Model for Disney’s Tinker Bell shares her fairy tale in a new book

Throughout a nearly eight-decade showbiz career, Margaret Kerry has had countless roles, but there is one character that’s stuck with her and ultimately became a part of who she is: Tinker Bell.

Despite Disney’s classic “Peter Pan” being an animated film, the characters were modeled after real-life people.

Because of her dancing background, she auditioned for the part and won the role as a reference model, despite the urban legend that Tinker Bell was actually based on Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe.

“I’ve worked with Marilyn, and I adored her, but one of the reasons she couldn’t have done it was because she wasn’t a dancer,” Kerry said. “If you look at Tinker Bell, the way she does her walk is like a ballet dancer’s walk.”

For many years, Kerry has worked on a book about her experience as the iconic Disney fairy as well as her entire career. Titled, “Tinker Bell Talks! Tales of a Pixie Dusted Life,” she will be signing copies of the book on Sunday at Walt Disney’s Carolwood Barn.

The Glendale resident was born in Los Angeles as Peggy Lynch. She acted and danced in “Our Gang” comedy shorts early in her career before moving on to appearances on “The Andy Griffith Show” and providing a slew of voice-over work on cartoons such as “Clutch Cargo.”

She’s also been in 37 motion pictures.

However, the biggest break in her career was being brought in to do pantomime work for Disney animator Marc Davis as Tinker Bell — Walt Disney himself was even present at the time, Kerry said.

Seeing herself on the big screen for the first time made her cry and her relationship with Tinker Bell would only continue to grow from there.

“She is me in film and I am her,” Kerry said. “It’s sort of like having an alter ego.”

Kerry will be signing copies of her book from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday at Walt Disney’s Carolwood Barn, located at the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum, 5202 Zoo Drive, in Griffith Park. Admission is free.