June Foray Net Worth

What was June Foray's Net Worth and Salary?

June Foray was an American voice actress who had a net worth of $10 million.

June Foray's extraordinary range and longevity made her one of the most important figures in the history of animation. Over a career that spanned more than eight decades, she voiced hundreds of characters across radio, television, film, and recordings, earning a reputation as the "First Lady of Animated Voicing." Best known for bringing Rocket J. Squirrel ("Rocky") and Natasha Fatale to life on "The Bullwinkle Show," Foray's work extended far beyond a single series. She contributed memorable performances to classic productions such as "Cinderella," "Peter Pan," and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," while also appearing in everything from "The Twilight Zone" to "The Simpsons." Often compared to Mel Blanc, she was widely admired within the industry for her ability to shift seamlessly between voices, accents, and personalities, frequently playing multiple roles within the same production. Despite being under-credited early in her career, her influence on animation and voice acting is immeasurable. She remained active into her late 90s, voicing Rocky as late as 2014, and received numerous honors, including an Emmy Award at age 94 and a lifetime achievement Governors Award.

Early Life

June Foray was born June Lucille Forer on September 18, 1917, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Her introduction to performance came at a young age when a high school speech teacher with a radio program recognized her talent and put her on the air. This early exposure sparked a lifelong passion for voice acting.

After her family moved to Los Angeles, Foray began honing her skills in earnest. As a teenager, she created and starred in her own radio program, "Lady Make Believe," performing all the voices herself. This experience laid the foundation for the versatility that would define her career.

Radio Beginnings and Early Career

Foray's professional career began remarkably early. At just 12 years old, she was cast as an elderly woman in a radio drama, an early demonstration of her ability to convincingly portray characters far removed from her own identity.

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, she became a prolific radio performer, contributing voices to numerous programs. She appeared on shows featuring major stars such as Danny Thomas, Steve Allen, Jimmy Durante, and the duo of Phil Harris and Alice Faye. Her work extended into film as well, including voice contributions to a series of live-action shorts titled "Speaking of Animals."

During this period, she built a reputation as a reliable and highly skilled voice performer, though like many voice actors of the era, she often went uncredited.

Breakthrough in Animation

June Foray's transition into animation marked the beginning of her most enduring legacy. By the 1950s and 1960s, she had become a go-to voice talent for major studios, contributing to a wide range of animated shorts and feature films.

Her film work included voicing Lucifer the cat in "Cinderella" (1950) and characters in "Peter Pan" (1953). She also appeared in numerous Warner Bros. cartoons, though contractual arrangements often meant that her contributions were not formally credited.

Foray's ability to create distinct, memorable characters made her indispensable in an era when animation was rapidly expanding across both film and television.

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"Rocky and Bullwinkle" and Signature Roles

Foray's most iconic work came with "Rocky and His Friends," later known as "The Bullwinkle Show," which aired from 1959 to 1964. She voiced multiple characters, most notably Rocket J. Squirrel (Rocky), the optimistic flying squirrel, and Natasha Fatale, the sultry and scheming villain.

The show blended slapstick humor with sharp satire, Cold War parody, and rapid-fire wordplay. Foray's performances were central to its success, helping bring to life both the earnest heroism of Rocky and the sly menace of Natasha.

She also voiced Nell Fenwick, the prim love interest of Dudley Do-Right, further showcasing her versatility. The series developed a devoted cult following and remained popular through reruns and revivals for decades.

Prolific Career Across Film and Television

Beyond "Rocky and Bullwinkle," Foray's body of work is staggering in scope. She contributed voices to nearly 300 animated productions, often playing multiple roles within a single project.

Her television credits include Cindy-Lou Who in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," Ursula in "George of the Jungle," and Aunt May Parker in "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends." She also lent her voice to numerous classic franchises, including "Tom and Jerry," "Yogi Bear," "The Flintstones," "The Smurfs," and "The Simpsons."

One of her most memorable live-action appearances came in a 1963 episode of "The Twilight Zone," where she voiced the sinister doll Talky Tina, delivering the chilling line, "My name is Talky Tina, and I'm going to kill you."

Her work extended to recordings, toys, and video games, making her voice a constant presence across multiple generations of entertainment.

Recognition and Industry Influence

Despite decades of uncredited work early in her career, June Foray eventually received widespread recognition for her contributions. Within the animation community, she was revered as a pioneer and mentor, earning the nickname "First Lady of Animated Voicing."

Legendary animator Chuck Jones once remarked that she was not the female equivalent of Mel Blanc, but rather that Blanc was the male equivalent of Foray, underscoring her stature within the industry.

Her accolades included an Emmy Award at age 94 for her role on "The Garfield Show," making her the oldest Emmy winner at the time. She was also honored with a Governors Award from the Television Academy in 2013.

Foray played a significant role in advancing the art of animation and voice acting. She served as president of ASIFA-Hollywood, an international animated film society, and was a longtime governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She also taught voice acting at the University of Southern California, helping to train the next generation of performers.

Writing and Later Years

In addition to her performance career, Foray was an accomplished writer. She published "Perverse, Adverse and Rottenverse" in 2006, a collection of humorous essays, followed by her autobiography, "Did You Grow Up With Me, Too?" in 2009.

Remarkably, she remained active well into her later years. Her final credited performance came in 2014, when she once again voiced Rocky in a new "Rocky and Bullwinkle" production, closing the loop on one of the most iconic roles in animation history.

Personal Life and Legacy

June Foray was married twice. Her first marriage, to Bernard Barondess in 1941, ended in divorce. In 1955, she married writer Hobart Donavan, who remained her partner until his death in 1976.

She spent her later years in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles and remained deeply connected to the animation community until her passing on July 26, 2017, at the age of 99.

Foray left no immediate survivors, but her legacy endures through the countless characters she brought to life and the generations of voice actors she inspired.

Her career stands as a testament to the power of voice acting as an art form. Through her ability to inhabit wildly different characters with authenticity and precision, June Foray helped shape the golden age of animation and left an indelible mark on the medium.

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