Many super fans have no idea, but Donny has starred in plenty of animated TV shows and movies over the years. His silky smooth voice is as good animated as it is on stage! One role nearly everyone has heard of is Captain Li Shang in the Disney classic, Mulan.
If, for some reason, you still need some help refreshing your memory, well, in the film he sings the iconic “I’ll Make a Man Out of You.” And if that song isn’t in the top five of your favorite Disney songs then we’re sorry but you can’t sit with us.
Donny on Broadway
Donny had a fair amount of success on the Broadway circuit, having appeared in a grand total of three plays. His biggest play, by far, was "Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" in which he played the titular character. We couldn't imagine him as anything but the lead.
He also played the lead in "Little Johnny Jones." He also took on the surprising role of the evil Gaston, in "Beauty and the Beast." We know what you're thinking. Donny? A villain? Impossible! And yet, from the photos, it looks like Donny reveled in the challenge of playing the bad guy for just a little while.
A Secret Crush
Donny appeared on the British TV show, "The Kumars at No. 42" as a guest. He had no idea that he was in for a surprise a secret admirer just waiting to meet him. Sanjeev Bhaskar, the star of the show (you might also recognize him from the Netflix hit "The Sandman"), said that his wife, comedian Meera Syal, had always wanted to marry Donny Osmond.
When she was young she was even willing to convert to Mormonism! What crush! With Donny on the show, Sanjeev joked that she could run off with him if she wanted, as her excitement erupted.
Breaking Records
Let’s take a break from Donny for a minute and focus on some of the other Osmond family members. Take Jimmy Osmond, the youngest of the Osmond family broke records in the UK which he still holds to this very day. The 1972 song, "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool," reached number one in the UK singles charts when Jimmy was only 9 years old.
Jimmy was henceforth the youngest artist to reach the top spot in Britain. The boy, now a man, recalls sadly, “The home I grew up in was a string of hotels across the world. I don’t remember my first home, which was somewhere in Los Angeles.” Sad!
Saving up for Hearing Aids
With all the musical talent in the Osmond family, it's surprising to learn that two family members don't have the biological ability to appreciate it. Tom and George Virl Osmond, the oldest Osmond brothers were both born deaf. Olive and George Osmond, their parents, couldn’t afford to buy hearing aids and so the other brothers got together to perform and raise money for them.
This is how it all started, by going around from place to place trying to save for hearing aids. Darling, right? What’s even cuter is the Osmonds often signed during their performances to keep Tom and George up-to-speed.