William Richard "Billy" West (born on April 16, 1952 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American voice actor, best known for his roles on The Ren and Stimpy Show, Futurama and Doug.
Billy West | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | William Richard West April 16, 1952 |
| Status | 2 |
| Occupation | Voice actor |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Agent | International Creative Management |
| Notable credit(s) | Futurama as Philip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg, and Zapp Brannigan Ren & Stimpy as Stimpy (1991-96) and Ren (1993-1996) Doug as Doug Funnie and Roger Klotz Extreme Ghostbusters as Slimer Brandy and Mr. Whiskers as Mr. Whiskers and Gaspar LeGecko |
| Website | http://www.billywest.com |
Major roles
Television
West has been in television since the late 1980s. His first role was for the 1988 revived version of Beany and Cecil. West's first two high-profile roles came almost simultaneously: Doug and Ren & Stimpy, which were two of the first original three Nicktoons (the other being Rugrats). Over his career West has been the voice talent for close to 120 different characters including some of the most iconic animated figures in television history. He (along with Joe Alaskey) has become one of few voice actors who can impersonate Mel Blanc in his prime, including characterizations of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd and other characters from Warner Bros. cartoons. West's favorite characters are those he originated: Philip J. Fry and Stimpy.[1]
West was the voice of the show's namesake, Geeker, throughout Project Geeker's 13 episode run.
West was the voice of Zim in the original pilot for Nickelodeon's Invader Zim.[2] Richard Horvitz was chosen for the series role because West's voice was too recognizable, according to Invader Zim creator Jhonen Vasquez during DVD commentary.
West also voices a number of characters in the series Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World. He does not play a regular character in that series, but appears in almost every episode of the show voicing various minor and one-off characters.
Ren & Stimpy
West provided the voice of Stimpy in Nickelodeon's The Ren and Stimpy Show from 1991 until 1996, and he provided the voice of Ren from 1993-1996 (after Ren's original voice and series creator John Kricfalusi was fired by Nickelodeon). West performed other characters on the series as well, such as Mr. Horse (another role that West assumed after Kricfalusi's departure) and the "Announcer/Salesman" of such shorts as the "Log" ads (a voice West would years later use as the Narrator for The Weird Al Show).
According to West, he was originally supposed to do the voice of both Ren and Stimpy (and performed both characters on the tape that was used to sell the show to Nickelodeon), but then Kricfalusi chose instead that he would voice Ren.[3] However, West provided Ren's maniacal laughter when John Kricfalusi was the voice of Ren.
Futurama
Billy West's roles in Futurama include Philip J. Fry, Professor Hubert Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg and Zapp Brannigan, as well as various other incidental characters. As he and other Futurama cast and crew point out in DVD commentaries, West spoke to himself quite often during recording.
West went into the Futurama auditions and tried out for, as he says, "just about every part";[4] eventually landing the professor, Zoidberg, and Zapp Brannigan. It wasn't until some casting changes were made that West got the part of Fry, which originally had gone to Charlie Schlatter.[5] While West is known for doing many different and unique voices, the voice he does for Philip J. Fry is often considered to be closer to his natural voice than any other character he has done (In an audio commentary, he states Fry is just himself at age 25). This similarity, West acknowledges, was done purposefully in order to make it harder to replace him in the part.[6]
The part of Zapp Brannigan was created for Phil Hartman, but he was murdered before the show started and West assumed the role. West has described his interpretation of Zapp Brannigan's voice as an imitation of Hartman, but described the actual vocalizations of the character as being based on "two big, dumb radio announcers I know".[7] However, West has contradicted himself somewhat in other interviews in saying that he was not, in fact, imitating Hartman.[8]
Futurama was renewed by Comedy Central as four direct-to-video movies broken into 16 television episodes[9]. West has reprised his original roles.
Movies
Perhaps West's most notable film work came in the 1996 movie Space Jam. Starring alongside Michael Jordan, West provided the voice of both Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. West reprised the roles of Bugs and Fudd in subsequent Looney Tunes feature-length films and even returned as Fudd in the theatrically-released Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
In 1998, West starred in the direct-to-video film Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island as Shaggy, becoming the second person to portray the character (the first being Casey Kasem).
In 2004, West voiced the classic character Popeye in the 75th anniversary film Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy, and made his live-action film debut in Mark Hamill's Comic Book: The Movie. He also appeared in a cameo in Garfield: The Movie.
Other films featuring West's vocal talents include Joe's Apartment, Cats & Dogs, Olive, the Other Reindeer, TMNT, The Proud Family Movie, and three Tom & Jerry direct-to-video movies.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Futurama: Into The Wild Green Yonder | Philip J. Fry Professor Farnsworth Dr. Zoidberg Zapp Brannigan Additional characters |
Voice only Direct-to-video Animated movie |
| 2008 | Futurama: Bender's Game | Philip J. Fry Professor Farnsworth Dr. Zoidberg Additional characters |
Voice only Direct-to-video Animated movie |
| Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs | Philip J. Fry Professor Farnsworth Dr. Zoidberg Zapp Brannigan Additional characters |
Voice only Direct-to-video Animated movie | |
| 2007 | Futurama: Bender's Big Score | Philip J. Fry Professor Farnsworth Dr. Zoidberg Zapp Brannigan Additional characters |
Voice only Direct-to-video Animated movie |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) | Various characters | Voice only | |
| 2006 | Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas | Bugs Bunny Elmer Fudd |
Voice only Direct-to-video Animated movie |
| Zombie College | Skully Graham |
Voice only Internet animated series | |
| Brandy & Mr. Whiskers | Mr Whiskers (2006 onwards) Gasper Le Gecko (2006 onwards) |
Voice only Animated series | |
| Queer Duck: The Movie | Bi-Polar Bear | Voice only Direct-to-video Animated movie | |
| Squirrel Boy | Kyle Finkster | Voice only Animated series | |
| Curious George | Manager | Voice only Animated movie | |
| 2005 | Tom and Jerry: The Fast and the Furry | Biff Buzzard President of Hollywood Squirty |
Voice only Direct-to-video Animated movie |
| The Proud Family Movie | Board Member Cab Driver |
Voice only Animated Television movie | |
| Tom and Jerry: Blast Off to Mars | Major Biff Buzzard | Voice only Direct-to-video Animated movie | |
| 2004 | Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy | Popeye Pappy |
Voice only Direct-to-video Computer-animated movie |
| Comic Book: The Movie | Leo Matuzik | Direct-to-video Live action | |
| 2003 | Looney Tunes: Back in Action | Elmer Fudd Peter Lorre |
Voice only |
| 2002 | Crank Yankers | Confucious Moo Shu |
Voice only |
| Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring | Freddie | Voice only Direct-to-video Animated movie | |
| 2001 | Jimmy Neutron:Boy Genius | Various characters | Voice only Animated movie |
| The Oblongs | George Klimer Anita Bidet Additional characters |
Voice only Animated series | |
| Horrible Histories | Stitch, Narrator, various | Voice only Animated series | |
| 2000 | Poochini's Yard | Poochini Walter White Mr. Garvey Lockjaw |
Voice only Animated series |
| 1999-Present | Futurama | Philip J. Fry Professor Hubert Farnsworth Dr John Zoidberg Captain Zapp Brannigan Richard Nixon's Head Additional characters |
Voices only Animated series |
| 1999 | Rayman: The Animated Series | Rayman | Voice only Animated series |
| Olive, the Other Reindeer | Mr. Eskimo | Voice only Animated Television movie | |
| The New Woody Woodpecker Show | Woody Woodpecker Wally Walrus Smedley Doug Knutts |
voice only Animated series | |
| Queer Duck | Bi-Polar Bear Other characters |
voice only Animated series | |
| 1998 | Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island | Norville "Shaggy" Rogers | Voice only Direct-to-video Animated movie |
| 1998-2002 | Catdog | Rancid Rabbit Mr Sunshine |
voice only Animated Series |
| 1997 | Extreme Ghostbusters | Slimer Mayor McShane |
Voice only Animated series |
| The Weird Al Show | Show announcer Harvey the Wonder Hamster |
Television series | |
| Project G.e.e.K.e.R. | GeeKeR | Voice only Animated series | |
| The Wacky World of Tex Avery | Tex Avery, Freddie the Fly, Sagebrush Sid | Voice only Animated series | |
| 1996 | Space Jam | Bugs Bunny Elmer Fudd |
Voice only Live action/Animated movie |
| Joe's Apartment | Ralph Roach | Voice only | |
| 1991-1996 | The Ren and Stimpy Show | Stimpson J. "Stimpy" Cat (1991-1996) Ren Hoek (1993-1996) Mr. Horse (1993-1996) |
Voice only Animated series |
| 1991-1994 | Doug | Doug Funnie (1991-1994) Roger Klotz (1991-1994) |
Voice Only until sale of series to Disney. Animated series |
| 1991 | Felix the Cat: The Movie | additional voice | Voice Only Animated Movie |
Other media
Radio
Throughout the 1980s, Billy West provided character voices on Charles Laquidara's Big Mattress radio show on Boston's WBCN. West was also one half of the award winning WBCN Production team (with Boston radio vet Dave Wohlman) from 1981-1983.
From 1989 through 1995, West provided The Howard Stern Show with character voices such as Jim Backus, Raymond Burr, Connie Chung, Pat Cooper, Sammy Davis Jr., Doris Day, Ellen DeGeneres, Louis "Red" Deutsch, David Dinkins, Mia Farrow, Larry Fine, Pete Fornatel, Frank Gifford, Kathy Lee Gifford, Mark Goddard, Bobcat Goldthwait, the Greaseman, Rudolph Giuliani, Jonathan Harris, Leona Helmsley, Lance Ito, Elton John, Nelson Mandela, Jackie Martling (as the Jackie puppet), Ed McMahon, Al Michaels, Bill Mumy, Cardinal John Joseph O'Connor, Maury Povich, Soon-Yi Previn, Marge Schott, Frank Sinatra, Rae Stern (Howard Stern's mother), George Takei, Joe Walsh, and Robin Williams until eventually leaving the show over money.[10] West has also been an occasional contributor to The Adam Carolla Show, a syndicated morning radio show that replaced Stern's show along West Coast American cities, generally sitting in for an extended portion of the show every other Thursday.
On February 19 and 20, 2007, The Howard Stern Show ran a special two-part retrospective of West's work with the show. It marked his first work with the show since leaving after his last show on November 1, 1995. West has since claimed that he left the Stern show because WXRK/CBS management refused to give him a sufficient pay raise.
Billy is greatly missed by Stern show staff and fans.
Commercial television
Billy West was the announcer of the program Screen Gems Network which ran from 1999-2001. He was also the promotional announcer for The Comedy Channel before it merged with HA! to become Comedy Central.
Over his career, Billy West has voiced multiple characters in television commercials.
These include (but are not limited to):
- The red M&M.
- BuzzBee, the honey nut bee for Honey Nut Cheerios.
- An alien for Pentium 4.
- Popeye for Minute Maid.
- Babe Ruth and Bruce Lee for Brisk Iced Tea.
- A Midget Priest for Oxy
Speed Racer for Volkswagen
West voiced the Speed Racer character in a late-1990s advertisement for Volkswagen's GTI, because the commercial's producers couldn't locate Peter Fernandez, the original voice of Speed. However, the producers did locate Corinne Orr, the original voice for both the "Trixie" and "Spritle" characters.[citation needed]
Video games
West's talents have also extended into the realm of video games. Characters most notably voiced by West are perhaps Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd in numerous Looney Tunes video games.
Other video game characters voiced by Billy West include:
- A police officer on the radio of Need for Speed: Undercover
- Dr. John Zoidberg in The Simpsons Game (2007)
- Sparx in The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night (2007)
- Philip J. Fry, Professor Hubert Farnsworth, and Dr. John Zoidberg in Futurama (2003).
- Ninja in I-Ninja (2003).
- Nash and Zam in Crash Nitro Kart (2003).
- Murfy in Rayman 3 (2003).
- Murfy in Rayman Arena (2002).
- Muttley and L'il Gruesome in Wacky Races (2000, 2001, 2008).
- Voice of Red, the red M&M in M&Ms: The Lost Formulas (2000).
- Hamton J. Pig in Tiny Toon Adventures: Toonenstein
- Atomic Bomberman in Atomic Bomberman
- Screaming Angry Pizza Guy in George and William: Idiot Essimary
- Emilio Baza in Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned
Music
West is also a guitarist and singer-songwriter with a band called Billy West and The Grief Counselors. Their first album, Me-Pod, is now available for purchase.[11]
In 1982, West sang lead, doing an impersonation of Mike Love, on a Beach Boys-inspired tune, "Another Cape Cod Summer This Year," by studio band ROUTE 28, written and produced by Erik Lindgren on his Arf! Arf! Records label.[citation needed]
Internet entertainment
Billy West briefly worked on the short-lived Internet show Billy Bastard: Amateur Human Professional Asshole. He also provided voices for the Eric Kaplan-created webtoon Zombie College as well as voicing two characters in Tofu the Vegan Zombie.[12]
The voice acting industry
West has been very outspoken over his displeasure about the influx of movie star actors providing voice-over for films and major shows.[13][14]
Personal life
West revealed on the October 4, 2006 edition of The Adam Carolla Show that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He said it was the scariest moment of his life, especially since he considered himself a healthy person. West had surgery to eliminate the cancer, and the crew of the show commented on how good he looked, considering that the surgery had taken place only two weeks prior.[15]
Billy West is also a vegan.[16]
Billy West was diagnosed with low serotonin levels and chronic depression, stemming from a childhood of abuse, leading to a long period of drugs and alcohol abuse (which became the inspiration for his still-in-the-works show, Billy Bastard). [17]
References
- ^ Billy West F.A.Q.. Accessed October 26, 2006.
- ^ "Billy West (II)". Internet Movie Database. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- ^ TVsquad.com interview (20th question) Accessed January 29, 2007
- ^ TVsquad.com interview (31st question) Accessed January 29, 2007
- ^ IGN.com interviews Billy West (3rd question) Accessed January 29, 2007
- ^ TVsquad.com interview (32nd question) Accessed March 10, 2007
- ^ TVsquad.com interview (59th question) Accessed January 29, 2007
- ^ IGN.com interviews Billy West (2nd page, 1st question) Accessed January 29, 2007
- ^ TVsquad.com article on Futurama's return
- ^ Interview with UGO.com (20th question) Accessed January 29, 2007.
- ^ Billy West and the Grief Counselors on CDbaby.com
- ^ "Website for Tofu the Vegan Zombie". Retrieved 2008-07-06.
- ^ Interview with AVclub.com (11th question) Accessed January 29, 2007
- ^ Interview with Slashdot.org Accessed January 29, 2007
- ^ The Adam Carolla Show Blog. Accessed November 1, 2006.
- ^ "Billy West, Ren, Stimpy, and Geekza". Retrieved 2008-07-06.
- ^ "Billy West responds on his official forum". Retrieved 2009-02-07.