Margaret Kerry, the actress who inspired the character Tinker Bell in Disney’s animated classic Peter Pan, died at the age of 97 on Friday. Her family shared that she "passed peacefully" on Thursday after a battle with lung cancer. Kerry's passing follows closely behind that of her husband, Robert Boeke, which her family described as a “truly remarkable love story.”
Born on May 11, 1929, Kerry began her acting career in 1935. She joined Disney after auditioning for the role of Tinker Bell, providing pantomime movements that would serve as reference for the character. In addition to her work on Peter Pan, she voiced a red-haired mermaid in the film and appeared in other productions including Clutch Cargo and Space Angel.
Tinker Bell later became an iconic figure for Disney, leading to her own franchise which included books, films, and a CG movie series. The character has been voiced by Mae Whitman in these adaptations, with Yara Shahidi portraying her in the recent 2023 film Peter Pan & Wendy. In her memory, Kerry's family encourages donations to the Thalian Association Community Theatre in North Carolina.