Russi Taylor has a light, bubbly, energetic performance quality, with an incredible range and a skilled and intelligent sense of improvisation. Her "cast of characters" includes newborn infants and Muppet? Babies, children and grown-ups, and a menagerie of animal and fantasy personalities.

Her most famous role, and certainly one that she feels close to, is Minnie Mouse. "You have to bring yourself to a character," Taylor observes. "But because of this particular character, she actually enhances who I am, she really does. In a sense Minnie makes me better than I was before?'cause there's a lot to live up to."

Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Taylor had a desire to work for Disney ever since childhood?and once even had the opportunity to express that hope directly to Walt Disney, when she encountered him one day at Disneyland. Walt himself assured young Russi that her dream would come true.

Taylor has been the official voice of Minnie Mouse since 1986, when she won the coveted role in an audition that included nearly 200 hopefuls. She has given voice to Minnie in the films Runaway Brain (1995), and Mickey, Donald, and Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004), and the TV series "Mickey's Mouse Works" (1999-2000), "House of Mouse" (2001-2002), and "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" (2006-2008).

Her other Disney voices have included Nurse Mouse in The Rescuers Down Under (1990), Donald's mischievous nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and Webbigail Vanderquack in "DuckTales," and audio appearances in the TV series "TaleSpin" (1990), "The Little Mermaid" (1992-1993), "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command" (2000), and "Kim Possible" (2003).

As one of the leading voice performers working today, Taylor is in perpetual demand and has a résumé of credits that runs more than six pages. Among her most famous roles are Strawberry Shortcake (1983-1984), Baby Gonzo of "Muppet Babies," (1984-1989) Pebbles Flintstone (1994), Duchess the Cat in Babe (1995), and Ferny Toro in "Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks" (2003-2006).

Taylor had a recurring role as Penny Tompkins in "The Critic" (1995), and has provided the voice of Martin Prince and the twins, Sherri and Terri, on more than 120 episodes of "The Simpsons" (1990-2008) as well as the blockbuster feature The Simpsons Movie (2007).

Even with this vast repertoire, Minnie is never far from Taylor. "Russi has imbued Minnie with so much of her own appeal?her strength, her spirit; a sense of gentleness, but combined with a certain?sauciness" Roy E. Disney says, "In the process, she has really helped to define Minnie's character for new generations."

Taylor feels a deep sense of stewardship about Minnie. "I really want whoever comes after us to be aware of the history and the tradition, and to love the characters as much as we do," she says of herself and her husband, Wayne Allwine, who happens to be the voice of Mickey Mouse.

Of her long career providing voice for Mickey's ladylove, and the benefit that she and Allwine have derived from the roles, Taylor simply states, "We're so lucky, we really are."