September 22, 2005 - Mel Blanc was known as "The Man of 1,000 Voices", but give Billy West a few more years and he might give the legend a run for his money.
As Stimpy on the original Ren & Stimpy (and later Ren as well), Bugs Bunny & Elmer Fudd in Space Jam (reprising Fudd for Back in Action), and a host of characters on Futurama (Fry, Dr. Zoidberg, Professor Farnsworth, and Zapp Brannigan – to name a few), West is the very definition of a voice artist, able to manipulate his vocal chords like a maestro (how's that for an image?). He's also working on an edgy semi-autobiographical pilot titled Billy Bastard: Amateur Human Being (you can find out more on his website, www.billywest.com)
Sure to please fans, Fox Home Entertainment is releasing a selection of fan favorite episodes in the form of the Futurama Monster Robot Maniac Fun Collection…
IGN FILMFORCE: What role did you initially go in to audition for on Futurama?
BILLY WEST: I was called in for all of the characters, and I was in a room with probably a hundred people – and I'm sure 200 more were around before or after, because everybody wanted to be part of this. I was almost going to have a heart-attack – I walk in, and there's Ryan Stiles, ready to read for it. I'm like going, "Oh, Jesus… Wrong room."
IGNFF: Ryan Stiles, from Whose Line Is It Anyway?, was actually in the audition process?
WEST: Yeah! It scared me, because the guy is just so formidable, talent-wise, and I just thought, "Gee whiz… I better be on my toes now."
IGNFF: When you read for those characters, which ones did you automatically feel didn't click?
WEST: I read for Fry originally, but I didn't get it. My friend Charlie Schlatter got it – and also, my friend from MadTV, Nicole Sullivan, was Leela. It was just this weird turn of events where they weren't going to use them, and they got Katey (Sagal) to do Leela. I read for Bender, Farnsworth – I didn't read for Zapp Brannigan early on…
IGNFF: Because that role was still going to be Phil Hartman at that point, right?
WEST: I think so. I'm trying to think of the order of things. We started recording the show and then we took a break, and then they asked me to come in and use my voice, pretty much, and read for Fry. I did it, and they said, "Well, that's what we wanna do."
IGNFF: So, what roles were you initially cast in?
WEST: My agent called me and said, "I have good news for you – you're going to be Dr. Zoidberg and Professor Hubert Farnsworth." And I said, "Wow! That's wonderful!" I didn't get Bender, even though I read for it, but Johnny Di Maggio (the voice of Bender) had the perfect take on it.
IGNFF: And at that point, getting cast as two lead characters in the new show from Simpsons creator Matt Groening was not a bad thing to have happen to you…
WEST: No, I was thrilled out of my mind! Because I came in and I shook hands with him, and I said, "It's really nice to meet you…" He says, "I'm a big fan…" And I go, "And I sort of know who you are, too!"
Sure to please fans, Fox Home Entertainment is releasing a selection of fan favorite episodes in the form of the Futurama Monster Robot Maniac Fun Collection…
IGN FILMFORCE: What role did you initially go in to audition for on Futurama?
BILLY WEST: I was called in for all of the characters, and I was in a room with probably a hundred people – and I'm sure 200 more were around before or after, because everybody wanted to be part of this. I was almost going to have a heart-attack – I walk in, and there's Ryan Stiles, ready to read for it. I'm like going, "Oh, Jesus… Wrong room."
IGNFF: Ryan Stiles, from Whose Line Is It Anyway?, was actually in the audition process?
WEST: Yeah! It scared me, because the guy is just so formidable, talent-wise, and I just thought, "Gee whiz… I better be on my toes now."
IGNFF: When you read for those characters, which ones did you automatically feel didn't click?
WEST: I read for Fry originally, but I didn't get it. My friend Charlie Schlatter got it – and also, my friend from MadTV, Nicole Sullivan, was Leela. It was just this weird turn of events where they weren't going to use them, and they got Katey (Sagal) to do Leela. I read for Bender, Farnsworth – I didn't read for Zapp Brannigan early on…
IGNFF: Because that role was still going to be Phil Hartman at that point, right?
WEST: I think so. I'm trying to think of the order of things. We started recording the show and then we took a break, and then they asked me to come in and use my voice, pretty much, and read for Fry. I did it, and they said, "Well, that's what we wanna do."
IGNFF: So, what roles were you initially cast in?
WEST: My agent called me and said, "I have good news for you – you're going to be Dr. Zoidberg and Professor Hubert Farnsworth." And I said, "Wow! That's wonderful!" I didn't get Bender, even though I read for it, but Johnny Di Maggio (the voice of Bender) had the perfect take on it.
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WEST: No, I was thrilled out of my mind! Because I came in and I shook hands with him, and I said, "It's really nice to meet you…" He says, "I'm a big fan…" And I go, "And I sort of know who you are, too!"
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