The rabbit who is always late in the 1951 film is the White Rabbit.
Alice first notices the White Rabbit wearing a waistcoat and carrying a pocket watch while he hurries along complaining that he is late. Curious, she follows him down the rabbit hole, beginning her journey into Wonderland. His repeated anxiety about time makes him the story’s catalyst and one of its most recognizable characters.
In the film, the White Rabbit serves as a herald for the Queen of Hearts, an official duty that helps explain why he is rushing to work. His lateness also returns at the tea party, where the Mad Hatter and March Hare seize his watch and throw him out during their chaotic celebration.
The White Rabbit is sometimes confused with the March Hare because both are rabbit-like Wonderland characters. They are distinct: the March Hare is the Hatter’s tea-party companion, while the White Rabbit is the nervous court official Alice follows. “I’m Late” is associated with the White Rabbit, although the character is voiced by Bill Thompson, not the actors who voice the Hatter or March Hare.