Shining Animal Stars

People love watching animals on the big screen. Perhaps they see something of themselves in these captivating animal actors. Who can forget Lassie's loyalty, Trigger's strength or Morris the Cat's fussiness? Take a look at some of the brightest animal stars in film and television history, and find out what makes them so special.

Lassie, a.k.a. "Pal," 1940-1958
Breed: Rough collie
Breakthrough role: Lassie, Lassie Come Home (1943)
Pal, the first dog to play Lassie, was originally brought to the Weatherwax family to cure him of his habit of chasing cars. The Weatherwax family, renowned for training animals for film work, saw potential in Pal and took the collie in. When they found out a film version of the popular book Lassie Come Home was being made, they sent Pal to the set. At first, he was hired as a stand-in to film a difficult river scene. Pal outshone the dog he was standing in for so much that he took over as the lead dog. All of the nine Lassies since Pal have been his descendants. They've also all been male. Even though the character of Lassie is female, male collies were thought to look better on camera due to their thicker coats and larger size.

Eddie, a.k.a. "Moose," 1990-2006
Breed: Jack Russell terrier
Breakthrough role: Eddie, Frasier (1993-2003)
Moose, a Jack Russell terrier, was the youngest of his litter. Evidently, he was quite a handful. His original owners complained that he constantly dug holes, barked and even climbed trees! Moose was sent to Los Angeles to Mathilde de Cagny of Birds & Animals Unlimited, a company that trains animals for showbiz work. Mathilde found him to be a very good pupil and ready for work. Moose spent eight years in the role of Eddie on the Frasier sitcom, often stealing the show from his human co-stars. After he retired, his son Enzo took over his role as Eddie. Moose also wrote an autobiography entitled My Life as a Dog with a little help from Brian Hargrove.

Trigger, a.k.a. "Golden Cloud," 1932-1965
Breed: Golden Palomino
Breakthrough role: Trigger, Under Western Stars (1938)
Often referred to as "the smartest horse in the movies," Trigger had a very long and successful career. Trigger, formerly known as Golden Cloud, was handpicked by Roy Rogers for his 1938 movie Under Western Stars. Roy actually liked the horse so much that he bought him for $2,500. Their partnership would continue through 80 movies and numerous television roles. Roy Rogers said of his favorite horse, "He could turn on a dime and give you some change." After the end of Trigger's movie career, he spent the rest of his days with Roy and his wife and frequent co-star, Dale Evans.

Morris the Cat - actor in the late 1960s and early 1970s
Breed: unknown
Breakthrough role: Spokescat, 9Lives® (1969)
Animal trainer Bob Martwick knew what he was doing when he adopted a large orange tabby from a Chicago-area animal shelter in 1968. This cat would become one of the most recognized animal stars in the United States. Within the next year, Morris would land a job as the spokescat for 9Lives® cat food. He would also become a feline champion for shelter adoptions, with all of the subsequent Morrises being shelter or rescue cats. Like Moose, Morris tried his hand at literature, writing three books of his own: The Morris Approach, The Morris Method and The Morris Prescription. Several other Morris cats have stood in for the original and still represent 9Lives® today.

Willy, a.k.a. "Keiko," 1976-2003
Breed: Orca
Breakthrough role: Willy, Free Willy (1993)
Keiko, an orca captured off the coast of Iceland in 1979, gained worldwide celebrity with the Free Willy films and subsequent campaign to “Free Willy.” He was discovered and featured in the first Free Willy film and then returned to a marine park. After living most of his life in marine parks, sometimes in horrible conditions, a campaign was started to return Keiko to the wild. He was rehabilitated and prepared for his return for many years, finally reaching his new home off the coast of Norway in 2002. It was a very difficult process for the orca because he had become too familiar with humans. After one year on his own, he succumbed to pneumonia.

Benji, a.k.a "Higgins," 1959-1975
Breed: Poodle, schnauzer, cocker spaniel mix
Breakthrough role: Dog, Petticoat Junction (1963-1970)
Benji, also known as Higgins, was a mixed breed found at the Burbank Animal Shelter by legendary animal trainer Frank Inn. Frank trained many other showbiz animals, including Arnold the Pig from Green Acres. Higgins knew many tricks, from sneezing to yawning on cue. After a long run as "Dog" on Petticoat Junction, a popular 1960s sitcom, Higgins retired. In 1974, after four years of retirement, he was ready to go back to work as the loveable mutt Benji. Higgins was a very special dog to Frank Inn. His ashes were buried with his owner after Frank's death in 2002.

Toto, a.k.a "Terry," 1933-1944
Breed: Cairn terrier
Breakthrough role: Toto, The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Terry, a spunky Cairn terrier, got her first acting role in the 1934 Shirley Temple movie Bright Eyes. Her big break would come several years later when she would become Toto in the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz. Earning $125 dollars a week, Terry was paid more than many of the human actors in this film. Terry also shared a home with Judy Garland for several weeks so they could get to know each other. She appeared in 12 other movies in her successful Hollywood career.

Old Yeller, a.k.a. "Spike" – actor in the late 1950s
Breed: Mixed
Breakthrough role: Old Yeller, Old Yeller (1957)
Spike was a shelter rescue discovered by Frank Weatherwax, part of the famous Weatherwax family of animal trainers. Frank saw potential in this big, goofy yellow dog. According to the Weatherwax family Web site, shortly after Spike's adoption, the Weatherwax family heard about auditions for a Disney version of Old Yeller. They thought Spike would be perfect for the role. Initially, Spike was turned down for being too sweet and playful. Old Yeller had to be able to act vicious for the part. After a little extra training, Spike nailed the part, becoming one of the most memorable dogs in screen history.