Before Rudolph’s glowing nose guided Santa’s sleigh into millions of homes, a talented young Canadian woman was already making her mark. Billie Mae Richards, the voice behind that iconic reindeer, began her incredible journey over 75 years ago, performing for troops during World War II and even royalty overseas. From the stages of wartime Canada to studying radio arts with legendary Lorne Greene, her dedication to performance shaped a remarkable career, laying the groundwork for a voice that would eventually become synonymous with Christmas joy.
It was through this rich background in Canadian radio and drama that Billie Mae found her way to the world of voice acting, stepping into roles that would capture the hearts of generations. In 1964, a simple animated special about a certain red-nosed reindeer changed everything, becoming an instant Christmas classic. Billie Mae shares the unique story of voicing Rudolph, from the pioneering stop-motion animation process to the lasting legacy of a tale that teaches us the importance of embracing what makes us different. Get ready to discover the heartwarming journey of the woman who brought Rudolph to life, a story of perseverance, pride, and unforgettable holiday magic.
📖 Read the Episode Transcript
Speaker 1: This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories, the show where America is the star and the American people. And to search for the Our American Stories podcasts, go to the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Billy May Richards is the Canadian actress best known for voicing frut Off, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The special first aired on December sixth, nineteen sixty-four, on NBC. Here’s Billy May to share her story.
00:00:41
Speaker 2: I go back almost over seventy-five years now. I’ve been in every kind of child business. I’m quite proud of the work in the Navy show. As part of the war effort in World War II, we went all across Canada, back and then overseas, and we did a command performance for the King and Queen, and went Innto, Paris, and we played for the American troops in Paris, and then Brussels, and Amsterdam, and Innto, Germany. So, after the World War II, that is, so you know how long ago it is, I took my credits from the Navy and I joined Lauren Green’s Academy of Radio Arts. And he, of course, did a very famous Canadian, and he died Bonanza. That was a great series. And so I joined the Academy of Radio Arts because I had already done stage work, and I was a musician and an actor and everything, but I didn’t know the technique for actually for radio and drama. So that’s why I went there. And out of that, I graduated, and everybody that heard me gave me a part of the child. So that’s where my first big show was a big drama and on the stage series, and in Canada, went from there. So I spent twenty-five years in the CBC doing school podcasts, and then when the cartooning came our way, then it was just part of a natural progression to go into voice works because you’re not, you know, I’m not a… I’m not a television actor, and certainly not now. Hey, Larice. Hey, after practice? Would you, would you go off? You’ll get back here. It’s trying you all. Gee, I gotta go back? Would you want to go? Would be?
00:02:34
Speaker 1: Uh-huh, Rudolph, I think you’re cute.
00:02:40
Speaker 2: I’m cute. I du, man, I’m kid.
00:02:47
Speaker 1: I gud, shit that I cut.
00:02:53
Speaker 2: I just want you to know that I’m still cute. Well, I see Hermie once in a while, and I always wanted to be like Hermie. I wanted to be independent. He wanted to be a dentist. So we were mixed together. Hey, what do you say we both be independent together, huh? You wouldn’t mind my red not not, if you don’t mind me being a dentist. It’s a deal. So that was fun, you know. So the whole show was fun to do, and it was all Canadian. All the voices are Canadian except for Burlives. They’ll say, “I thought it wasn’t an American show.” No, you know, while it was partly Bernard collin A was directing it along with Jewels Bath, and they came up to Toronto because we, we have all the voices from radio, because our radio never died. You know, it’s, it kept on with because of the Canadian broadcast in corporation. You know, we’d all been still working in radio. So we had the voices for radio. Because the puppets are actually three-dimensional, and they have to be filmed, you know, one little teeny movement at a time. With the 3D puppets, you might say, but they’re not puppets. They’re moved, each little teeny little bit as they moved through the snow. For instance, the snowman goes through the snow, and he’s, he’s, the snow is pushed in front of him. It’s a unique process that Rank and in Bad first developed, and they went on to do other ones. Of course, the shows I did were all aimed for children, because that’s all I ever did were a voice voices, so like Care Bears and things like that. You know, I don’t tell anybody either, because it spoiled the illusion, especially for children. I hate to say it, you know, especially now. Oh, I have children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. They think it’s wonderful. They, when they were little, they went to school and told their teeth that their mother was Rudel, and the teacher looked at them and said, “Oh, yes, dear, of course.” So we get on with the work now, you know. But I sometimes I go to schools, and it’s very good to teach kids how important it is to learn to read, not only for pleasure, but there actually is a side of that that can be a profession. So it’s a, it’s a boost for children, and in the reading. And that’s when your character voice is, you know, then you can say, “By the way, we thought it did go one year, maybe two at the most,” and that was it. But that’s, you know, that’s fine. Look what’s happened to it! You realize that it had become a classic, you know, sort of like, you know, “Wizard of Odd,” you know, that that type of show that has a, it has a moral to it, and, uh, you know, everything works out in the end. And so, I mean, there you go. What more can you ask? You know, it all worked out in the end. It revived Rudolph from being just the dog and a little Christmas book, and made it into something that could be watched every Christmas. It became a Christmas classic because, you know, my grandchildren even now are almost beyond it, but they still watch because they say, “Oh, but it’s so cute!” You know. Rudolph is also, of course, I’m Rudolph in Rudolph’s Shiny New Year and the one that’s Christmas in July with Rocky Snowman. So whatever, there’s a Rudolph that’s my voice. “Rudolph with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my slade tonight?” “It will be an honor, sir.” And it was wonderful to see it all put together with the actual figures because we didn’t really know what they were going to look like. So it was the really fun thing. And I’m very proud that it’s been on this long, and there are not too many people that can say that, so it’s really great. But I enjoyed the work that I do, and I’m quite happy, and that’s good enough for me.
00:07:18
Speaker 1: At a terrific job on the production, editing, and storytelling by our own Greg Hangler. The story of the woman who voice Rudolph, here on Our American Stories. Here are in Our American Stories, we bring you inspiring stories of history, sports, business, faith, and love. Stories from a great and beautiful country that need to be told. But we can’t do it without you. Our stories are free to listen to, but they’re not free to make. If you love Our Stories in America like we do, please go to OurAmericanStories.com and click the donate button. Give a little, give a lot. Help us keep the great American stories coming. That’s OurAmericanStories.com.
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