Margaret Kerry, a performer whose motion and expressions were used to help animate Disney’s Tinker Bell in “Peter Pan,” has died at age 97. The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline report that Kerry’s family announced her death in a Facebook post. Deadline states she dies of lung cancer on Thursday, June 11, in Wilmington, North Carolina. Kerry is credited with modeling the movements and facial expressions for Disney animators as they created Tinker Bell, a role that made her best known to many audiences through the animated character rather than on-screen appearances.
Beyond her work tied to “Peter Pan,” sources note that Kerry also had an entertainment career that included acting and dancing. Deadline identifies her as an early sitcom actor, while the Hollywood Reporter adds that she starred opposite Eddie Cantor in “If You Knew Susie” and appeared on the early ABC sitcom “The Ruggles.” Both outlets also describe her as doing voice work for cartoons, reflecting a broader career in film and television as well as voice performances.
