Gopher (Winnie-the-Pooh)



Gopher is a fictional grey anthropomorphic gopher, character who first appeared in the 1966 Disney animated film Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, introducing himself as Samuel J. Gopher. He has a habit of whistling out his sibilant consonants, one of various traits he has in common with the beaver in Lady and the Tramp, by whom he may have been inspired. Gopher was fleshed out a bit further in the television series The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. He is portrayed as generally hard-working, especially in his tunnels (which he inevitably falls into at least once). He does not appear in the original books by A. A. Milne (a fact that is regularly pointed out in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, when he breaks the fourth wall by saying he's "not in the book, y'know", also trying to say that he would not be in a phone book). Gopher's voice was originally done by Howard Morris, who retired from the role and was replaced by Michael Gough.

Gopher's most recent appearances were in A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving and Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You. He also made minor appearances in A Very Merry Pooh Year and appeared in Boo to You Too! Winnie the Pooh, which was included as part of Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie. To date, this is Gopher's last appearance in the Winnie the Pooh media line.

Gopher was notably absent in the 2011 film, Winnie the Pooh.

Trivia

 * "The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" episode "Lights Out" revealed that Gopher has a fear of the dark.
 * Gopher is mentioned in the "My Friends Tigger and Pooh" episode "Tigger and Pooh and a Musical Too". After Beaver (a similar character that first appeared in "Lady and the Tramp") correctly guesses the password to Tigger's territory of the Hundred Acre Wood, Tigger turns to Pooh and says "I miss Gopher".
 * In the new interactive queue of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride at Walt Disney World, Gopher can be seen popping in and out of Rabbit's garden.
 * Gopher also has a spell card in the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game, "Gopher's Demolition Dynamite."
 * Gopher makes an unspoken cameo appearance in "Goof Troop" episode "Terminal Pete."