Who was Donald Duck’s original voice actor for more than 50 years?

Clarence Nash was Donald Duck’s original voice actor for more than 50 years.

Nash began voicing Donald in 1934 and performed the character until his death in 1985. His distinctive duck voice became one of the most recognizable vocal performances in animation and helped define Donald’s personality.

Before working for Disney, Nash was known for performing unusual animal sounds. Disney hired him after hearing his duck impression, and the sound became closely linked with Donald’s famously difficult-to-understand speech and explosive temper.

Tony Anselmo succeeded Nash as Donald’s principal voice actor. Because Anselmo learned directly from Nash, later performances preserve many features of the original interpretation. Clarence Nash is therefore associated with Donald’s creation and classic era, while Anselmo is associated with the continuing modern performance.