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Poncho the world's oldest parrot has appeared in a string of
Hollywood movies alongside Tinseltown's greatest actors including Jim Carrey,
Eddie Murphy and Glen Close during her glittering career
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Poncho has rubbed shoulders with some of Tinseltown's
finest, including Jim Carrey, Eddie Murphy and Glen Close, during her life-long
movie career.
She starred in films such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Doctor Doolittle before retiring in 2000 after appearing in 102 Dalmations.
The pensioner parrot has since swapped the bright lights of
LA for the quaint British countryside and is currently enjoying her retirement
at a farm in Ellerdine, Shropshire.
Poncho's owners have revealed that her time in Tinseltown is
still clearly evident as the green-winged macaw can often be heard squawking
out famous catchphrases from the 1994 blockbuster Ace Ventura - such as
'alrighty-then' and 'Loo-oo-ser'
According to her owners, Rebecca Taylor, 53, and her
daughter Sophie Williams, 36, Poncho's acting days have also left her with a
typically Hollywood-style Diva attitude - even in her old age.
Sophie said: 'She really is a typical Hollywood diva, she's
very demanding.
'She won't eat anything but walnuts and the other day when a
photographer came to do some pictures of her - she attacked the camera.
'So she's even into attacking paparazzi - at her age I don't
think she likes the attention anymore.
'She only really likes me and my mother, and when I'm on the
phone she goes mad and just squawks - she's a typical attention seeking
Hollywood celebrity, but we love her.
'But she must have enjoyed working with Jim Carey because
when we first got her she'd constantly blurt out 'allllll-righty-then'.
'It's not very nice when she calls you a loser - but I like
it when she goes B-E-A-utiful.'
Poncho had been part of her family for several years, coming
into their possession after she travelled to the UK to film 102 Dalmations, but
was deemed too old to make the journey back to America.
The parrot was owned by Birds and Animals Unlimited, a
company which provides creatures to both Warner Brothers and Universal.
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Legend: Poncho came to the UK to film 102 Dalmations (above)
but was deemed too old to make the journey back to America so she was re-homed
with a new family
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The parrot has been with the family ever since and stays
with them in at Rebecca's farm.
Rebecca said: 'When we got her she was 75-years-old and we
were shown all the documents to prove it. I was amazed that she was still alive
even back then.
'But she is so old now - she can't even fly anymore.
'But the old bird does still does very well for herself -
even if she has got a few grey feathers.
'We don't know for sure how many films she's been in total,
but as she been in the Gero family for two generations, she would have been
performing from a young age.'
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In her twilight years: Poncho has now swapped the bright
lights of LA for the Shropshire countryside, where she lives with owners
Rebecca Taylor and her daughter Sophie Williams (pictured)
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Rebecca added: "We've had film fans offer us thousands
of pounds for her - but she's part of our family now and we won't be selling
her.
'I think she just wants to grow old gracefully now."
In September this year, the world's oldest domestic parrot -
belonging to pensioner Nina Morgan - died aged 55.
Tarbu was 16 years older than the current Guinness World
Record holder for the oldest parrot when he died, officials confirmed at the
time.
