Bret Iwan, the voice of Mickey Mouse, illustrates new book
"Any chance I get to combine Mickey and art ... those two passions of mine, it's fantastic," he said.
LOS ANGELES -- Beginning with Walt Disney, there have only been four people who've been the "official voice of Mickey Mouse."
The current voice of Mickey is Bret Iwan, who also happens to be an incredible Disney artist, has illustrated the new book "Camp Mickey and Minnie: One Wild Summer."
"Any chance I get to combine Mickey and art, you know, those two passions of mine, it's fantastic," Iwan told On The Red Carpet.
In the book, written by Iwan's friend, Ryan March, Mickey and pals run a summer camp, but things go haywire, thanks in large part to the antics of Goofy - and that makes it hard for Mickey to maintain his normally happy-go-lucky demeanor.
"I love knowing that Mickey's got a little bit more dynamic range to him," Iwan said. "Like he can get a little frustrated, he can be annoyed with his friends, and this story gave him the ability to do that. When he sees Goofy making a mess of his camp, he's like, 'Come on, Goof. Let's get this under control.'"
The new book, on sale now, is just one part of Iwan's Disney portfolio, which includes posters, fine art and more.
He's also provided Mickey's voice on Disney Jr. shows like "Mickey Mouse Funhouse," plus theme park attractions, holiday specials, video games and cruise lines.
"If you're sailing away on a cruise line, it's me, you know?" Iwan said with a laugh before adding in his high-pitched Mickey voice, "Let's sail away!"
A lifelong Disney fan, Iwan had never done any voice acting when a friend, who'd heard his Mickey impression, told him Disney was looking for someone.
Iwan auditioned, got the part, and has now been the official voice of Mickey for 15 years.
"I'm still just a huge Disney fan, and that's where it all originated," Iwan said. "I've been a fan of Mickey and specifically Walt Disney for as long as I can remember. I learned to draw by drawing Mickey. He's one of the first things I ever drew."
All these years later, Iwan is still drawing Mickey and explained why the character has meant so much to him for so long.
"I think it's pretty incredible that this little character that Walt started, just trying to be a little personality assigned to the purpose of laughter, is how Walt put it and here, 95 years later, he's still going strong. I think it's incredible."
Disney is the parent company of this ABC station.
