Disneyland at 70: Original Tinker Bell, 96, Shares Memories of Walt and More (Exclusive)
As Disneyland celebrates its 70th anniversary, we caught up with some of the original people behind the magic — including Disneyland’s original Tinker Bell and the real-life inspiration behind the character, Margaret Kerry, who now goes by Margaret Kerry-Boeke.
Though Disneyland officially opened on July 17, 1955, the character of Tinkerbell originated long before, in J.M. Barrie’s original 1904 Peter Pan play. However, that old-fashioned Tinkerbell was simply a ball of light; the iconic Disney version began with the actress, 96.
“I started playing Tinker Bell in 1951,” she says. Her career in showbiz began at age 3 as a dancer, where her credits included the 1930s Our Gang comedies and If You Knew Susie (1948) with Eddie Cantor. She also had roles in The Little Rascals, The Rugggles, The Andy Griffith Show and others. But it’s always been Tinker Bell that she holds dearest.
Kerry-Boeke was hired to be the live-action model as Disney animators worked on 1953’s Peter Pan. “I met with the genius Marc Davis, and when given the part I asked, ‘Do you want [Tinker Bell] to be ditzy like Betty Boop or above it all like the queen of the fairies?’ He responded, ‘Margaret, I want her to be you!’” she says with a twinkle in both eyes.
“Walt would come over to our soundstage with a group of men and work on these mechanical animals. I didn’t know what they were for because there was no such thing as Disneyland yet,” she explained of the making of Peter Pan. “Walt visited us center stage where we were filming; he was such a delightful man. On one occasion, he reminded me that I went to school with his daughter!” At that point, Kerry-Boeke immediately breaks into song: “It’s a small world after all …”
In 2008, Madame Tussaudes in London created the smallest ever attraction of Tinker Bell, measuring only five and a half inches. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Earlier this year, Kerry-Boeke shared her memories of how she made Tinker Bell her own at a presentation in Wilmington, North Carolnia, where she now resides. The Wilmington StarNews was there covering it, and photos can be viewed here.
As for Kerry-Boeke’s take on the current flying version of the character she originated becoming a staple of Disneyland’s nighttime entertainment: “I think it’s only right! Tinker Bell is such a huge part of Disney, and the park is so much a part of her that I just feel like I’m the mother of Disneyland!”
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You can read more of her stories in the autobiography she penned, Tinker Bell Talks: Tales of a Pixie Dusted Life , which was published in 2016.
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