Clarence Nash
| Clarence Nash | |
|---|---|
at San Diego Comic Con (1982)
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|
| Born |
Clarence Charles Nash December 7, 1904 Watonga, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | February 20, 1985 (aged 80) Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Leukemia |
| Resting place | San Fernando Mission Cemetery, Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Clarence C. Nash "Ducky" Ducky Nash |
| Occupation | Voice actor |
| Years active | 1932–1985 |
| Known for | The voice of Donald Duck |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Seamans (m. 1930; d. 1993) |
| Children | 2 |
Clarence Charles "Ducky" Nash (December 7, 1904 – February 20, 1985) was an American voice actor. He is best known for the Disney cartoon character Donald Duck, whose distinctive voice he provided for 50 years. He was born in the rural community of Watonga, Oklahoma, and a street in that town is named in his honor.
Nash made a name for himself in the late 1920s as an impressionist for KHJ, a Los Angeles radio station, on their show, The Merrymakers. He later was employed by the Adohr Milk Company for publicity purposes. Dubbed "Whistling Clarence, the Adohr Bird Man", Nash rode the streets with a team of miniature horses and gave treats to the children. In 1932, Nash happened by the Disney Studio with his team of horses, and decided to leave a copy of his Adohr publicity sheet with the receptionist. As it turns out, his name was recognized from a reprise appearance on The Merrymakers a few days previous, and Walt Disney himself had been impressed by Nash's vocal skills. He was asked to make an informal audition.
Nash went through several of his voices, and Walt Disney happened by when Nash gave his impersonation of a family of ducks. Disney declared Nash perfect for the role of a talking duck in their upcoming animated short, The Wise Little Hen. The duck, of course, was Donald Duck, who Nash went on to voice for almost 50 years, in over 120 shorts and films. The last film to feature Nash's famous voice was 1983's Mickey's Christmas Carol, although he continued to provide Donald's voice for commercials, promos and other miscellaneous material until his death.
Donald Duck went on to become one of the most famous cartoon characters in the world, and a great part of this was due to Nash's distinctive voice. It may well be one of the most recognizable character voices in history. The voice is distinctive both for its ducklike quality and the fact that it is often very difficult for anybody to understand, especially when Donald flew into a rage (which happened fairly often). To keep Donald's voice consistent throughout the world, Nash voiced Donald's voice in all foreign languages the Disney shorts were translated to (with the aid of the phonetic alphabet), meaning Donald retained his same level of incoherency all across the globe. Mad magazine, in its 1950s comic-strip style satire of Disney characters, featured a "translation" of "Darnold" Duck's "quacky, incomprehensible" voice.
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