Margaret Kerry, the model and actress who served as the inspiration for Disney’s beloved pixie, Tinker Bell, died Thursday at the age of 97.
Disney animators designed Tinker Bell — the classic character in the 1953 “Peter Pan” — around Kerry’s likeness, Deadline reported. Her death was announced June 11 on Facebook by Tinker Bell’s Gift Shop Staff Linda Swisher and Sher Lancaster. The Walt Disney Archives also confirmed her passing via Instagram.
“It is with profound sadness that we share news of the passing of Margaret Kerry (Boeke), our beloved Tinker Bell. Margaret passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus on June 11, 2026, in Wilmington, North Carolina,” Swisher and Lancaster wrote.
“Her three adoring children, Ellen, Christina and Eric, were with her as she lost her courageous battle with lung cancer at the age of ninety-seven.”
Their statement continued, “Margaret was deeply grateful for the extraordinary life that she enjoyed and felt tremendously blessed by her loved ones and the countless friends and fans that she met along the way. Margaret wanted everyone to know that she was at peace and ready for this next journey in her life, secure in the knowledge that God was eager to bring her home, with Him, into heaven.”
Kerry’s bright personality was captured in the tribute.
“And remember, on any given night, look up into the night sky and search for that ‘Second Star to the Right’. Upon closer look, you might just notice that star shining a little brighter in Margaret’s honor,” the statement read.
Swisher and Lancaster signed off by noting that Kerry asked them to share an image of her and Tinker Bell at the time of her passing.
LONDON – NOVEMBER 10: A tiny waxwork model of the fairy Tinker Bell is unveiled at Madame Tussaudes on November 10, 2008 in London, England. The figure is the smallest ever created at the attraction, measuring only five and a half inches. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
In a 2003 interview with Jim Korkis, Kerry described the unique audition that ultimately secured her role as Tinker Bell.
“How do you audition for animation and for a character who doesn’t speak? At home I had a room set up, my dance room, with all these mirrors and a barre, etc,” she said at the time.
“So I got this little record player and put on an instrumental record and worked up a pantomime making breakfast to the beat of the record. You know, carrying eggs and maybe dropping one, closing the refrigerator door with one foot, etc. aAs much variety of movement as I could do in the context of a little story.”
Kerry translated that to her audition at the studio, noting, “There was no one for me to react to. I had to imagine almost everything.”
She told Korkis, “There was an occasional prop like huge scissors or a wire-frame keyhole or something. Most of the time it was just me pretending to be looking up from under something or walking around.”
And just like that, Disney’s Tinker Bell was born.
Margaret Kerry, Actress Who Was the Model for the Original Tinker Bell, Dies at 97 https://t.co/LycS6x2jkz
— People (@people) June 12, 2026
Kerry enjoyed a lengthy career in the world of entertainment. She starred as daughter Sharon Ruggles on “The Ruggles” from 1949-1952.
She lent her talent as a voice actress on “Clutch Cargo” in 1959, “Space Angel” in 1962-64 and “The New Three Stooges” in 1965, according to People.
Her other appearances include “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Star Maker,” as well as one episode on “The Lone Ranger.” (RELATED: Horrifying Details Emerge In Death Of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Star)
Kerry was a motivational speaker as well as the producer, writer and host of a Los Angeles-based Christian radio show for 12 years, according to Deadline. She published her autobiography, “Tinker Bell Talks: Tales of a Pixie Dusted Life,” published in 20106.
Tinker Bell has become a legendary mascot for Disney, and part of Kerry’s lasting legacy. The character first appeared in a 1904 play “Peter Pan,” which was an adaptation of James Matthew Barrie’s 1902 book “The Little White Bird.”