Billy West
Encyclopedia
William Richard "Billy" West (born April 16, 1950) is an American
voice actor
. Born in Detroit but raised in the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, Billy launched his career in the early 1980s performing daily comedic routines on Boston's WBCN
. He left the radio station to work on the short-lived revival of Beany and Cecil
. He was also a writer and castmember on The Howard Stern Show during the early to mid 1990s, where he gained nationwide fame with his impersonations of Larry Fine
and late Cincinnati Reds
owner Marge Schott
.
West is best known for his voice-work on Ren & Stimpy, Doug
and Futurama
. His favorite characters are Philip J. Fry
(Futurama) and Stimpy
(Ren and Stimpy), both of which he originated. West's most notable film work was in Space Jam
(1996) providing the voice of both Bugs Bunny
and Elmer Fudd
. He has provided the same voices for other Looney Tunes
films and video games. West has been very outspoken over his displeasure about the influx of movie star actors providing voice-over for films and major shows.
As well as a voice artist, West is also a guitarist and singer-songwriter with a band called Billy West and The Grief Counselors.
. 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 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. In 1998, Entertainment Weekly
described West as "the new Mel Blanc" and noted his ability to mimic well-known voices, though he would rather develop original voices. West's favorite characters are Philip J. Fry
and Stimpy
. West has been very outspoken over his displeasure about the influx of movie star actors providing voice-over
for films and major shows. West has stated that he did not like the Disney version of Doug
, and that he "couldn't watch" the show.
West was the voice of the show's namesake, Geeker, throughout Project Geekers 13 episode run.
West was the voice of Zim
in the original pilot for Nickelodeon's
Invader Zim
. 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 is also the voice of "Red" in numerous M&M commercials as well as the 3-D movie "I Lost my M in Vegas", currently playing at M&M's World in Las Vegas, NV.
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.
West voiced the character Moobeard in Moobeard the Cow Pirate, a short animation featured on Random! Cartoons.
West reprises his role as Elmer Fudd
in Cartoon Network
's series The Looney Tunes Show
.
in Nickelodeon
's The Ren & 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 for delivering un-airable episodes). West performed other characters on the series as well, such as Mr. Horse (another role that West was issued 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 decided to do the voice of Ren himself once the show was sold and he had West on board as part of the selling point. However, West provided Ren's maniacal laughter when John Kricfalusi was the voice of Ren.
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 voiced so many characters throughout the series that conversations are often held entirely between characters he is voicing.
West went into the Futurama auditions and was asked to try out for, as he says, "just about every part"; 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
. 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 along with placing more of himself personally into the role (DVD commentary).
The part of Zapp Brannigan was created for Phil Hartman
, but he died before the show started and West was issued 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 "a couple of big dumb announcers I knew."
Futurama was renewed by Comedy Central
as four direct-to-DVD films broken into 16 television episodes. West reprised his roles for these films, and has been signed on for a new 26-episode season of Futurama which began airing in June 2010.
. 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 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 Rogers
, becoming the second person to portray the character (the first being Casey Kasem
). He was one of the top contenders to replace Kasem after his retirement in 2009, but lost the role to Matthew Lillard
.
In 2000, he provided additional voices in Disney
's Dinosaur
.
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 and Jerry
direct-to-video movies.
's Big Mattress radio show on Boston's WBCN. West was also one half of the award winning WBCN Production team from 1980–1986.
From 1989 through 1995, West provided The Howard Stern Show with character voices such as Jim Backus
, Lucille Ball
, Raymond Burr
, Connie Chung
, Sammy Davis, Jr.
, Doris Day
, Louis "Red" Deutsch, David Dinkins
, Mia Farrow
, Larry Fine
, Pete Fornatale
, Frank Gifford
, Kathy Lee Gifford, Mark Goddard
, Bobcat Goldthwait
, the Greaseman, Rudolph Giuliani, Jonathan Harris
(as Dr. Zachary Smith), Leona Helmsley
, Shemp Howard, Lance Ito
, Elton John
, Jay Leno
, Nelson Mandela
, Jackie Martling
(as the Jackie puppet), Johnny Carson
, Ed McMahon
, Al Michaels
, Billy Mumy (as Will Robinson), 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. West was an occasional contributor to The Adam Carolla Show, a syndicated morning radio show that replaced Stern's show on CBS in LA.
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.
On June 9, 2009, West appeared on Jackie Martling's Jackie's Joke Hunt on Stern's satellite radio
channel Howard 101
.
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):
character in a late-1990s advertisement for Volkswagen
, because the commercial's producers could not 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.
Other video game characters voiced by Billy West include:
and singer-songwriter
with a band called Billy West and The Grief Counselors. They've released their first album, Me-Pod. West has toured as a guitarist for Roy Orbison
and Brian Wilson
.
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.
West has collaborated with Deborah Harry & Lou Reed, Los Lobos and played live on several occasions with Brian Wilson, including the guitar solo on the Beach Boys tune "Do it Again" on Late Show with David Letterman
, in the mid 1990s.
-created webtoon
Zombie College
as well as voicing two characters in Tofu the Vegan Zombie.
as a child by his father, and had problems with substance abuse
as a young adult. He has been sober since the age of thirty-five.
Billy West is a vegan.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
voice actor
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
. Born in Detroit but raised in the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, Billy launched his career in the early 1980s performing daily comedic routines on Boston's WBCN
WBCN
WBCN is a digital-only radio station airing on WBZ-FM HD-2 in Boston, Massachusetts and owned by CBS Radio. Before switching to 98.5 HD-2 on 12 August 2009, WBCN ran its rock format for 41 years as an analog radio station on 104.1 MHz . WBCN became a legend in the rock music industry for...
. He left the radio station to work on the short-lived revival of Beany and Cecil
Beany and Cecil
Beany and Cecil was an animated cartoon series created by Bob Clampett, who had previously worked for Warner Bros.. As a puppet show entitled Time for Beany, it originally aired in 1949, with the animated series first appearing in Matty's Funday Funnies in 1959, later renamed Matty's Funnies with...
. He was also a writer and castmember on The Howard Stern Show during the early to mid 1990s, where he gained nationwide fame with his impersonations of Larry Fine
Larry Fine
Louis Feinberg , known professionally as Larry Fine, was an American comedian and actor, who is best known as a member of the comedy act The Three Stooges.-Early life:...
and late Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
owner Marge Schott
Marge Schott
Margaret Unnewehr Schott was the managing general partner, president and CEO of the National League's Cincinnati Reds franchise from 1984 to 1999...
.
West is best known for his voice-work on Ren & Stimpy, Doug
Doug
Doug is an American animated sitcom created by Jim Jinkins and co-produced by his studio, Jumbo Pictures . Doug centers on the surreal and imaginative exploits of its title character, Douglas "Doug" Funnie, who experiences common predicaments while attending middle school. The series lampoons...
and Futurama
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
. His favorite characters are Philip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry, known simply as Fry, is a fictional character, the main protagonist of the animated science fiction sitcom Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a version of his own voice as he sounded when he was 25.-Character overview:...
(Futurama) and Stimpy
Ren and Stimpy (characters)
Ren and Stimpy, created by John Kricfalusi, are the titular characters in the Canadian/American co-produced animated television series The Ren and Stimpy Show and first appeared in the pilot episode, titled Big House Blues.- Ren Höek :...
(Ren and Stimpy), both of which he originated. West's most notable film work was in Space Jam
Space Jam
Aside from Jordan, a number of NBA players and coaches appeared in the film. Larry Bird portrays a friend of Jordan who joins him for a game of golf. When the Monstars steal the NBA players' talent, they invade a game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, causing the Knicks' Patrick...
(1996) providing the voice of both Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
and Elmer Fudd
Elmer Fudd
Elmer J. Fudd/Egghead is a fictional cartoon character and one of the most famous Looney Tunes characters, and the de facto archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheon . His aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring...
. He has provided the same voices for other Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
films and video games. West has been very outspoken over his displeasure about the influx of movie star actors providing voice-over for films and major shows.
As well as a voice artist, West is also a guitarist and singer-songwriter with a band called Billy West and The Grief Counselors.
Television
West has been in television since the late 1980s. His first role was for the 1988 revived version of Beany and CecilBeany and Cecil
Beany and Cecil was an animated cartoon series created by Bob Clampett, who had previously worked for Warner Bros.. As a puppet show entitled Time for Beany, it originally aired in 1949, with the animated series first appearing in Matty's Funday Funnies in 1959, later renamed Matty's Funnies with...
. West's first two high-profile roles came almost simultaneously: Doug and Ren & Stimpy, which were two of the first original three Nicktoons
Nicktoons
Nicktoons are animated television shows that are produced by and aired on the children's television channel Nickelodeon. Prior to 1991, Nickelodeon aired mostly foreign made animated series. The idea for Nicktoons was formed in 1989 and on Sunday, August 11, 1991, the first Nicktoon, Doug, was...
(the other being Rugrats
Rugrats
Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series premiered on August 11, 1991, and aired its last episode on June 8, 2004....
). 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 has become one of few voice actors who can impersonate Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
in his prime, including characterizations of Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
, Daffy Duck
Daffy Duck
Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, often running the gamut between being the best friend and sometimes arch-rival of Bugs Bunny...
, Elmer Fudd
Elmer Fudd
Elmer J. Fudd/Egghead is a fictional cartoon character and one of the most famous Looney Tunes characters, and the de facto archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheon . His aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring...
and other characters from Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
cartoons. In 1998, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
described West as "the new Mel Blanc" and noted his ability to mimic well-known voices, though he would rather develop original voices. West's favorite characters are Philip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry, known simply as Fry, is a fictional character, the main protagonist of the animated science fiction sitcom Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a version of his own voice as he sounded when he was 25.-Character overview:...
and Stimpy
Ren and Stimpy (characters)
Ren and Stimpy, created by John Kricfalusi, are the titular characters in the Canadian/American co-produced animated television series The Ren and Stimpy Show and first appeared in the pilot episode, titled Big House Blues.- Ren Höek :...
. West has been very outspoken over his displeasure about the influx of movie star actors providing voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
for films and major shows. West has stated that he did not like the Disney version of Doug
Doug
Doug is an American animated sitcom created by Jim Jinkins and co-produced by his studio, Jumbo Pictures . Doug centers on the surreal and imaginative exploits of its title character, Douglas "Doug" Funnie, who experiences common predicaments while attending middle school. The series lampoons...
, and that he "couldn't watch" the show.
West was the voice of the show's namesake, Geeker, throughout Project Geekers 13 episode run.
West was the voice of Zim
Zim
Zim or ZIM may refer to:* Zero Index Metamaterial* Zimbabwe* Nzime, a people of Cameroon* GAZ-12 ZIM, limousine* Invader Zim, a 2001 animated television series** Zim, the title character from Invader ZIM...
in the original pilot for Nickelodeon's
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
Invader Zim
Invader Zim
Invader Zim is an American animated television series created by Jhonen Vasquez. It was produced by and subsequently aired on Nickelodeon. The series revolves around an extraterrestrial named Zim from the planet Irk, and his ongoing mission to conquer and destroy Earth...
. Richard Horvitz was chosen for the series role because West's voice was too recognizable, according to Invader Zim creator Jhonen Vasquez
Jhonen Vasquez
Jhonen Vasquez , also known as Chancre Scolex or simply Mr. Scolex, is an American comic book writer, cartoonist and music video director...
during DVD commentary.
West is also the voice of "Red" in numerous M&M commercials as well as the 3-D movie "I Lost my M in Vegas", currently playing at M&M's World in Las Vegas, NV.
West also voices a number of characters in the series Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World
Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World
Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World is an American-Canadian stop motion animated sitcom created by Q. Allan Brocka, who also acts as director. It is a spin off from Brocka's 1999 short film of the same name, and debuted on the LGBT focused Logo network in July 2007 and on the...
. 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.
West voiced the character Moobeard in Moobeard the Cow Pirate, a short animation featured on Random! Cartoons.
West reprises his role as Elmer Fudd
Elmer Fudd
Elmer J. Fudd/Egghead is a fictional cartoon character and one of the most famous Looney Tunes characters, and the de facto archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheon . His aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring...
in Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
's series The Looney Tunes Show
The Looney Tunes Show
The Looney Tunes Show is a packaged show, created for Cartoon Network, and broadcast from 2002 to 2005. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. The show featured cartoon shorts from the original Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical cartoon series produced from 1930 to 1969.-External links:...
.
Ren & Stimpy
West provided the voice of StimpyStimpy
Stimpson J. Cat is a fictional character from the Nickelodeon series The Ren & Stimpy Show and Spike series Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon. He is one of the main title characters and serves as the main deuteragonist...
in Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
's The Ren & 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
John Kricfalusi
Michael John Kricfalusi , better known as John K., is a Canadian animator. He is creator of The Ren & Stimpy Show, its adults-only spin-off Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon", The Ripping Friends animated series, and Weekend Pussy Hunt, which was billed as "the world's first interactive web-based...
was fired by Nickelodeon for delivering un-airable episodes). West performed other characters on the series as well, such as Mr. Horse (another role that West was issued 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
The Weird Al Show
The Weird Al Show is a television show hosted by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Produced in association with Dick Clark Productions, it aired Saturday mornings on the CBS TV network from September to December 1997. The show was released on DVD on August 15, 2006...
).
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 decided to do the voice of Ren himself once the show was sold and he had West on board as part of the selling point. However, West provided Ren's maniacal laughter when John Kricfalusi was the voice of Ren.
Futurama
Philip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry, known simply as Fry, is a fictional character, the main protagonist of the animated science fiction sitcom Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a version of his own voice as he sounded when he was 25.-Character overview:...
, Professor Hubert Farnsworth
Professor Hubert Farnsworth
Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, or simply The Professor, is a fictional character in the American animated television series Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a combination of impressions of Burgess Meredith and Frank Morgan. Farnsworth is the proprietor of the Planet Express delivery...
, Dr. Zoidberg and Zapp Brannigan
Zapp Brannigan
Captain Zapp Brannigan is a fictional character in the animated sitcom Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West, but was originally intended to be voiced by Phil Hartman, with West taking over the role after Hartman's death. Brannigan is a 25-Star General in the Democratic Order of Planets, and captain...
, as well as various other incidental characters. As he and other Futurama cast and crew point out in DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
commentaries, West voiced so many characters throughout the series that conversations are often held entirely between characters he is voicing.
West went into the Futurama auditions and was asked to try out for, as he says, "just about every part"; 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
Charlie Schlatter
Charles Thomas "Charlie" Schlatter is an American actor. He has starred in numerous TV series and films, and is well-known for his role in the series Diagnosis: Murder as Dr. Jesse Travis with Dick Van Dyke, and for his role in the film 18 Again! with George Burns...
. 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 along with placing more of himself personally into the role (DVD commentary).
The part of Zapp Brannigan was created for Phil Hartman
Phil Hartman
Philip Edward "Phil" Hartman was a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and graphic artist. Born in Brantford, Ontario, Hartman and his family moved to the United States when he was 10...
, but he died before the show started and West was issued 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 "a couple of big dumb announcers I knew."
Futurama was renewed by Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
as four direct-to-DVD films broken into 16 television episodes. West reprised his roles for these films, and has been signed on for a new 26-episode season of Futurama which began airing in June 2010.
Movies
Perhaps West's most notable film work came in the 1996 movie Space JamSpace Jam
Aside from Jordan, a number of NBA players and coaches appeared in the film. Larry Bird portrays a friend of Jordan who joins him for a game of golf. When the Monstars steal the NBA players' talent, they invade a game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, causing the Knicks' Patrick...
. Starring alongside Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
, West provided the voice of both Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
and Elmer Fudd
Elmer Fudd
Elmer J. Fudd/Egghead is a fictional cartoon character and one of the most famous Looney Tunes characters, and the de facto archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheon . His aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring...
. West reprised the roles of Bugs and Fudd in subsequent Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
feature-length films and returned as Fudd in the theatrically released Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Looney Tunes: Back in Action is a 2003 American live action/animated adventure comedy film directed by Joe Dante and starring Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Timothy Dalton, and Steve Martin. The film is essentially a feature-length Looney Tunes cartoon, with all the wackiness and surrealism typical...
.
In 1998, West starred in the direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
film Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island
Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island
Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island is a 1998 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series Scooby-Doo Saturday morning cartoon franchise...
as Shaggy Rogers
Shaggy Rogers
Norville "Shaggy" Rogers is a fictional character from the American animated television series Scooby-Doo, about the adventures of four crime-solving teenagers and Shaggy's pet great dane, Scooby-Doo. Shaggy is a cowardly slacker more interested in eating than solving mysteries. He is the only...
, becoming the second person to portray the character (the first being Casey Kasem
Casey Kasem
Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...
). He was one of the top contenders to replace Kasem after his retirement in 2009, but lost the role to Matthew Lillard
Matthew Lillard
Matthew Lyn Lillard is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his roles as Stu Macher in Scream, Stevo in SLC Punk , and Shaggy Rogers in the Scooby-Doo film series and the Animated reboot series.-Early life:Lillard was born in Lansing, Michigan, and grew up in Tustin, California...
.
In 2000, he provided additional voices in Disney
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
's Dinosaur
Dinosaur (film)
Dinosaur is a 2000 American computer-animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on May 19, 2000, and is the 39th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
.
In 2004, West voiced the classic character Popeye
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
in the 75th anniversary film Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy
Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy
Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy is a 2004 computer-animated direct-to-video film produced by Mainframe Entertainment for Lions Gate Entertainment...
, and made his live-action film debut in Mark Hamill
Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
's Comic Book: The Movie
Comic Book: The Movie
Comic Book: The Movie is a 2004 direct-to-DVD mockumentary directed by and starring Mark Hamill who is best known for his role as Luke Skywalker, the main character in the original trilogy of Star Wars feature films...
. He also appeared in a cameo in Garfield: The Movie.
Other films featuring West's vocal talents include Joe's Apartment
Joe's Apartment
Joe's Apartment is a 1996 musical-serio-comedy film starring Jerry O'Connell and Megan Ward and the first film produced by MTV Films. It was based on a 1992 short film first made for MTV , but was also inspired by both the 1987 Japanese film Gokiburi-tachi No Tasogare and...
, Cats & Dogs
Cats & Dogs
Cats & Dogs is a 2001 American-Australian action-comedy film directed by Lawrence Guterman. The screenplay by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra centers on the relationships between cats and dogs. It was shot in Victoria and Vancouver. The film was released on July 4, 2001 by Warner Bros...
, Olive, the Other Reindeer
Olive, the Other Reindeer
Olive, the Other Reindeer is a CGI animated Christmas television special written by Steve Young, and directed by Oscar Moore. The feature was produced by Matt Groening's The Curiosity Company and animated by DNA Productions...
, TMNT, The Proud Family Movie
The Proud Family Movie
The Proud Family Movie is a Disney Channel Original Movie which premiered on August 19, 2005. It also marked the end of The Proud Family animated Disney series.-Plot:...
, and three Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
direct-to-video movies.
Radio
Throughout the 1980s, Billy West provided character voices on Charles LaquidaraCharles Laquidara
Charles Laquidara is an American radio disc jockey whose show, The Big Mattress, was broadcast in the Boston, Massachusetts area for nearly 30 years on WBCN. He spent four years doing The Charles Laquidara Radio Hour on WZLX...
's Big Mattress radio show on Boston's WBCN. West was also one half of the award winning WBCN Production team from 1980–1986.
From 1989 through 1995, West provided The Howard Stern Show with character voices such as Jim Backus
Jim Backus
James Gilmore "Jim" Backus was a radio, television, film, and voice actor. Among his most famous roles are the voice of Mr...
, Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
, Raymond Burr
Raymond Burr
Raymond William Stacey Burr was a Canadian actor, primarily known for his title roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside. His early acting career included roles on Broadway, radio, television and in film, usually as the villain...
, Connie Chung
Connie Chung
Connie Chung, full name: Constance Yu-Hwa Chung Povich is an American journalist who has been an anchor and reporter for the U.S. television news networks NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and MSNBC. Some of her more famous interview subjects include Claus von Bülow and U.S...
, Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
, Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
, Louis "Red" Deutsch, David Dinkins
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins is a former politician from New York City. He was the Mayor of New York City from 1990 through 1993; he was the first and is, to date, the only African American to hold that office.-Early life:...
, Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
, Larry Fine
Larry Fine (actor)
Louis Feinberg , known professionally as Larry Fine, was an American comedian and actor, who is best known as a member of the comedy act The Three Stooges.-Early life:...
, Pete Fornatale
Pete Fornatale
Peter Fornatale is a New York City disc jockey who played an important role in the progressive rock era of FM broadcasting....
, Frank Gifford
Frank Gifford
Francis Newton "Frank" Gifford is a Hall of Fame former American football player and American sportscaster.-Early life:Gifford was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Lola Mae and Weldon Gifford, an oil driller....
, Kathy Lee Gifford, Mark Goddard
Mark Goddard
Mark Goddard is an American film actor who has starred in a number of television programs. He portrayed Major Don West, the space adversary of Dr. Zachary Smith in the cult 1960s CBS series, Lost in Space, and Detective Sgt...
, Bobcat Goldthwait
Bobcat Goldthwait
Robert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film and television director. He is commonly known for his energetic, ravenous stage personality, his dark, acerbic black comedy, and his gruff but high-pitched voice.- Early life :Goldthwait was born in Syracuse,...
, the Greaseman, Rudolph Giuliani, Jonathan Harris
Jonathan Harris
Jonathan Harris was an American stage and film character actor. Two of his best-known roles were as the timid accountant Bradford Webster in the TV version of The Third Man, and the comic villain Dr. Zachary Smith, in the 1960s sci-fi television series, Lost in Space...
(as Dr. Zachary Smith), Leona Helmsley
Leona Helmsley
Leona Mindy Roberts Helmsley was an American businesswoman and real estate entrepreneur. She was a flamboyant personality and had a reputation for tyrannical behavior that earned her the nickname Queen of Mean...
, Shemp Howard, Lance Ito
Lance Ito
Lance Allan Ito is an American Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, best known for his presiding decision during the O. J. Simpson murder trial. He currently hears felony criminal cases at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.-Early life and career:Ito was born to Jim and Toshi Ito...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
, Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
, Jackie Martling
Jackie Martling
John Coger "Jackie" Martling, Jr. is an American comedian, comedy writer and radio personality. He is best known for being a writer on The Howard Stern Show from 1983 to 2001.-Early life and career:...
(as the Jackie puppet), Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
, Ed McMahon
Ed McMahon
Edward Peter "Ed" McMahon, Jr. was an American comedian, game show host and announcer. He is most famous for his work on television as Johnny Carson's sidekick and announcer on The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992. He also hosted the original version of the talent show Star Search from 1983 to 1995...
, Al Michaels
Al Michaels
Alan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
, Billy Mumy (as Will Robinson), Cardinal John Joseph O'Connor, Maury Povich
Maury Povich
Maurice Richard "Maury" Povich is an American TV talk show host who currently hosts his self-titled talk show Maury.-Personal background:...
, Soon-Yi Previn
Soon-Yi Previn
Soon-Yi Previn or Soon-Yi Farrow is an American actress and wife of film director Woody Allen.-Early life and adoption:...
, Marge Schott
Marge Schott
Margaret Unnewehr Schott was the managing general partner, president and CEO of the National League's Cincinnati Reds franchise from 1984 to 1999...
, Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Rae Stern (Howard Stern's mother), George Takei
George Takei
George Hosato Takei Altman is an American actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...
, Joe Walsh
Joe Walsh
Joseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...
, and Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
until eventually leaving the show over money. West was an occasional contributor to The Adam Carolla Show, a syndicated morning radio show that replaced Stern's show on CBS in LA.
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.
On June 9, 2009, West appeared on Jackie Martling's Jackie's Joke Hunt on Stern's satellite radio
Satellite radio
Satellite radio is an analogue or digital radio signal that is relayed through one or more satellites and thus can be received in a much wider geographical area than terrestrial FM radio stations...
channel Howard 101
Howard 100 and Howard 101
Howard 100 and Howard 101 are two uncensored channels on Sirius XM, a satellite radio service that broadcasts programming affiliated with Howard Stern and The Howard Stern Show...
.
Commercial television
Billy West was the announcer of the program Screen Gems NetworkScreen Gems Network
Screen Gems Network was an American television program which ran in syndication from 1999 to 2001, launched by Columbia TriStar Television Distribution...
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):
- "Red", the plain/Milk Chocolate M&MM&M'sM&M's are dragée-like "colorful button-shaped candies" produced by Mars, Incorporated...
(1996–present) (after Jon LovitzJon LovitzJonathan "Jon" Lovitz is an American comedian, actor, and singer. He is best known as a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1990.-Early life:...
departure from the role in 1996). - BuzzBee, the honey nut bee for Honey Nut CheeriosHoney Nut CheeriosHoney Nut Cheerios is a variation of Cheerios breakfast cereal, introduced in 1979 by the General Mills cereal company. This is the second variation from Original Cheerios, it is sweeter than the original, with a honey and almond flavor...
. - An alien for Pentium 4Pentium 4Pentium 4 was a line of single-core desktop and laptop central processing units , introduced by Intel on November 20, 2000 and shipped through August 8, 2008. They had a 7th-generation x86 microarchitecture, called NetBurst, which was the company's first all-new design since the introduction of the...
. - PopeyePopeyePopeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
for Minute MaidMinute MaidMinute Maid is a product line of beverages, usually associated with lemonade or orange juice, but now extends to soft drinks of many kinds, including Hi-C...
. - Babe RuthBabe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
and Bruce LeeBruce LeeBruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
for Brisk Iced TeaBrisk (beverage)Lipton Brisk is an iced tea-like soft drink, produced by Lipton in conjunction with PepsiCo. Brisk is available in a number of flavors such as artificial lemon, artificial raspberry, artificial mint, artificial peach, as well as aspartame...
. - A Midget Priest for OxyOxyOxy may refer to:Chemistry* Oxy or oxo is a term used to describe a ketone functional group* Oxy is a slang name for oxygen acetylene welding* Oxy is the name of a character from the Molecularium...
Speed Racer for Volkswagen
West voiced the Speed RacerSpeed Racer
Speed Racer is an English adaptation name of the Japanese manga and anime, which centered on automobile racing. Mach GoGoGo was originally serialized in print form in Shueisha's 1958 Shōnen Book, and was released in tankōbon book form by Sun Wide Comics, re-released in Japan by Fusosha...
character in a late-1990s advertisement for Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
, because the commercial's producers could not locate Peter Fernandez
Peter Fernandez
Peter Fernandez was an American actor, voice actor, and director. Despite a career extending from the 1930s, he is probably best known for his uncredited roles in the 1967 anime Speed Racer. Fernandez co-wrote the scripts, was the voice director, and translated the English language version of the...
, the original voice of Speed. However, the producers did locate Corinne Orr
Corinne Orr
Corinne Orr is a Canadian-born actress and voice artist, who now lives in New York City, where she has resided for more than four decades....
, the original voice for both the "Trixie" and "Spritle" characters.
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: UndercoverNeed for Speed: UndercoverNeed for Speed: Undercover is the 12th installment of the popular racing video game series Need for Speed, developed by EA Black Box and published by Electronic Arts . It was released on PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, and mobile...
(2008) - StimpyStimpyStimpson J. Cat is a fictional character from the Nickelodeon series The Ren & Stimpy Show and Spike series Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon. He is one of the main title characters and serves as the main deuteragonist...
in Nicktoons: Attack of the ToybotsNicktoons: Attack of the ToybotsNicktoons: Attack of the Toybots is the 2007 sequel to the 2005 game Nicktoons Unite! and 2006 game Nicktoons: Battle for Volcano Island. It is also the prequel to the game Nicktoons: Globs of Doom, which was released in 2008...
(2007) - Dr. John Zoidberg in The Simpsons GameThe Simpsons GameThe Simpsons Game is an action/platformer video game based on the animated television series The Simpsons, made for the Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable. The game was developed, published, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It was released in North...
(2007) - Additional voices in Spyro: Enter the DragonflySpyro: Enter the DragonflySpyro: Enter the Dragonfly is the fourth game in the Spyro series, developed by Check Six Games for the PlayStation 2 and Equinoxe for the Nintendo GameCube and published by Universal Interactive Studios. It is the first Spyro game for the sixth generation consoles, PlayStation 2 and GameCube, and...
(2002) - Sparx in The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal NightThe Legend of Spyro: The Eternal NightThe Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night is a video game in the Spyro the Dragon series. It is the second game in "The Legend of Spyro" trilogy, released for the PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS and Wii...
(2007) - Philip J. FryPhilip J. FryPhilip J. Fry, known simply as Fry, is a fictional character, the main protagonist of the animated science fiction sitcom Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a version of his own voice as he sounded when he was 25.-Character overview:...
, Professor Hubert FarnsworthProfessor Hubert FarnsworthProfessor Hubert J. Farnsworth, or simply The Professor, is a fictional character in the American animated television series Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a combination of impressions of Burgess Meredith and Frank Morgan. Farnsworth is the proprietor of the Planet Express delivery...
, and Dr. John Zoidberg in FuturamaFuturama (video game)Futurama is a 3D platform game based on the science fiction cartoon series Futurama. Versions are available for the PS2 and Xbox, both of which use cel-shading technology. Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance games were planned for release, though they were cancelled due to a belief that their...
(2003). - Ninja in I-NinjaI-NinjaI-Ninja is an action video game developed by Argonaut Games and published by Namco. It was released for the PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube...
(2003). - Nash and Zam in Crash Nitro Kart (2003).
- Murfy in Rayman 3 (2003).
- Murfy in Rayman ArenaRayman ArenaRayman Arena, titled Rayman M in Europe, is a multiplayer party game developed and published by Ubisoft. It consists of two modes: an arena fighting mode, and a racing mode. It is a 1-4 player game, or you can play with 1 player vs. the computer. There are three levels of difficulty: Beginner, Pro,...
(2002). - Muttley and L'il Gruesome in Wacky Races (2000, 2001, 2008).
- Some voices in Mad Dash RacingMad Dash RacingMad Dash Racing is a racing game for the Xbox and was released as a launch title in November 2001...
, for the XboxXboxThe Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
in 2001. - Voice of RedRedRed is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
, the red M&M in M&Ms: The Lost Formulas (2000). - Buster Bunny in Tiny Toon Adventures: ToonensteinTiny Toon Adventures: ToonensteinTiny Toon Adventures: Toonenstein: Dare to Scare is the second Tiny Toon Adventures-related game released on the PlayStation. It was developed by Terraglyph Interactive Studios and published by Vatical Entertainment in 1999.-Storyline:...
- Atomic Bomberman in Atomic Bomberman
- Emilio Baza in Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned
- Bugs BunnyBugs BunnyBugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
& Elmer FuddElmer FuddElmer J. Fudd/Egghead is a fictional cartoon character and one of the most famous Looney Tunes characters, and the de facto archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheon . His aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring...
in Bugs Bunny: Lost in TimeBugs Bunny: Lost in TimeBugs Bunny: Lost in Time is a Looney Tunes video game for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation, released in 1999. Aditionally, a sequel, Bugs Bunny and Taz: Time Busters was made for the same consoles.-Plot:... - The Yak in Nicktoons MLBNicktoons MLBNicktoons MLB is a baseball game released for the Nintendo DS, Wii, and Xbox 360. The game was developed by High Voltage Software and published by 2K Play...
(2011).
Music
West is also a guitaristGuitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
with a band called Billy West and The Grief Counselors. They've released their first album, Me-Pod. West has toured as a guitarist for Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
and Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
.
In 1982, West sang lead, doing an impersonation of Mike Love
Mike Love
Michael Edward "Mike" Love is an American singer/songwriter and musician with The Beach Boys. He was a founding member of the band along with his cousins Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, and their friend Al Jardine, and continues to perform with the band to the present day...
, on a Beach Boys-inspired tune, "Another Cape Cod Summer This Year," by studio band ROUTE 28, written and produced by Erik Lindgren
Erik Lindgren
Erik Lindgren is an American composer and keyboards player. He runs Arf! Arf! Records, and has led several ensembles such as The Moving Parts, The Space Negros, The Rising Storm, and Birdsongs of the Mesozoic....
on his Arf! Arf! Records label.
West has collaborated with Deborah Harry & Lou Reed, Los Lobos and played live on several occasions with Brian Wilson, including the guitar solo on the Beach Boys tune "Do it Again" on Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
, in the mid 1990s.
Internet entertainment
He also provided voices for the Eric KaplanEric Kaplan
Eric Kaplan is an American television writer, producer, and story editor. His work has included such shows as The Late Show with David Letterman, Andy Richter Controls the Universe, Malcolm in the Middle, and Futurama...
-created webtoon
Webtoon
A webtoon is a less common term used to describe an animated comic strip that is distributed via the internet which are often created by amateur creators. Usually webtoons are drawn in full color and read in one long strip per chapter. They are commonly created using Flash, or a simple image...
Zombie College
Zombie College
Zombie College is an American Flash cartoon series created by television writer Eric Kaplan and directed by John Rice for Icebox.com. 12 episodes were produced....
as well as voicing two characters in Tofu the Vegan Zombie.
Personal life
West was abusedChild abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
as a child by his father, and had problems with substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
as a young adult. He has been sober since the age of thirty-five.
Billy West is a vegan.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Felix the Cat: The Movie Felix the Cat: The Movie Felix the Cat: The Movie is a 1988 animated film based on the cartoon and comic strip character of the same name. It was made in Europe during 1986 and 1987, but was not officially released in the United States until 1991.-Plot:... |
additional voice | Voice only Voice acting Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called... Animated film Animation Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways... |
| Doug Doug Doug is an American animated sitcom created by Jim Jinkins and co-produced by his studio, Jumbo Pictures . Doug centers on the surreal and imaginative exploits of its title character, Douglas "Doug" Funnie, who experiences common predicaments while attending middle school. The series lampoons... |
Doug Funnie (1991–1994) Roger Klotz (1991–1994) |
Voice only until sell of series to Disney. Animated series Cartoon series A cartoon series is a set of regularly presented animated television programs with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same characters and a basic theme... |
|
| Stimpson J. "Stimpy" Cat Ren Hoek (1993–1996) Mr. Horse (1993–1996) |
Voice only Animated series |
||
| 1993 | France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... Bug |
Voice only Animated series |
|
| 1996 | Earthworm Jim Earthworm Jim (TV series) Earthworm Jim is an American animated television series which appeared on Kids' WB! for two seasons from September 9, 1995 through December 13, 1996. It is based on the video game series of the same name... |
Additional Voices | Voice only Animated series |
| 1996 | Joe's Apartment Joe's Apartment Joe's Apartment is a 1996 musical-serio-comedy film starring Jerry O'Connell and Megan Ward and the first film produced by MTV Films. It was based on a 1992 short film first made for MTV , but was also inspired by both the 1987 Japanese film Gokiburi-tachi No Tasogare and... |
Ralph Roach | Voice only |
| 1996 | Space Jam Space Jam Aside from Jordan, a number of NBA players and coaches appeared in the film. Larry Bird portrays a friend of Jordan who joins him for a game of golf. When the Monstars steal the NBA players' talent, they invade a game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, causing the Knicks' Patrick... |
Bugs Bunny Elmer Fudd |
Voice only Live-action/Animated film |
| 1997 | Tex Avery Freddie the Fly Sagebrush Sid |
Voice only Animated series |
|
| 1997 | Cow and Chicken Cow and Chicken Cow and Chicken is an American animated series, created by David Feiss. The series shows the surreal adventures of a cow, named Cow, and her chicken brother, named Chicken. They are often antagonized by "The Red Guy", who poses as various characters to scam or hurt them... |
Additional Voices | Voice only Animated series |
| 1997 | I Am Weasel I Am Weasel I Am Weasel is an American animated television series produced by Cartoon Network Studios in co-production with Hanna-Barbera, created by David Feiss, and broadcast on Cartoon Network.... |
Additional voice | Voice only Animated series |
| 1997 | Project G.e.e.K.e.R. Project G.e.e.K.e.R. Project G.eeK.eR. is an animated television series that premiered on CBS on September 14, 1996. It was created by Douglas TenNapel, creator of Earthworm Jim, with original music by Shawn Patterson... |
GeeKeR | Voice only Animated series |
| 1997 | Show announcer Harvey the Wonder Hamster |
Television series Television program A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series... |
|
| 1997 | Extreme Ghostbusters Extreme Ghostbusters Extreme Ghostbusters is an animated television series and a follow-up to the animated series Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters. It is a part of the film/TV Ghostbusters franchise... |
Slimer Mayor McShane |
Voice only Animated series |
| 1997 | Space Goofs Space Goofs Space Goofs is a French animated series produced by Gaumont Film Company, Gunther-Waul Productions and Xilam for France 3 that first aired in 1997... |
Additional voices | Voice only Animated series |
| 1998 | Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island is a 1998 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series Scooby-Doo Saturday morning cartoon franchise... |
Norville "Shaggy" Rogers Shaggy Rogers Norville "Shaggy" Rogers is a fictional character from the American animated television series Scooby-Doo, about the adventures of four crime-solving teenagers and Shaggy's pet great dane, Scooby-Doo. Shaggy is a cowardly slacker more interested in eating than solving mysteries. He is the only... |
Voice only Direct-to-video Direct-to-video Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television... Animated film |
| Histeria! Histeria! Histeria! is a 1998 American animated series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Unlike other animated series produced by Warner Bros. in the 1990s, Histeria! stood out as the most explicit edutainment program in order to meet FCC requirements for... |
Chit Chatterson Bugs Bunny Elmer Fudd |
Voice only Animated series |
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| CatDog CatDog CatDog is an American animated television series which premiered on April 4, 1998, and ended with an unaired episode on September 22, 2004. The series was created for Nickelodeon by Peter Hannan. It was also shown as a sneak peek in theaters with The Rugrats Movie... |
Rancid Rabbit Mr Sunshine |
Voice only Animated series |
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| 1999 | Invader Zim Invader Zim Invader Zim is an American animated television series created by Jhonen Vasquez. It was produced by and subsequently aired on Nickelodeon. The series revolves around an extraterrestrial named Zim from the planet Irk, and his ongoing mission to conquer and destroy Earth... |
Zim | Voice only Animated series Unaired pilot Television pilot A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an... only |
| 1999 | Mad Jack the Pirate Mad Jack the Pirate Mad Jack the Pirate is a short lived 1990s cartoon. The show was created by Bill Kopp and was directed by Jeff DeGrandis... |
Snuk Jon LeFeet additional voices |
Voice only Animated series |
| 1999 | Queer Duck Queer Duck Queer Duck is an animated series produced by Mondo that originally appeared on Icebox.com and later moved to the American cable television channel Showtime in 2002, where it aired as a followup feature of the American version of Queer as Folk... |
Bi-Polar Bear Other characters |
Voice only Animated series |
| 1999 | Detention Detention (TV series) Detention is a cartoon that premiered on Kids' WB! on September 10, 1999 and was created by Bob Doucette . This is one of the shortest lived programs by Warner Bros... |
Emmitt Roswell | Voice only Animated series |
| 1999 | Woody Woodpecker Wally Walrus Smedley Doug Knutts |
Voice only Animated series |
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| 1999 | Olive, the Other Reindeer Olive, the Other Reindeer Olive, the Other Reindeer is a CGI animated Christmas television special written by Steve Young, and directed by Oscar Moore. The feature was produced by Matt Groening's The Curiosity Company and animated by DNA Productions... |
Mr. Eskimo | Voice only Animated television film |
| 1999 | Rayman: The Animated Series Rayman: The Animated Series Rayman: The Animated Series, or The Rayman TV Series, is a French 3-D animated children's television series featuring the French video game hero Rayman. Created by Ubisoft and based on the Rayman adventure game series, the show was originally in French but was dubbed into various languages for... |
Rayman | Voice only Animated series |
| Futurama Futurama Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J... |
Philip J. Fry Professor Hubert Farnsworth Dr John Zoidberg Captain Zapp Brannigan Richard Nixon's Head Additional characters |
Voice only Animated series |
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| 2000 | Baby Felix Baby Felix is a children's animated television program that follows the adventures of a young Felix the Cat and infant versions of the characters from Joe Oriolo's Felix television program from the 1950s. It was launched by Oriolo's son, Don Oriolo in 2000 with NHK Educational, NEC Interchannel and of... |
Felix the Cat Felix the Cat Felix the Cat is a cartoon character created in the silent film era. His black body, white eyes, and giant grin, coupled with the surrealism of the situations in which his cartoons place him, combine to make Felix one of the most recognized cartoon characters in film history... Additional characters |
Voice only Animated series |
| 2000 | Poochini's Yard Poochini's Yard Poochini's Yard is an animated children's television series which originally aired globally in 2000, but was not shown in the United States for the first time until September 1, 2002... |
Poochini Walter White Mr. Garvey Lockjaw |
Voice only Animated series |
| 2001 | Horrible Histories Horrible Histories (TV series) Horrible Histories may refer to:* Horrible Histories , a 2001-2002 animated children's TV series* Horrible Histories , a 2009 live-action children's TV series... |
Stitch Narrator various |
Voice only Animated series |
| 2001 | George Klimer Anita Bidet Additional characters |
Voice only Animated series |
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| 2001 | Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (film) Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius is a 2001 computer-animated film based on a few three-minute animated shorts shown on Nickelodeon between the years 1999-2002, and a pilot in 1998. The film was produced by Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies with O Entertainment and DNA Productions... |
Various characters | Voice only Animated film |
| 2002 | Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring is a 2001 animated direct-to-video film starring Tom and Jerry. This was the first made-for-video attempt to recapture the style of Hanna and Barbera's original Tom & Jerry theatricals... |
Freddie | Voice only Direct-to-video Animated film |
| 2002 | Crank Yankers Crank Yankers Crank Yankers is an American TV show produced by Adam Carolla, Jimmy Kimmel and Daniel Kellison that featured actual prank calls made by show regulars and celebrity guests, and re-enacted onscreen by puppets for a visual aid to show the viewer what is happening in the call... |
Confucious Moo Shu |
Voice only |
| 2003 | Looney Tunes: Back in Action Looney Tunes: Back in Action Looney Tunes: Back in Action is a 2003 American live action/animated adventure comedy film directed by Joe Dante and starring Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Timothy Dalton, and Steve Martin. The film is essentially a feature-length Looney Tunes cartoon, with all the wackiness and surrealism typical... |
Elmer Fudd Peter Lorre |
Voice only |
| 2003 | Duck Dodgers Duck Dodgers Duck Edgar Dumas Aloysius Eoghain Dodgers is the metafictional star of a series of cartoons produced by Warner Bros. He is actually the famous cartoon star Daffy Duck, cast in the role of an intergalactic future hero.... |
Mother Fudd | Voice only |
| My Life As A Teenage Robot My Life as a Teenage Robot My Life as a Teenage Robot is an American animated television series, created by Rob Renzetti for Nickelodeon. The series follows the adventures of XJ-9, better known as Jenny Wakeman, a female robot designed to protect Earth, who is excessively addicted to teen-related activities, which are almost... |
Principal Razinski | Voice only Animated series |
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| 2004 | Comic Book: The Movie Comic Book: The Movie Comic Book: The Movie is a 2004 direct-to-DVD mockumentary directed by and starring Mark Hamill who is best known for his role as Luke Skywalker, the main character in the original trilogy of Star Wars feature films... |
Leo Matuzik | Direct-to-video Live-action |
| 2004 | Garfield: The Movie | Dog | Voice only |
| 2004 | Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy is a 2004 computer-animated direct-to-video film produced by Mainframe Entertainment for Lions Gate Entertainment... |
Popeye Pappy |
Voice only Direct-to-video Computer-animated Computer animation Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images.... film |
| Loonatics Unleashed Loonatics Unleashed Loonatics Unleashed is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation that ran on the Kids' WB for two seasons from 2005 to 2007 in the United States, Teletoon in Canada, Kids Central in Singapore, Cartoon Network's Boomerang in Australia, Cartoon Network in the UK,... |
Electro J. Fudd Sagittarius Stomper |
Voice only Animated series |
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| 2005 | Tom and Jerry: Blast Off to Mars Tom and Jerry: Blast Off to Mars Tom and Jerry: Blast Off to Mars is a Tom and Jerry outer-space-themed direct-to-video film produced by Warner Bros. Animation.-Plot:... |
Major Biff Buzzard | Voice only Direct-to-video Animated film |
| 2005 | Board Member Cab Driver |
Voice only Animated television film |
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| 2005 | Tom and Jerry: The Fast and the Furry | Biff Buzzard President of Hollywood Squirty |
Voice only Direct-to-video Animated film |
| Firehouse Tales Firehouse Tales Firehouse Tales is an animated television series, produced by Warner Bros. Animation, which premiered on Cartoon Network's Tickle-U preschool television programming block in the United States on March 4, 2005... |
Snooty-Tootie Additional characters |
Voice only Animated series |
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| 2006 | Curious George Curious George (film) Curious George is a 2006 traditionally animated film adaptation of the children's stories by H.A. and Margret Rey. Will Ferrell voices Ted. Matthew O'Callaghan directed... |
Manager | Voice only Animated film |
| 2006 | Squirrel Boy Squirrel Boy Squirrel Boy is an American animated television series produced by Cartoon Network Studios. The series, created and executive-produced by Everett Peck, who was also the creator of the more adult-humored Duckman, ran from May 27, 2006 until September 27, 2007 on Cartoon Network... |
Kyle Finkster | Voice only Animated series |
| 2006 | Queer Duck: The Movie | Bi-Polar Bear | Voice only Direct-to-video Animated film |
| 2006 | Zombie College Zombie College Zombie College is an American Flash cartoon series created by television writer Eric Kaplan and directed by John Rice for Icebox.com. 12 episodes were produced.... |
Skully Graham |
Voice only Web series Web series A web series is a series of episodes released on the Internet or also by mobile or cellular phone, and part of the newly emerging medium called web television. A single instance of a web series program is called an episode .While the popularity of web series is continuing to rise, the concept... |
| 2006 | Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas is a 2006 animated direct-to-video film starring the Looney Tunes and directed by Charles Visser and produced by Warner Bros. Animation... |
Bugs Bunny Elmer Fudd |
Voice only Direct-to-video Animated film |
| 2007 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) TMNT (2007 film) TMNT is a 2007 film based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. This is the fourth and final installment in the original film series. The film sees the Turtles grow apart after their defeat of The Shredder. Meanwhile, strange things are happening in New York City... |
Anchorman Jersey Devil Various characters |
Voice only |
| 2007 | Futurama: Bender's Big Score Futurama: Bender's Big Score Futurama: Bender's Big Score is an Annie Award-winning direct-to-video film based on the animated series Futurama. It was released in the United States on November 27, 2007. Bender's Big Score, along with the three follow-up films, comprise season five of Futurama, with each film being separated... |
Philip J. Fry Professor Farnsworth Dr. Zoidberg Zapp Brannigan Richard Nixon's Head Additional characters |
Voice only Direct-to-video Animated film |
| 2008 | Random! Cartoons | Finster #1 Pilot #1 Johnny Space Guy Space Thug Moobeard |
Voice only Animate series |
| 2008 | Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs is an animated science-fiction comedy film, the second of the four Futurama straight-to-DVD films. The film was released in the United States and Canada on June 24, 2008, followed by a UK release on June 30, 2008 and an Australian release on August 6, 2008.... |
Philip J. Fry Professor Farnsworth Dr. Zoidberg Zapp Brannigan Richard Nixon's Head Additional characters |
Voice only Direct-to-video Animated film |
| 2008 | Futurama: Bender's Game Futurama: Bender's Game Futurama: Bender's Game is the third of the four direct-to-DVD Futurama films that make up the show's fifth season. It was released on November 4, 2008 on DVD and Blu-ray.... |
Philip J. Fry Professor Farnsworth Dr. Zoidberg Additional characters |
Voice only Direct-to-video Animated film |
| 2009 | Futurama: Into The Wild Green Yonder Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder is the last of a series of four straight-to-DVD Futurama movies. The movie was written by Ken Keeler, based on a story by Keeler and David X. Cohen, and directed by Peter Avanzino. Guest stars include Phil Hendrie, Penn Jillette , Snoop Dogg and Seth... |
Philip J. Fry Professor Farnsworth Dr. Zoidberg Zapp Brannigan Leo Wong Richard Nixon's Head Additional characters |
Voice only Direct-to-video Animated film |
| Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Jungle Junction is a current CGI animated children's television series created by Trevor Ricketts. It airs on Disney Junior in the United States, as well as Playhouse Disney in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and on Playhouse Disney in Asia. It is produced in the UK by... |
Ellyvan | Voice only Animated series |
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| 2010 | Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes is a 2010 animated direct-to-video film starring Tom and Jerry produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is the first Tom and Jerry direct-to-video film to be produced without any of its original creators, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera... |
Tom | Direct-to-video Animated film |
| 2010 | Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated | Gunther Gator | Voice only Animated series |
| 2011 | Elmer Fudd Elmer Fudd Elmer J. Fudd/Egghead is a fictional cartoon character and one of the most famous Looney Tunes characters, and the de facto archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheon . His aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring... |
Voice only Animated series |
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| 2011 | Mongo Wrestling Alliance Mongo Wrestling Alliance Mongo Wrestling Alliance is an 11-minute animated comedy series currently airing on Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. Produced by Metalocalypse co-creator Tommy Blacha, the show is set in the world of professional wrestling and features the voices of Pamela Adlon, Tommy... |
Various | Voice only Animated series |
| 2011 | Eric Kaplan's Sketch World | Additional voices | Voice only Web series |