Jimmy Hibbert
| Jimmy Hibbert | |
|---|---|
| Born | James Hibbert 23 November 1956 Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England |
James "Jimmy" Hibbert (born 23 November 1956) is an English television writer and voice actor best known for his work for Cosgrove Hall, mainly voicing Ruffles, Dr. Von Goosewing and many other characters in Count Duckula.
He was born in the Oxfordshire town of Henley-on-Thames and attended Leighton Park School. He later studied at the University of Manchester and achieved a BA (Hons) in drama.
During the 1980s, after touring with a rock band, Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias, for 10 years, Hibbert began a successful voice-over career appearing in the BAFTA Award-winning series Alias the Jester, Wind in the Willows, Dangermouse and Count Duckula, as well as many other popular children's TV shows including:
- Foxbusters
- Noddy's Toyland Adventures
- Avenger Penguins
- Albert the Fifth Musketeer
- Sergeant Stripes
- Fiddley Foodle Bird
- Animal Shelf
- Enid Blyton's Enchanted Lands
- Sooty's Amazing Adventures
- Victor and Hugo
- Bill and Ben
- The Baskervilles
- The Adventures of Paddington Bear
- The Lampies
- Pinky and Perky
- Frankenstein's Cat
- Truckers
- Little Red Tractor
- Lavender Castle
- Fantomcat.
The success of his voice-over work led him to writing for animation and Hibbert was commissioned to write scripts for Count Duckula, a show he also script edited. Hibbert has continued to write and script edit for many other celebrated children's series such as The Legends of Treasure Island, Oscar's Orchestra, Wyrd Sisters, Dr Otter, Preston Pig, The Secret Show, Tom and Vicky, Teddybears, Snailsbury Tales, Dennis and Gnasher, Vampires, Pirates and Aliens, Shaun the Sheep, Chuggington, Fifi and the Flowertots, The Roly Mo Show, Rubbadubbers, Transylvania Pet Shop, Bob the Builder, Little Monsters, Little Red Tractor, Oakie Doke, the 2005 version of Muffin the Mule, Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks, Zombie Hotel, Enid Blyton's Enchanted Lands, Albie, Monty the Dog, The Magic Key, P.B. Bear and Friends, Roary the Racing Car, Jellikins, Jungle Junction and Little Robots. He has been involved as a writer and script editor on two series for the European Broadcast Union: Marco and Gina and Tom. Other writing credits to his name are: Yoko! Jakamoko! Toto!, Gordon the Garden Gnome, Wide-Eye, Andy Pandy and Bill and Ben.
Hibbert has been involved in animated feature films and TV series such as doing voices on The BFG, The King's Beard, Soul Music, Wyrd Sisters, The Reluctant Dragon and The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship as well as writing scripts for Second Star to the Right, Father Christmas and the Missing Reindeer and two Bob the Builder TV specials A Christmas to Remember and The Knights of Can-a-Lot.
During the 1990s, Hibbert was also first ever voice actor of characters of a children's BBC show called The Little Polar Bear where, he teamed up with a BBC Television actress called Susan Sheridan who was also first voice actor of the show. He and Sheridan were also voice actors of the show Noddy's Toyland Adventures which ran between 1992 & 1994.
He is married with three daughters and lives in Manchester.
It is rumored that he'll be starting his own animation studio called Jimmy Hibbert Productions in March 2012.
