Baloo is voiced by Phil Harris in Disney’s 1967 film The Jungle Book.
Harris was a popular American singer, actor and bandleader whose relaxed comic delivery shaped the film’s version of Baloo. His performance helped make the bear one of Disney’s most memorable supporting characters, especially through the song “The Bare Necessities.”
The animated Baloo differs from Kipling’s original character in important ways. In the book, Baloo is a serious teacher of jungle law, while the film presents him as an easygoing bear who initially wants Mowgli to enjoy a carefree life away from human civilization.
Phil Harris also worked with Disney on The Aristocats, where he voiced Thomas O’Malley. That connection can cause confusion when people remember his Disney animal roles, but his character in The Jungle Book is Baloo.