Golden Age Actress Marge Champion Has Passed Away

Known for her role in the golden age of television and film, Marge Champion, born Marjorie Celeste Belcher, has passed away at the age of 101.

Her son, Gregg Champion, confirmed her death with The New York Times on Thursday (Oct. 22).

Champion and her husband Gower Champion teamed up for several MGM Musicals including 1951’s “Show Boat,” 1952’s “Lovely to Look At,” 1953’s “Give a Girl a Break” and 1955’s “Jupiter’s Darling.” She also starred in 1968’s “The Party.”  Her most recent credit was 1982’s television series “Fame.”

Before all that, she helped bring several Disney films to life, serving as a model for Snow White, Pinocchio, and Fantasia, just to name a few.

According to D23, Champion “was the live-action reference model for the heroine of Disney’s feature-length cartoon Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, performing dances, scenes, and special movements so the animators could caricature her actions and make their princess as human as possible.”

She was also the reference model for the Blue Fairy in 1940’s Pinocchio and Hyacinth Hippo in the “Dance of the Hours” segment of 1940’s Fantasia, which she also choreographed. Champion even did modeling for Mr. Stork in Dumbo, leading many to refer to her as a “Disney legend.”

A legendary woman who helped bring to life legendary films. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.

Watch her doing a test scene for Snow White below.