Jim Cummings Upon his graduation from high school, Cummings relocated to New Orleans, where he designed and painted Mardi Gras floats, worked as a river boat deck hand, and sang and played drums in the regionally-successful rock band Fusion.

Before becoming a renowned voice actor, Jim Cummings worked in various jobs in New Orleans, including designing Mardi Gras floats, singing, selling door-to-door, and working on a riverboat. He later moved to California, where he took on odd jobs before launching his voice acting career. His early voice acting work included the role of Lionel the Lion in "Dumbo's Circus.

He was also the 1991 alternate of the Shredder for the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) series, which is also the same show where he voiced Leatherhead the mutant alligator. His favorite Disney roles are Pete (main favorite role), Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Darkwing Duck, Ray, and Hondo Ohnaka.

Cummings has two daughters with his former wife Stephanie Jardon. The two were married from 2001 to 2011, when they divorced. In 2019, they became involved in an acrimonious custody dispute, which Cummings won. Cummings also has two older daughters from a previous marriage.