Rod Serling ‘s The Twilight Zone is a classic television series that was years ahead of its time and, today, is just as beloved by generations of fans for its innovative imagination and timeless episodes. When the series originally aired, The Twilight Zone stood out for its thought-provoking and insightful stories that not only explored an array of genres but were also deeply rooted in moral lessons and social themes that remain as relevant today as they did then.
Through the years, The Twilight Zone has had a profound influence on the world of entertainment that goes beyond the small screen. In 1994, the show inspired the Disney World attraction, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror , at Hollywood Studios and other Disney theme parks, but before Serling’s vision collided with the World of Disney, several Disney legends, such as Ed Wynn , Sterling Holloway , and Rod Taylor , made their mark under the stars of the Fifth Dimension.
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J. Pat O’Malley
J. Pat O’Malley was an English actor and singer who had an extensive and steady career working in television, movies, and theater. O’Malley appeared in four episodes of The Twilight Zone , including season one, episode thirty-one, “The Chaser”, season 3, episode twenty-five, “The Fugitive”, season five, episode sixteen, “The Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross”, and season five, episode thirty-two, “Mr. Garrity and the Graves.”
O’Malley was a frequent voice actor who voiced dozens of characters in several classic Disney movies , such as the Walrus, the Carpenter, Mother Oyster, and Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum in Alice in Wonderland , Colonel and Jasper in One Hundred and One Dalmatians , and Colonel Hathi the Elephant and the vulture, Buzzie, in The Jungle Book . He also voiced several animated characters in Mary Poppins while also working as Dick Van Dyke ‘s dialect coach, who helped the actor perfect his Cockney accent for the role of Burt.
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Don Rickles
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Known as The King of Venom and Mr. Warmth, Don Rickles was the king of stroke comedy who rose to fame during the late 1950s after meeting Frank Sinatra , who helped the comedian become one of the most popular headliners in Las Vegas. After working in both movies and television for some time, Rickles appeared in season two, episode nineteen, “Mr. Dingle, the Strong,” as a wise-cracking heckler and overgrown bully opposite TZ legend Burgess Meredith .
In 1995, Rickles provided the voice of Mr. Potato Head in Pixar’s animated classic, Toy Story, which he also reprised for Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, and several other short films and made-for-TV movies. Ironically, Toy Story was released the same weekend as Rickle’s other movie, Martin Scorsese‘s Casino, which essentially sums up his unique sense of humor. Even though Mr. Warmth never worked directly with Walt Disney Studios, he still played a part in the early rise and success of Pixar, which has since become one of Disney’s most successful subsidiary companies, rightfully earning him a spot on the list.
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Richard Haydn
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Richard Haydn was a British actor who was known for playing eccentric characters and appeared in a string of hit movies such as Then There Were None, The Sound of Music, and Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein. Even though he maintained a steady flow of film and theater roles, Haydn also made guest appearances on several television shows, including The Dick Van Dyke Show and Bewitched. In 1960, he entered The Twilight Zone, starring in season two, episode four, “A Thing About Machines.”
Haydn’s reputation for playing sophisticated and posh characters made him the perfect choice to voice the all-knowing, hookah-smoking Caterpillar in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. Haydn had a very distinct voice, but he adjusted it slightly to give the character his trademark drawn-out drawl. Audiences can also see an array of Haydn’s vivid facial expressions and quirky mannerisms in the Caterpillar, ultimately elevating the character’s snobbish but humorous persona.
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Rod Taylor
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Rod Taylor is one of several classic film stars who started in The Twilight Zone and eventually went on to earn substantial fame in popular movies such as Alfred Hitchcock‘s The Birds and The Time Machine. Taylor delivered a showstopping, dramatic performance in season one, episode eleven, “And When the Sky Opened Up,” as an astronaut who can’t remember his recent trip into space, sending him down a rabbit hole of confusing madness.
After his pit stop in the Fifth Dimension, Taylor took on a few more roles before being cast as the voice of the lovable man’s best friend, Pongo, in Disney’s 1961 animated classic One Hundred and One Dalmatians. While Taylor is widely known for his roles on the big screen, his appearances in both The Twilight Zone and One Hundred and One Dalmatians were crucial stepping stones in the actor’s rise to fame on the silver screen.
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Eleanor Audley
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Unlike the others on the list, Eleanor Audley doesn’t make a physical appearance in any of The Twilight Zone episodes, but she can be heard in season one, episode sixteen, “The Hitchhiker.” Inger Steven stars as a young woman, Nan Adams, who is traveling alone on a cross-country trip and eventually notices a strange man following her. At the end of the episode, Adams calls her mother, but an unknown woman answers, and if you listen closely, you will hear Audley’s distinct voice on the other end of the line.
Audley is a prominent name in Disney history and is known for her unmistakable voice and diverse body of work, which also includes various supporting roles in both television and movies. Audley provided the voice for both Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, and the evil Lady Tremaine from Cinderella, who are perhaps two of Disney’s most iconic villains of all time. She can also be heard as Madame Leota in Disney’s famous park attraction, The Haunted Mansion.
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Andy Devine
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Andy Devine was one of the most popular character actors of his time, who starred in countless classic Western films, including Stagecoach, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and How the West Was Won. During the 1960s, Devine continued to work in movies, but like many stars at that time, also appeared as a guest star in popular television shows such as The Virginian and Wagon Train. Devine made his appearance in The Twilight Zone in season three, episode thirty, “Hocus-Pocus and Frisby”, which is one of the show’s more humorous episodes.
While Devine had a unique look with an unwavering twinkle in his eye, he’s widely remembered for his distinctly raspy voice, making it impossible for anyone to mistake him for any other performer. Towards the end of his career, Devine started working as a voice actor and made his Disney debut as the voice of Friar Tuck in the 1973 animated classic, Robin Hood, which was a role that was more than suitable for the kindhearted actor.
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Sebastian Cabot
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Sebastian Cabot was a renowned British actor who starred in a collection of international classic movies before establishing a highly successful career in American television, appearing in dozens of hit shows, such as Bonanza, The Red Skelton Show, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, which is regarded as one of the best black-and-white shows of all time. One of Cabot’s first major television roles was starring in The Twilight Zone‘s season one, episode twenty-eight, “A Nice Place to Visit.” Cabot delivers a delightfully wicked performance as Mr. Pip, an afterlife assistant who is tasked with guiding a recently deceased criminal through what he believes to be heaven.
Before his fame on the small screen, Cabot was one of Disney’s original voice actors, who voiced characters such as Lord Ector in The Sword in the Stone and the beloved panther, Bagheera, in The Jungle Book. While Cabot provided his voice for animated characters, he also served as the narrator for several of Disney’s most iconic animated feature films, notably narrating Winnie-the-Pooh and the Honey Tree, Winnie-the-Pooh and the Blustery Day, Winnie-the-Pooh and Tigger Too, and The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh, which was the actor’s longest-standing role with Disney.
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Ed Wynn
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Ed Wynn was a groundbreaking actor and comedian who initially established himself on the Vaudeville circuit with his perfect fool comedy routine. During the 1930s, Wynn pioneered his own popular radio show that eventually led to him working in both movies and television. Serling, who had been a longtime fan and admirer of Wynn’s work, wrote season one, episode two, “One for the Angels”, specifically for Wynn, who plays Lou Bookman, a beloved pitchman who tries to trick Mr. Death. Wynn also starred in season five, episode twelve, “Ninety Years Without Slumbering”, as a retired watchmaker who believes his life is determined by a grandfather clock.
One of Wynn’s first major film roles was providing the voice of the zany Mad Hatter in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. Like the majority of other Disney voice performers at the time, Wynn also served as the main inspiration for the design of the Mad Hatter, who, without a doubt, embodies Wynn’s eccentric mannerisms and vividly cheeky expressions to a tee. Wynn also appeared in Disney’s 1964 classic, Mary Poppins, as the giggly Uncle Albert.
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John Fiedler
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Known for his high-pitched and delicate voice, John Fiedler was an actor and voice performer who frequently played shy, bookish characters and maintained a successful career in movies, television, radio, and theater for over fifty years. Although he’s remembered for his quiet characters, The Twilight Zone features Fiedler in an against-type role as a callous department store manager, Mr. Dundee, in season two, episode eleven, “The Night of the Meek,” which is one of the show’s best episodes written by Serling. He also had a minor role in season three, episode thirty-six, “Cavender is Coming,” starring Carol Burnett.
Fiedler is one of those actors who people may not immediately recognize by his face, but his voice gives him away as the original voice of the very small animal, Piglet, in Disney’s Winnie-the-Pooh. He also provided the voice for other popular Disney characters, including Father Sexton in Robin Hood, Owl from The Rescuers, Porcupine from The Fox and the Hound, and the poor elderly man, Rudy, who is thrown out the window in The Emperor’s New Groove. While Fiedler lent his voice to dozens of Disney characters throughout his career, he is universally remembered for his extensive work as Piglet, which he continued to provide the voice for until his death in 2005.
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Sterling Holloway
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Sterling Holloway was an underappreciated actor and singer who started touring with a theater stock company as a teenager and eventually found himself in Hollywood, where he appeared in a handful of films alongside big stars such as Fred MacMurray, Clark Gable, and Barbara Stanwyck. Holloway eventually found additional success in television, earning minor roles in hit shows including The Untouchables and The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin. In 1964, Holloway crossed over into The Twilight Zone as the TV Repairman in season five, episode twenty-four, “What’s in the Box.”
Early on, Holloway earned a substantial amount of success, but his career essentially took off when he started working for Disney as one of the studio’s original voice performers . Holloway provided the voice for an abundance of iconic Disney characters, such as Mr. Stork in Dumbo , Thumper as an adult in Bambi , the unhinged Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland , the sneaky snake Kaa in The Jungle Book , and Roquefort from The Aristocats . While Holloway voiced a collection of classic Disney characters, he’s generally remembered for his legendary work as the original voice of the lovable bear, Winnie-the-Pooh, in Disney’s timeless animated short films.
