Billy Goes Back to the Future

Actor Billy West is best known for voicing Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg and Zapp Brannigan on Futurama as well as a long list of other beloved toon characters (including Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Popeye, Woody Woodpecker and the title characters in Doug and The Ren & Stimpy Show, for which he was nominated for an Annie Award). Since West is back delivering his unmistakable voices for the eighth season of Futurama, we thought it was a good time to catch up with the talented actor: Getting the News: When I got the phone call from Matt Groening telling me the great news that show was coming back, I told him I could still do the voices, and he said, “I know you can!” The great thing about the show is that the writers always have a trick or two up their sleeves, and that’s a good thing because our fans don’t let the show die. They lobby, and it ends up being effective. It’s like a zombie — it just feels like we never left.

Everything felt very natural. The only thing that was different this time was that a lot of us were working from home on Zoom, but eventually the studio started letting people come in. Then, I was back to working with one or two people, and eventually it became a bigger ensemble. I was thrilled about that because I hate working alone.

Secrets of Success: The show has been such a big success because there has been a concerted effort from everybody involved to make it all ring true. For my own performances, I try to think long and hard before I open my mouth to do any of those characters because we want them to ring true and be authentic. The audience is not stupid, and they can tell if a character is contrived, or if it resonates with them like someone they know in real life.

When I first read for the show, I auditioned for the Professor and for Zoidberg. Just for the heck of it, they asked me read for Fry, which had already been cast. So, I had to pull something out of my hat really fast. I tried to remember what I sounded like when I was 25, which was all whiny and needy, because I thought that’s what Fry would sound like.

Being a Journeyman Actor: In the past I’ve talked about stunt casting, but I wasn’t complaining because I have been working consistently. I have always been a journeyman actor. For me, everything has equal importance whether you are the voice of a talking armpit or if you’re doing a major character. Then, I noticed that film and TV stars were being cast as cartoon characters. When they hire stars, that character is only going to be as good as these people are famous. What we used to have to do was create something that would outlive us all. We used a special alchemy to create that timeless magic. Stunt casting is like taking a bunch of highly skilled plumbers and sending them to Fenway Park to win the World Series.

Favorites: The episode that makes me cry is “Jurassic Bark,” the one with Fry’s dog. I weep every time I see it because I’m a big animal lover. Another favorite one is “The Devil’s Hands Are Idle Playthings,” in which Dan Castellaneta plays the Robot Devil. I think his performances are so sublime and exquisite. I also love the Season Three episode, “Roswell That Ends Well,” in which Fry goes back in time and convinces his great-grandfather to marry a local girl.

On Matt, David and the Fans: Our fans are such beautiful people. I look forward to going to Comic-Con again this year. I come from a place of great gratitude. I’m so thankful that this show means so much to people. Matt Groening and David X. Cohen are brilliant and energetic people. When people come up to me and tell me, “Wow, you do all the characters!” I tell them I didn’t create anything. I just create the voices: Matt is the one who has created a few thousand amazing characters. And David is such a funny bastard, too!