April Winchell

April Winchell

Winchell in Las Vegas, Nevada
Born April Terri Winchell
(1960-01-04) January 4, 1960
New York City, New York, U.S.
Other names April Foley
Occupation Voice actress, actress, writer, talk radio host, commentator, comedian
Years active 1972–present
Spouse(s) Mick Kuisel (?-?; divorced)
John Foley (m. 2013)
Parent(s) Paul Winchell
Nina Russel
Website www.aprilwinchell.com

April Winchell Foley (born January 4, 1960) is an American voice actress, actress, writer, talk radio host, commentator and comedian.

Winchell is the daughter of Paul Winchell.[1]

Early life

Winchell was born April Terri Winchell in New York City, New York on January 4, 1960.

Career

Acting

Winchell in Los Angeles, California in June 2004

Winchell's projects include the role of Sylvia in Wander Over Yonder, a Disney animated series featuring Jack McBrayer in the title role. Created by The Powerpuff Girls producers Craig McCracken and Lauren Faust, the show chronicles the adventures of "Wander" and his trusty (and cynical) steed Sylvia, as they travel the universe. The program premiered on the Disney Channel in September 2013.[2]

As a voice actress, she has been heard in hundreds of animated television programs, such as Goof Troop (Peg Pete), Recess (as Mrs. Muriel Finster), Disney's House of Mouse and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (as Clarabelle Cow), Bonkers (as Lucky's wife, Dyl Piquel), Pepper Ann (as Pepper Ann's mom, Lydia Pearson),[3]and Kids from Room 402 (as Miss Gracie Graves the School teacher, along with a number of other characters that appear on the show), The Legend of Tarzan (taking over for Rosie O'Donnell as Terk), 101 Dalmatians: The Series (as Cruella De Vil), SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron (as Molly Mange), Robot and Monster, Phineas & Ferb and Kim Possible.

She has also voiced roles in numerous films, including Antz, Who Framed Roger Rabbit,[1] Monsters University and Rob Zombie's The Haunted World of El Superbeasto. Winchell portrayed the "Glendale Federal Bank" lady – a cranky, cynical customer mollified by the service at her new bank – in a series of highly successful radio commercials, which Winchell wrote and directed herself. The commercials caught the attention of Roseanne, who hired her as a writer on her eponymous sitcom.[1] She was also tested for the part of Regan in Тhe Exorcist until she fell ill and was taken out of consideration.[4]

Radio

Besides her many contributions to radio advertising as a director, writer, and performer, Winchell also hosted a radio talk show program on KFI, a Los Angeles radio station. This weekend program aired for three years, and enjoyed the fastest growing audience in the history of the station. Subsequent to the end of this program in November 2002, she appeared semi-regularly on the Ask Mr. KABC program, on KABC, an AM station also in Los Angeles – until the show ended in February 2007.

In 2005, Winchell signed a deal with U.S. pay-TV service HBO to develop and host a show on Sirius Satellite Radio. However, on her official website on May 3, 2006, she announced that negotiations had stalled out between HBO and Sirius, leaving her program in limbo.

On March 16, 2007, she returned to semi-regular radio appearances on The Marc "Mr. K" Germain Show on KTLK-AM (the new show hosted by the former Mr. KABC) and appeared twice a month. (Her appearances on Germain's show are available at her website in addition to KTLK's website.) During March, Winchell was "banned for life" from KABC (AM) in Los Angeles at the behest of ABC radio host Bill O'Reilly, over a retelling of an occurrence she dubbed "Croissantgate" (KABC provided Bill O'Reilly with croissants that were not fresh enough for his taste, causing a commotion at the station).

Theater

Ted Hardwick and April Winchell (as "Teddy Towne" and "Sheila Sands") provide color commentary for the 1998 Christopher Street West Gay Pride Parade, in West Hollywood, California, from atop the Monaco Liquor Store sign on Santa Monica Boulevard.

As a musical theater actor, she starred as Ado Annie in the Columbia Artists revival of Oklahoma!, and also appeared opposite Kevin Spacey in Gypsy.

Additionally, Winchell wrote and starred as "Sheila Sands" in her show at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles to sold out crowds. The show was produced by Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner, who discovered her at Cafe Largo in Hollywood. Winchell reprised the character to open for Brad Garrett at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 2013.

She has also been a frequent panelist on the live-stage version of What's My Line at the Acme Comedy Theatre in Hollywood.

Advertising

In 1992, Winchell and her then-husband Mick Kuisel formed Radio Savant Productions, a radio advertising production company.[5] Since that time, Winchell has received many awards including Cannes, Clio, The $100,000 Mercury Award[6] and The International Grand Andy (bestowed by The Association of Independent Commercial Producers) – it was the only time the Andy was given for radio. Winchell has provided the award winning radio and television advertising for Big Bear Mountain Resorts since the early 1990s. In 2007, she began appearing in their television ads as a reporter-on-the-scene dealing with a hapless studio anchorman.

Internet

Winchell's official website contains a link to her IMDB biography and library of unusual and outsider music pieces.

Prior to 2009, Winchell maintained a personal Web site that, in addition to the music pieces, chronicled the actor's activities, which include her professional, personal, and romantic life. In October 2009, Winchell (under the pseudonym "Helen Killer") launched Regretsy, a blog website which satirized Etsy.[7] Within four days, the site had received nearly 90 million hits. This huge viral success caught the attention of Random House, who subsequently won a bidding war to publish a book based around the Regretsy website. The book, which was published April 6, 2010, features humorous and bizarre crafts and artwork from several different artists, as well as essays about Winchell's personal life, childhood and own crafting failures.[8] As of March 1, 2012, the Regretsy site had raised over $200,000 for charitable causes.[9] The popularity of Regretsy's "Not Remotely Steampunk" section even inspired a viral "chap hop" music video.[10] Winchell ceased updating Regretsy on February 1, 2013.[11]

Other work

Winchell worked on the 1996 video game Toonstruck in which she voiced a number of characters including Ms. Fit, Polly, Punisher Polly and Dr. Payne's Receptionist. Not only did she voiced the characters but she has also worked as casting and dialogue director for the game. She also worked as a punch writer for Recess: School's Out and wrote three episodes of the American sitcom Roseanne.

Personal life

Winchell is the daughter of ventriloquist, actor, and comedian Paul Winchell, and his second wife, Nina Russel.[5] In her weblog writings and appearances on radio, she describes her childhood with many references to the great talent of her father as well as the many disturbing incidents owing to his mental health issues. Ms. Winchell did not speak publicly about his mental illness and drug use for many years, due to the "tremendous responsibility" she felt to his fans, and the people who had fond childhood memories of his work from the 1950s through the late 1980s. But her silence ended in March 2004 after her father published his autobiography Winch, in which he openly criticized his ex-wife, Nina, and other family members.

In broadcasts of her KFI show, on her web diary and several other websites, Winchell revealed she and Kevin Spacey dated for a while after high school, during the run of the Gypsy musical, and went to New York together.[12][13] She and Spacey remained friends ever since. Since 2013, Winchell has been married to John Foley.

On August 19, 2005, she announced on her website that she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent successful surgery and radiation treatment. To promote solidarity during her radiation treatment, she issued her own rubber wristbands. Where Lance Armstrong's wrist bands were yellow, April's were "Glow in the Dark" so one could "glow along" with April. Winchell is also widely known as a supporter of various charity causes, including Project Angel Food, a Los Angeles-based service providing meals for homebound people living with AIDS. Her website, Regretsy, generated charitable funds through selling of Regretsy merchandise. On, April 17, 2011, Winchell created April's Army, one of the largest selling teams on Etsy. The Army's members ran monthly campaigns, and all the profits gathered from their store went to a selected Regretsy member who has encountered hardships. On December 5, 2011, Regretsy began a Secret Santa program, collecting donations for presents for needy children. Regretsy raised so much money so quickly that PayPal froze the Regretsy account – as well as Winchell's unrelated personal account – for six months in order to "investigate." As this move effectively destroyed Christmas for 200 needy families, public outcry was massive, resulting in Regretsy becoming a worldwide trending topic on Twitter. After publicly apologizing, PayPal reinstated Winchell's accounts and donated $20,000 to the families she was raising money for.[14]

Filmography

Roles in television
Year Title Role Notes
1972–1973 Kid Power Connie Voice role
Animated series
1992 Defenders of Dynatron City Additional voices Voice role
TV special
1992 Monster in My Pocket: The Big Scream Helga Voice role
TV special
1992 Darkwing Duck Bianca Beaksley Voice role
Animated series
1992–1993 Goof Troop Peg Pete / Various Characters Voice role
Animated series
1993 Tom & Jerry Kids Additional voices Voice role
Animated series
1993 Marsupilami Additional voices Voice role
Animated series
1993 Problem Child Additional voices Voice role
Animated series
1993–1994 Bonkers Dyl Piquel Voice role
Animated series
1993–1994 SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron Molly Mange Voice role
Animated series
1994 Limboland Various
1994 Aladdin Woman Voice role
Animated series
1994 Sonic the Hedgehog Additional voices Voice role
Animated series
1995 Bump in the Night Auntie Matta
The Princess
The Cute Dolls
Voice role
Animated series
1995 The Shnookums and Meat Funny Cartoon Show Various Characters Voice role
Animated series
1995–1999 Timon & Pumbaa Additional voices Voice role
Animated series
1996 Gargoyles Shauna Coyle Voice role
Animated series
1996 Earthworm Jim Ilene Voice role
Animated series
1996 Grace Under Fire Ms. Salem
1996 Quack Pack Female Viking
Various Characters
Voice role
Animated series
1996–1997 Mighty Ducks Tanya Voice role
Animated series
1996–1997 Jungle Cubs Various Characters Voice role
Animated series
1996–1998 The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper Miss C. / Baby Casper Voice role
Animated series
1997 The Blues Brothers: The Animated Series Various Characters Voice role
Animated series
1997 Johnny Bravo Various Characters Voice role
Animated series
1997 Extreme Ghostbusters The Waitress Voice role
Animated series
1997–1998 101 Dalmatians: The Series Cruella De Vil Voice role
Animated series
1997–2000 Pepper Ann Lydia Pearson Voice role
Animated series
1997–2001 Recess Muriel Finster Voice role
Animated series
1998 Hercules Amazon Guard Voice role
Animated series
1998 Men in Black: The Series Additional voices Voice role
Animated series
1998 All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series Tiffany Voice role
Animated series
1998–1999 Mad Jack the Pirate Additional voices Voice role
Animated series
1998–1999 CatDog Sadie / Space Grannies Voice role
Animated series
1999 The Wild Thornberrys Gemsbok #2 Voice role
Animated series
1999 Time of Your Life Karen
1999–2000 Mickey Mouse Works Clarabelle Cow Voice role
Animated series
1999–2000 Kids from Room 402 Miss Gracie Graves / Various Characters Voice role
Animated series
2000 Buzz Lightyear of Star Command Pwerta Voice role
Animated series
2000 Rugrats Argenta Voice role
Animated series
2000–2001 Clerks: The Animated Series Judge Voice role
Animated series
2001–2002 House of Mouse Clarabelle Cow Voice role
Animated series
2001–2003 The Legend of Tarzan Terk / Bibi's Mother Voice role
Animated series
2002 Totally Spies! Ms. Catherine Brooks / Principal Vegan Voice role
Animated series
2002 That '80s Show Mrs. Nealon
2002 Ozzy and Drix Lunchlady Voice role
Animated series
2002–2003 Teamo Supremo Hypnotheria Voice role
Animated series
2002–2003 Lloyd in Space Nora Nebulon Voice role
Animated series
2003 The Mummy: The Animated Series Aglaophone #1 Voice role
Animated series
2003 Rocket Power Announcer Voice role
Animated series
2003–2006 Lilo & Stitch Mrs. Edmonds Voice role
Animated series
2003; 2007 Kim Possible Bernice
Trisha
Voice role
Animated series
2004 Fatherhood Ms. Huffington Voice role
Animated series
2006 Bratz Gertrude Voice role
Animated series
2006 Catscratch Various Characters Voice role
Animated series
2006 The X's Various Characters Voice role
Animated series
2006–2007 Eloise: The Animated Series Various Characters Voice role
Animated series
2006–2007 Legion of Super Heroes Winema Wazzo Voice role
Animated series
2006–2016 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Clarabelle Cow Voice role
Animated series
2007 Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, TheThe Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Mr. Slither Voice role
Animated series
2007 Slacker Cats Additional voices Voice role
Animated series
2007–2008 Tak & the Power of Juju Donna Voice role
Animated series
2008–2014 Phineas and Ferb Blanca Dishob
Bridgette Oshinomi
Princess Leia
Voice role
Animated series
2009 As Told by Ginger Cleaning Lady Voice role
Animated series
2009 King of the Hill Various Characters Voice role
Animated series
2010–2011 Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil Helga Voice role
Animated series
2011 Curious George Chilla DeWinter
Melanie
Voice role
Animated series
2011 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated Various Characters Voice role
Animated series
2011 Fish Hooks Lady Eelbottom Voice role
Animated series
2011–2014 Jake and the Never Land Pirates Singsong Bird
Slippery Serpent
Voice role
Animated series
2011–present Minnie's Bow-Toons Clarabelle Cow Voice role
Animated series
2012 Robot and Monster Grandma
Arpa
Voice role
Animated series
2012–2015 Gravity Falls Ma Duskerton Voice role
Animated series
2013 Ben 10: Omniverse Queen Voratia Rumbletum Voice role
Animated series
2013 Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness Mistress Mugan Voice role
Animated series
2013 Monsters vs. Aliens Soap Opera Alien
Educational Television
Voice role
Animated series
2013–2016 Wander Over Yonder Sylvia Voice role
Animated series
2014–2015 Breadwinners Mama Monster Voice role
Animated series
2015 Star vs. the Forces of Evil Riddle Sphinx Voice role
Animated series
Roles in film
Year Title Role Notes
1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit Mrs. Herman
Baby Herman (on-camera)
Voice role
1990 Jetsons: The Movie Additional Voices Voice role
1993 Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby Additional voices Voice role
Television film
1997 Mighty Ducks the Movie: The First Face-Off Tanya Voice role
Direct-to-video
1998 Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World Chandeleria Voice role
Direct-to-video
1998 Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World Additional voices Voice role
Direct-to-video
1998 Antz Additional voices Voice role
1999 Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas Firefighter
Mother
Voice role
Direct-to-video
2000 Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman Madame Raya Voice role
Direct-to-video
2001 Recess: School's Out Miss Finster
Mrs. Detweiller
Voice role
2001 Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure Mrs. Mahoney Voice role
Direct-to-video
2001 Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse Mother Von Drake Voice role
Direct-to-video
2001 Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street Miss Finster Voice role
Direct-to-video
2002 Hunchback of Notre Dame II, TheThe Hunchback of Notre Dame II Lady DeBurne Voice role
Direct-to-video
2002 Tarzan & Jane Terk Voice role
Direct-to-video
2002 Mickey's House of Villains Clarabelle Cow Voice role
Direct-to-video
2002 Rapsittie Street Kids: Believe in Santa Nana Voice role
2003 Recess: All Growed Down Miss Finster Voice role
Direct-to-video
2003 Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade Miss Finster Voice role
Direct-to-video
2004 Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers Clarabelle Cow
Additional voices
Voice role
Direct-to-video
2004 Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas Additional voices Voice role
Direct-to-video
2005 Mulan II Matchmaker Voice role
Direct-to-video
2005 Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama Reporter Voice role
Direct-to-video
2005 Tarzan II Additional voices Voice role
Direct-to-video
2005 Kronk's New Groove Hildy
Marge
Tina
Additional voices
Voice role
Direct-to-video
2006 Asterix and the Vikings Vikea Voice role
2006 Queer Duck: The Movie Additional voices Voice role
Direct-to-video
2006 Fox and the Hound 2, TheThe Fox and the Hound 2 Additional voices Voice role
Direct-to-video
2007 Happily N'Ever After Additional voices Voice role
2009 Haunted World of El Superbeasto, TheThe Haunted World of El Superbeasto Dame Grace Appleton
Liza
Babs
Dolly
Joan
Gloria
Scripty
Helga Strudel
Voice role
Direct-to-video
2010 Superman/Batman: Apocalypse Female Radio Caller #1
Tresha
Voice role
Direct-to-video
2012 Strange Frame Pawnbroker Voice role
2013 Monsters University Additional Voices Voice role
2013 Despicable Me 2 Additional Voices Voice role
2015 Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League Giganta Voice role
2015 Home Boov Voice role

References

  1. 1 2 3 Sinton, Peter (August 14, 1996), "GLENDALE FEDERAL BASHES BIG BANKS / The Brains, Voice Behind the Barbs / April Winchell – Glen Fed's radio warrior", San Francisco Chronicle, retrieved September 24, 2011
  2. Nordyke, Kimberly (August 12, 2013). "D23 Expo: Jack McBrayer on New Disney Channel Series 'Wander Over Yonder' (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  3. Childs, T. Mike (2004). Rocklopedia fakebandica. Macmillan. p. 72. ISBN 978-0-312-32944-0.
  4. 5 things you don't know about April Winchell, Mr. KABC Radio Show audio archive, accessed February 8, 2007
  5. 1 2 Oakner, Larry (2002). And now a few laughs from our sponsor: the best of fifty years of radio commercials. John Wiley and Sons. p. 156. ISBN 978-0-471-20218-9.
  6. Oakner, Larry (2002). And now a few laughs from our sponsor: the best of fifty years of radio commercials. John Wiley and Sons. p. 155. ISBN 978-0-471-20218-9.
  7. Greenfield, Jeremy (November 20, 2009). "Regretsy Creator Revealed: April Winchell Discusses New Book Deal". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 12, 2010. Retrieved January 8, 2010.
  8. April Winchell “Regretsy: Where DIY Meets WTF”. ISBN 978-0-345-52318-1
  9. Winchell, April (August 1, 2011). "A New Record".
  10. Pikedevant (Nov 29, 2011). "Just Glue Some Gears On It (And Call It Steampunk)". Youtube. Retrieved December 4, 2011. Inspired by the category 'Things That Are Not Steampunk' on Regretsy
  11. Winchell, April. "LET'S WRAP THIS UP NOW". regretsy.com. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  12. Winchell, April. "Sexual secrets revealed".
  13. Winchell, April. "memoir contest".
  14. Killer, Helen. "CATS 1, KIDS 0". Regretsy. Retrieved December 6, 2011.

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