Disney's Tinker Bell star Margaret Kerry, an actress and dancer from Wilmington, has passed away. The original Peter Pan movie from 1953 is still a fan-favorite film after almost seven decades due to its exquisite hand-drawn animation, timeless music, and alluring escapist adventure that appeals to everyone’s desire to never grow up. While Peter Pan and Captain Hook remain the most recognized characters from the tale, Tinker Bell, as the pixie fairy, has been etched in the memories of the fans.

And the majority of the credit goes to the inspiration for the original Tinker Bell, Margaret Kerry, who has now sadly passed away.

After a fight with lung cancer, the star, whose movements served as inspiration for Disney's lively fairy, Tinker Bell, in the 1953 classic Peter Pan, passed suddenly. According to her family, Kerry passed away quietly on June 11 in North Carolina with her kids by her side.

“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,” her family said in a statement.

At the age of 97, she lost her valiant fight with lung cancer while her three devoted children, Ellen, Christina, and Eric, were by her side. The tribute further said to never forget to glance up into the night sky and look for the "Second Star to the Right" on any given night. If you look more closely, you could see the star glowing a little brighter in her honor.

When Kerry was selected to model Tinker Bell's motions for Peter Pan, she became an iconic figure in Disney history. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she was just 5 feet 2 inches tall and spent months acting out scenarios for animators on a large Disney soundstage while dressed in a swimsuit and pretending to interact with characters from the story who were not there with her at the time.

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The story of how she got the part of Tinker Bell is even more interesting.

In a 2003 interview, she recalled her peculiar audition and stated that they were searching for a little girl who was at ease with dance movement. She got the part and became the inspiration for one of Disney's most well-known characters after choreographing and executing a mime routine to music.

One of Disney's most iconic characters, Tinker Bell, later made appearances as the enchanted mascot who sprinkled pixie dust over ads for Disneyland and The Wonderful World of Disney. Peter Pan remains one of the most famous Disney IPs till today, and Margaret Kerry’s Tinker Bell is a major part of it. 

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Have you watched the 1953 Peter Pan movie and, more importantly, Margaret Kerry’s performance as Tinker Bell in it? Do let us know.