Behind Tigger’s Bounce: The Complicated Life of Paul Winchell, According to His Daughter

The exuberant laugh and boundless energy of Tigger made him one of the most beloved characters in Disney history. But behind that joyful voice was a man whose personal life was far more troubled.

Paul Winchell, the original voice of Tigger in Winnie the Pooh, was a gifted entertainer, ventriloquist, and inventor. Yet, as his daughter April Winchell recently shared, his life outside the recording booth was marked by estrangement, unresolved anger, and deep emotional pain.

Speaking on Nostalgia Tonight with Joe Sibilia, April reflected candidly on her fractured relationship with her father — a story that contrasts sharply with the carefree character he brought to life.

A Childhood Bond That Fell Apart

April described having a close relationship with her father during her early years. That bond unraveled after Paul Winchell’s divorce from April’s mother, writer Nina Russell.

According to April, the separation deeply affected her father’s ability to maintain a relationship with her. “My dad got to a point where he didn’t really want to be around me,” she said, explaining that he felt she resembled her mother too much. By the time she was 13, father and daughter had stopped speaking altogether.

She described the estrangement during her teenage years as “a loss,” one that lingered well into adulthood.

A Brief Reconnection — and Another Break

At 22, after getting married in 1982, April decided to reach out in hopes of rebuilding their relationship. The reunion was promising at first. Winchell hosted a barbecue, filmed an interview with his daughter using a joystick-controlled video camera, and spent time reminiscing.

But the evening took an uncomfortable turn when he commented that April looked just like her mother — a remark that reopened old wounds. Despite her optimism, the renewed connection didn’t last, and communication once again faded.

Encouragement From the Animation World

April later followed in her father’s footsteps, becoming a voice actress herself. While working on Disney’s Goof Troop in 1992, she was encouraged to try again by fellow voice actor Jim Cummings, who had begun sharing the role of Tigger with Winchell.

Cummings frequently told April that her father spoke about her fondly and wanted to reconnect. When she reached out, however, she was met with hostility.

It was during this period that Winchell revealed he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was receiving treatment. While April respected his openness, she felt it was necessary to establish boundaries.

She told him that any relationship moving forward would need to exclude discussions about her mother. Those terms, she said, were something her father could not accept. They never spoke again.

Learning of His Death Through the News

Paul Winchell died in 2005 — and his children were not informed privately. April revealed that her father had requested that none of them be notified, wanting them to learn of his death through media reports.

Hearing the news on the radio was devastating. “That was the only time I think I cried over it,” April said, adding that she was stunned by what she perceived as a final act intended to cause pain.

Honoring a Complicated Legacy

Despite everything, April has found a way to separate her father’s personal failures from his professional achievements. Twice a year, she visits and cleans his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“It’s not an award for Father of the Year,” she said. “It’s an award for his contribution.”

While her relationship with Paul Winchell remained unresolved, April believes his creative work left a lasting positive mark on the world — even if his personal relationships were far more difficult.

“He left the world better than he found it,” she said, “which is not something we can all say.”