When you think of Disney’s Peter Pan movie, you can’t help but think of his fairy friend, Tinker Bell. Pete’s silent companion was modeled by one Margaret Kerry, who passed away on Friday at the age of 97.
According to a Facebook message provided by her family, Kerry “passed peacefully” on Thursday after a battle with lung cancer. Her death comes weeks after the passing of her husband, Robert Boeke, a coincidence the family called a “truly remarkable love story. […] It is like a fairy tale to know that they passed so very close in time to one another, perhaps a testament to the love they shared.”
Born May 11, 1929, Kerry’s acting career began in 1935 as a fairy in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and a student in the short film Teacher’s Beau. She got involved with Disney after answering an audition call for the planning stages of Peter Pan, where she was required to pantomime movements that’d be used as Tinker Bell reference material. She also voiced and was reference material for the red-haired mermaid in Neverland’s lagoon scene. Her non-Disney acting credits include starring in Clutch Cargo and Space Angel in various roles, plus guest starring in The Andy Griffith Show.
Disney later spun off Tinker Bell into her own franchise and made her an unofficial brand mascot. She headlined the Disney Fairies franchise, which spawned multiple books and films, followed by a separate CG series of movies. In both incarnations, Tinker Bell is voiced by Mae Whitman, and she was played by Yara Shahidi in 2023’s Peter Pan & Wendy. Just a few months ago, we learned Disney was looking to bring her to live-action again with a new Disney+ show.
Kerry’s family asked fans to make donations in her name toward the Thalian Association Community Theatre in North Carolina.
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