Here's Betty White's voice role in Studio Ghibli's Ponyo explained. Co-founded by animation giant Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli has produced many animated classics, including Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke. Miyazaki helmed 2008's Ponyo, an acclaimed adventure that sees a young boy named Sōsuke find a goldfish that turns out to be the daughter of a sea goddess. Like much of Ghibli's output, Ponyo was praised upon release for its animation, writing and environmental message.
Even though Studio Ghibli has never made a sequel - at least, outside of some short films or spin-offs - Miyazaki was interested in making Ponyo 2. The sequel didn't happen ultimately, and Ponyo 2 is unlikely to ever happen at this juncture. When it comes to international releases for Ghibli movies, distributor Disney will often assemble an all-star voice cast for a given movie's English language dub. Ponyo was no exception, with actors like Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Liam Neeson and Tina Fey filling out the English voice cast.
Even the smaller roles in Ponyo get some great talent, with the late, great Betty White voicing Ponyo's Yoshie. While not a major role, White brings warmth to the role, with Yoshie being an old lady who is a resident of the senior center with her friend Noriko (Cloris Lechman). Sōsuke is friendly with both ladies, showing them Ponyo - who has many quotes - when he first finds her in goldfish form. They reappear throughout the story, and later on Ponyo's father Fujimoto (Neeson) brings them into an underwater bubble when the sea levels rise.
Betty White's Other Voice Acting Roles
This gives the residents of the center the chance to walk, with Yoshie taking great delight in being able to run again. Again, Betty White's Ponyo role is brief, but her voice is unmistakable. The actor also greatly enjoyed her time working on the movie's dub, according to a making-of featurette (via Trailer Addict), where she also labeled Miyazaki a genius.
Outside of Ponyo's Yoshie, Betty White voiced roles in many different projects. She played herself on episodes of Family Guy and The Simpsons, in addition to parts in Higglytown Heroes and The Wild Thornberrys. One of her final roles was playing the fittingly named Bitey White in the easter egg-filled Toy Story 4 and Disney+ spin-off series Forky Asks a Question. The beloved actor ed away in December 2021, just a few weeks short of her 100th birthday.
