#12: Jim Backus – Mr. Magoo
Jim Backus gave his voice to the comically nearsighted Mr. Magoo, famous for his persistent mishaps that resulted from his refusal to admit he couldn’t see a thing. Backus’s booming voice and perfect comic timing were an ideal fit for Mr. Magoo, who was always out of his element and found himself in different predicaments.
Backus’s first Mr. Magoo cartoon appearance was in 1949 and he headlined cartoons and feature films throughout the years up until the late 1990s. His voicework on Mr. Magoo complemented his live-action career, which included the role of Thurston Howell III in Gilligan’s Island.