Paul Winchell: How the Voice of Tigger Found Comfort Through Puppetry and Childhood Challenges

Paul Winchell and puppet Jerry.
Credit:

BC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Key Points

• Paul Winchell originally voiced Tigger in Disney’s Winnie-the-Pooh featurettes and won a Grammy Award for his performance in Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too.
• Paul’s daughter, April Winchell, discussed her father’s complicated upbringing and bipolar diagnosis on Nostalgia Tonight with Joe Sibilia.
• April revealed that her father used his passion for ventriloquism to address his trauma.

While Paul Winchell brought joy to many as Tigger, he faced significant personal struggles throughout his life. In a recent interview on Nostalgia Tonight with Joe Sibilia, his daughter, April, revealed the impact of childhood trauma and bipolar disorder on the voice actor’s life.

Winchell was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in his 60s. April noted, “He was not embarrassed about being mentally unwell. He was a big advocate for getting better.” He actively sought therapy, integrating his talents with his healing process.

April discussed the difficulties Winchell faced, stating, “He had very abusive parents, and he was undiagnosed bipolar until he was in his sixties.” She emphasized the mental health struggles he experienced, leading to multiple hospitalizations.

Using ventriloquism as a coping mechanism, Winchell gained insight into his early life trauma. April shared that he created a puppet of his mother, even using her dentures in it. Despite their complex relationship, she fondly recalled him “sitting out in the backyard…talking to this puppet.”

Paul Winchell performing in 1949.

CBS via Getty

Winchell’s traumatic experiences affected his professional relationships, leading to a reputation for being “very, very difficult to work with.” April noted, “I’ve been told that he would start a project with Tigger and then stop and say, ‘I’m not going to finish it until I get more money.’”

Ultimately, Winchell’s relationship with Disney frayed. April stated, “I don’t think that he was fired from Tigger for not sounding like Tigger… I think that was a very handy excuse.”

April Winchell.

Rick Rowell/Disney Channel via Getty

In honoring her father’s legacy, April takes pride in maintaining his Hollywood Walk of Fame star. “Twice a year… I clean my dad’s star,” she said. “It’s not an award for Father of the Year. It’s an award for his contribution… He left the world better than he found it — which is not something we can all say.”