Regis Francis Xavier Philbin was an American media personality, actor, and singer, best known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s.
For Disney, he voiced Typhon in Hercules, the Ringmaster in the English version of Pinocchio, and himself in Lilo & Stitch: The Series. He also played himself in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show. In addition, he hosted the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade in the Magic Kingdom from 1991 to 2008, was one of the celebrities featured in Superstar Limo, and appeared as a guest star in the Phineas and Ferb spin-off, Take Two with Phineas and Ferb.
On TV, he was also the former host of Live! with Regis and Kelly (debuting as Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee in 1988), as well as the primetime U.S. version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, an international game show franchise that originated in the United Kingdom in 1998, and premiered in the United States in 1999 and aired on ABC.
Trivia[]
- According to the directors on the 2002 film's audio commentary for Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Philbin originally auditioned for the voice of the Beast. However, the role went to Robby Benson instead.