronto. She died on September 10, 2010 following a stroke.
Filmography
Actress
2006
The Big Comfy Couch (TV Series) as
Clowns
- Ouch! (2006) - Clowns (uncredited)
2001
Bluehair (Short) as
Peg
1999
M.U.G.E.N (Video Game)
1998
Shadow Builder as
Mrs. Butterman
1997
Melanie Darrow (TV Movie) as
Ma Harper
1995
The Neverending Story (TV Series) as
Sea Horse / Additional Voices
- The Perfect Gift (1996) - Sea Horse (voice)
- Perilin (1995) - Additional Voices (voice)
1994
Rupert (TV Series) as
Young Sea Serpent
- Rupert and the Sea Serpent (1994) - Young Sea Serpent (voice)
1992
Maniac Mansion (TV Series) as
Aunt Winnie
- Idella's Breakdown (1992) - Aunt Winnie
1991
The Hidden Room (TV Series) as
Nonnie
- Little Nightmares, Little Dreams (1991) - Nonnie
1991
The Big Slice as
Lady Overboard
1990
Around the World in 80 Days (TV Movie) as
Aouda
1990
The Call of the Wild (TV Movie)
1989
My Secret Identity (TV Series)
- Out of Control (1989)
1988
War of the Worlds (TV Series) as
Matron #1
- The Good Samaritan (1988) - Matron #1
1986
The Care Bears (TV Series) as
Bright Heart Raccoon
- Songfellow Strum and His Magic Train/Music Video (1988) - (voice)
- The Fabulous Care Bear's Safety Game/A Rhyme in Time (1988) - (voice)
- It's Raining, It's Boring/A Day Without Tugs (1988) - (voice)
- Bad Luck Friday/Food Frolics (1988) - (voice)
- Tugs the Brave/Coconut Crazy (1988) - (voice)
- Grumpy's Little Friend/One Million CB (1988) - (voice)
- Secret of the Box/The Frozen Forest (1988) - (voice)
- King of the Moon/On Duty (1988) - (voice)
- Cheer Bear's Chance/A Hungry Little Guy (1988) - (voice)
- The Thing That Came to Stay/Space Bubbles (1988) - (voice)
- Gram's Cooking Corner/A Care Bear's Look at Food Facts and Fables (1988) - (voice)
- The Care Bears' Exercise Show/Care-a-Lot Games (1988) - (voice)
- The Most Ancient Gift/Ski Trouble (1988) - Bright Heart Raccoon (voice)
- Mystery of the Phantom/Under the Bigtop (1988) - Bright Heart Raccoon (voice)
- Dr. Brightenstein's Monster/Care Fair Scare (1988) - (voice)
- Fountain of Youth/Treat Heart Baba and the Two Thieves (1988) - (voice)
- Perils of the Pyramid/Bedtime for Care-a-Lot (1988) - (voice)
- The Pirate Treasure/Grin and Bear It (1988) - (voice)
- Beautiful Dreamer/Care Bear Carneys (1988) - (voice)
- The Turnabout/Cheer of the Jungle (1988) - (voice)
- Caring for Spring (1988) - (voice)
- The Showdown (1988) - (voice)
- The Lost Gift/Lotsa Heart's Wish (1988) - (voice)
- The Factory of Uncaring (1988) - (voice)
- No Business Like Snow Business (1988) - (voice)
- Hearts at Sea (1988) - (voice)
- Care Bear Town Parade (1988) - (voice)
- The Caring Crystals/The Best Way to Make Friends (1987) - Bright Heart Raccoon (voice)
- Grumpy the Clumsy/The Purple Chariot (1987) - Bright Heart Raccoon (voice)
- The Two Princesses/The Cloud Monster (1987) - Bright Heart Raccoon (voice)
- Desert Gold/The Gift of Caring (1987) - Bright Heart Raccoon (voice)
- Bright Heart's Bad Day/The Magic Lamp (1987) - Bright Heart Raccoon (voice)
- The Wrath of Shreeky (1987) - Bright Heart Raccoon (voice)
- The Cloud of Uncaring (1986) - (voice)
- The All Powerful Mr. Beastly/Order on the Court (1986) - (voice)
- Grams Bear's Thanksgiving Surprise (1986) - (voice)
- Birthday Bear's Blues (1986) - (voice)
- The Long Lost Care Bears (1986) - (voice)
- The Bravest of the Brave (1986) - (voice)
- The Camp-Out/I, Robot Heart (1986) - (voice)
- The Big Star Round-Up (1986) - (voice)
- The Sleeping Giant/Lost at Sea (1986) - (voice)
- Home Sweet Homeless (1986) - (voice)
- The Great Race (1986) - (voice)
- Grumpy's Three Wishes (1986) - (voice)
- Care-a-Lot's Birthday (1986) - (voice)
1988
Clifford's Fun with Letters (Video short)(voice)
1988
Clifford's Fun with Numbers (Video short)(voice)
1988
Clifford's Fun with Opposites (Video short)
1988
Clifford's Fun with Ryhmes (Video short)
1988
Clifford's Fun with Shapes (Video short)
1988
Clifford's Fun with Sounds (Video short)
1986
Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation as
Tender Heart Bear (voice)
1985
Care Bears: Forest of Feelings (Video short)
1985
Care Bears (TV Series) as
Tenderheart Bear
- The Cloud Worm/The Girl Who Cried Wolf (1985) - (voice)
- Wedding Bells/The Old Man and the Lighthouse (1985) - (voice)
- The Dry Spell/Drab City (1985) - (voice)
- The Magic Shop/Concrete Rain (1985) - (voice)
- Mayor for a Day/The Night the Stars Went Out (1985) - (voice)
- Day Dream/Runaway (1985) - (voice)
- The Forest of Misfortune/Magic Mirror (1985) - (voice)
- The Last Laugh/The Show Must Go On (1985) - (voice)
- Lucky Charm/Soap Box Derby (1985) - (voice)
- Braces/Split Decision (1985) - (voice)
- Birthday/Camp (1985) - Tenderheart Bear (voice)
1985
The Care Bears Movie as
Tender Heart Bear / Mrs. Cherrywood (voice)
1983
The Care Bears in the Land Without Feelings (TV Movie) as
Grumpy Bear / Cheer Bear / Funshine Bear / ...
1981
The Trolls and the Christmas Express (TV Movie)(voice)
1979
Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (TV Movie) as
Rudolph (voice)
1977
The Toothbrush Family (TV Series short) as
Narrator / Tess / Tina / ... (voice)
1977
Jailbait Babysitter
1976
The Spirit of Independence (Short) as
Danny (voice, as Billie MaeRichards)
1976
Rudolph's Shiny New Year (TV Movie) as
Rudolph (voice, as Billie Richards)
1974
The Undersea Adventures of Captain Nemo (TV Series) as
Chris / Robbie (voice)
1972
Festival of Family Classics (TV Series short) as
Tom Sawyer / Peter / Danny
- Tom Sawyer (1973) - Tom Sawyer (voice)
- Alice in Wonderland (1973)
- Sleeping Beauty (1973) - (voice)
- A Christmas Tree (1972) - Peter (voice)
- Jack O'Lantern (1972) - (voice)
- Yankee Doodle (1972) - Danny (voice)
1967
Spider-Man (TV Series) as
Paperboy / Billy Conner / Boy / ...
- Trip to Tomorrow (1970) - Boy (voice, uncredited)
- The Winged Thing/Conner's Reptiles (1970) - Billy Conner (voice, uncredited)
- Fountain of Terror/Fiddler on the Loose (1968) - Billy Conner (voice, uncredited)
- Horn of the Rhino (1967) - Paperboy (voice, uncredited)
- The Kilowatt Kaper/The Peril of Parafino (1967) - Paperboy (voice, uncredited)
- The Sky Is Falling/Captured by J. Jonah Jameson (1967) - Paperboy (voice, uncredited)
- Where Crawls the Lizard/Electro the Human Lightning Bolt (1967) - Paperboy / Billy Connor (voice, uncredited)
1969
The Smokey Bear Show (TV Series) as
Additional voices
- Old Club House (1969) - Additional voices (voice)
- Founder's Day Folly (1969) - Additional voices (voice)
1966
Mighty Thor (TV Series) as
Newsboy
- Molto, the Lava Man (1966) - Newsboy
1966
The Sub-Mariner (TV Series) as
Atlantean Schoolboy
- Let the Stranger Die ..! (1966) - Atlantean Schoolboy (voice, uncredited)
1966
The King Kong Show (TV Series) as
Billy Bond
- The Spacemen (1966) - Billy Bond (voice, as Billie Richards)
- The Hunter (1966) - Billy Bond (voice, as Billie Richards)
- The African Bees (1966) - Billy Bond (voice, as Billie Richards)
- Rocket Island (1966) - Billy Bond (voice, as Billie Richards)
- The Horror of Mondo Island (1966) - Billy Bond (voice, as Billie Richards)
- Dr. Who (1966) - Billy Bond (voice, as Billie Richards)
- Under the Volcano (1966) - Billy Bond (voice, as Billie Richards)
- The Treasure Trap (1966) - Billy Bond (voice, as Billie Richards)
1966
The Daydreamer as
Various (voice, as Billie Richards)
1965
Willy McBean and His Magic Machine as
Willy McBean (voice, as Billie Richards)
1964
Mr. Piper (TV Series) as
Various
- Santa Piper (1964) - Various (voice, uncredited)
1964
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV Movie) as
Rudolph (voice, as Billy Richards)
Soundtrack
1979
Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (TV Movie) (performer: "No Bed of Roses", "We're A Couple of Misfits")
1964
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV Movie) (performer: "We're A Couple of Misfits", "Fame and Fortune")
Archive Footage
2004
Care Bears: Forever Friends (Video short) as
Brightheart Raccoon
References
Billie Mae Richards Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA