The voice actor behind Disney‘s beloved Goofy has confirmed the character is not a dog, despite popular belief.
Goofy is one of Mickey Mouse’s closest friends, recognized for his signature look of a turtle neck, vest, white gloves, and a hat.
In his near-100-year history, most people have been under the false impression the character is a dog – but someone who knows Goofy very well has dismissed this claim.
The character first appeared as an older version, Dippy Dawg, in the 1932 animated short Mickey’s Revue.
His signature name was officially given to him in the 1939 film Goofy and Wilbur and he’s since appeared in other movies and TV shows, including A Goofy Movie and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Goofy is even reimagined as a well-meaning but decidedly awkward single dad in the 1992 series Goof Troop, in which 11-year-old boy Max Goof is introduced.
Over the years, there have been conspiracies surrounding who exactly the mother of Goofy’s child is.
Although we may not have the answer to this, we do know that Goofy is definitely not a dog… or a cow.
After coming to this surprising realization, people have taken to X (formerly Twitter) and reacted.
One person writes: “I’m in disbelief.”
Another adds: “Wtf… childhood ruined.”
“Well gawrsh,” jokes someone else.
Unlike most Disney characters it’s difficult to decipher what exactly Goofy portrays, but voice actor Bill Farmer has the answer.
The American actor has been the official voice of the iconic character since 1987, reports IMDb.
In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Farmer dismisses the claim Goofy is a dog or a cow by finally answering the age-old question.
Adamantly, he states: “He is not a dog.”
Farmer then points out that Disney’s Pluto, who is a definitely dog, doesn’t have the human-like features Goofy does.
The voice actor says: “Pluto is a dog, but Goofy seems to be in the canine family in the same way that a wolf is not a dog, but they also are in the canine family. I think Canis Goofus is the technical Latin term for what Goofy is.
“He’s just Goofy.”
Fact-checking website Snopes elaborates, having reached out to Disney legend and archivist Dave Smith, who adds: “Goofy was originally created as a human character with dog-like characteristics, thus why he walks upright, wears clothes, talks, and has animal features that resemble a dog.”