Autograph Training At Disney
Let’s talk more about what Disney calls Character Integrity and the Rule of One—the means by which Disney creates the illusion that there’s only one Mickey, rather than multiple performers portraying the same role over a period of decades.
It starts with casting. To portray a specific character, you have to fall within a specific height range, so that you’re indistinguishable from another performer from another day or another year. Minnie Mouse, for example, requires a performer who is between 4’8 and 5’2.
But it also comes down to behavior and body language. Cast Members study their characters’ films, so they can act and move the way their characters do. They also practice their autograph; every character has a stylized autograph, and the cast members try to make theirs look as close to it as possible—again, to maintain fidelity across multiple days, months, and years.
