Jump to content

Bill Farmer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Dpm12 (talk | contribs) at 02:49, 3 May 2016 (→Video games). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For other people named Bill Farmer, see Bill Farmer (disambiguation).
Bill Farmer
Farmer at the 2014 Annie Awards
Born
William Farmer

(1952-11-14) November 14, 1952 (age 72)
Pratt, Kansas, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Kansas
Occupation(s)Voice actor, comedian
Years active1986–present
AgentAVO Talent
Known forThe voice of Goofy and Pluto[1]
Notable workMickey Mouse franchise
The 7D
SpouseJennifer Farmer[2]
AwardsDisney Legend Award (2009)
Annie Award (2013)
WebsiteOfficial website

William "Bill" Farmer (born November 14, 1952) is an American voice actor and comedian, who is best known for his role of being the current voice of the Disney character Goofy, since 1987. He is also the current voice of Pluto and Horace Horsecollar.

Early life

Farmer was born on November 14, 1952 in Pratt, Kansas, as the second child in his family.[2][3] His parents were of English and Welsh descent.[2]

Farmer's first job, at the age of 15, involved doing voices, especially those of Western stars like John Wayne or Walter Brennan. He and his friends would sometimes go through fast food drive-thrus and order foods in his character voices. Bill attended the University of Kansas, and is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. In college, he found work in radio and TV and then moved on to stand-up comedy as an impressionist until he moved out to Hollywood, where he began voicing Goofy in January 1987. In 1982, while he was still doing stand-up comedy, Farmer worked at a comedy club called the Comedy Corner in Dallas, Texas. He continued to work there until his move to Hollywood in 1986.

His decision to move to California came from a Dallas commercial agent who suggested that, given his talent for voices, he should try his luck in California. He was recently married, but he and his wife talked it over and came to an arrangement. She stayed back in Dallas while he commuted for a year after he got an apartment. Then four months after his moving out to Hollywood, his agent asked him if he could do any Disney characters.

He asserts that voice acting is not about funny voices, but about acting. His mentor was the great voice actor Daws Butler, the man behind many of Hanna-Barbera's characters. He taught Farmer that when doing cartoon voices, you're not merely doing a funny voice, you're an actor and the acting is premier and you have to think like the character you're doing.[4]

Career

In 1987, he had a small part as reporter Justin Ballard-Watkins in the film RoboCop.[4]

Farmer's very first voice over audition was for Goofy. When he auditioned for the voice, he studied the way the original actor Pinto Colvig performed as Goofy in the 1930s and 1940s cartoons. He studied the hilarious laugh and the distinctive "gawrsh". He inherited the voice of Goofy (as well as Pluto), around the same time Tony Anselmo inherited Donald Duck, and Wayne Allwine and Russi Taylor did likewise for Mickey and Minnie Mouse, respectively. Farmer also played Goofy in A Goofy Movie (1995), its sequel, An Extremely Goofy Movie (2000), the Kingdom Hearts series of video games, Goof Troop (1992), which centered around the character and his son, Mickey Mouse Works (1999), House of Mouse (2001), Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (2006).

He originated the voice of Horace Horsecollar in Disney's version of The Prince and the Pauper and has played him ever since.[4][5] Farmer also performed additional voices on The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse (1987), and Astro Boy (2004).

Other significant characters he has played include Yosemite Sam, Sylvester, and Foghorn Leghorn in the movie Space Jam (1996). He has also done several guest voices, both on TV, including The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and in video games, including the Destroy All Humans! series, Namco's Tales of Symphonia, where he voiced Governor-General Dorr, in Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts series reprising the role of Goofy, Detective Date in the SEGA game Yakuza, Captain Wedgewood and Frill Lizard in Ty the Tasmanian Tiger, many voices on EverQuest II, Cletus Samson, Floyd Sanders, Jeff Meyers and Ryan LaRosa in the video game Dead Rising[6] and Sam and others in the cult classic adventure game Sam & Max Hit the Road.

Farmer has also played Secret Squirrel on Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Stinkie in Casper: A Spirited Beginning and Casper Meets Wendy, Willie Bear in Horton Hears a Who! and Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck in Robot Chicken in both the animated series and its spin-off video game. He also voiced Gaston in one part of Beauty and the Beast, when Gaston eats eggs.

As of 2014, he plays Doc, the leader of the title characters in Disney's animated television series The 7D.[5]

Bill Farmer still regularly performs comedy routines at the Laugh Factory.

Recognition

In September 2009, Farmer was named a Disney Legend. In 2011, the International Family Film Festival awarded Bill Farmer the 'Friz Award' for Animation.

He won the Annie Award for Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production for his work as Goofy and Grandma in Mickey Mouse.[7]

Filmography

Films

List of live-action appearances in feature films
Year Title Role Notes Source
1987 RoboCop Justin Ballard-Watkins   [4][8]
1998 Pumpkin Man Father Goblin / Billy Bob Sr.   [9]
List of voice roles in feature films
Year Title Role Notes
1991 Rover Dangerfield Farm voices  
1995 A Goofy Movie Goofy Nominated - Annie Award for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Feature Production
1996 Space Jam Foghorn Leghorn, Sylvester, Yosemite Sam  
2008 Horton Hears a Who Willie Bear  
2010 I Want Your Money George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush  
List of voice roles in direct-to-video and television films
Year Title Role Notes
1990 The Prince and the Pauper Goofy, Pluto, Horace Horsecollar, Weasels #1  
1993 Disney Sing-Along-Songs: The Twelve Days of Christmas Goofy  
1995 Runaway Brain Pluto  
1997 Casper: A Spirited Beginning Stinkie  
1998 Casper Meets Wendy Stinkie  
1999 Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas Goofy, Pluto  
2000 An Extremely Goofy Movie Goofy  
2001 Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse Goofy, Pluto, Practical Pig  
2002 Mickey's House of Villains Goofy  
2004 The Lion King 1½ Goofy, Sleepy  
2004 Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers Goofy  
2004 Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas Goofy, Pluto  
2005 Son of the Mask Masked Otis  
2007 Mickey's Great Clubhouse Hunt Goofy, Pluto  
2009 Mickey's Adventures in Wonderland Goofy, Pluto  
2009 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Choo-Choo Express Goofy, Pluto  
2010 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Road Rally Goofy, Pluto  
2011 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Space Adventure Goofy, Pluto  

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1987 D-TV Doggone Valantine Goofy  
1987 D-TV Monster Hits Goofy  
1989 Goofy About Health Goofy  
1989 Betty Boop's Hollywood Mystery Fergie Furbelow  
1990 Disney Sing-Along-Songs: Disneyland Fun Goofy, Pluto  
1992 Raw Toonage Goofy  
1992–93 Goof Troop Goofy  
1992 Goof Troop Christmas Goofy  
1993 Bonkers Goofy  
1994–95 Mickey's Fun Songs series Goofy, Pluto  
1995 What-a-Mess Additional Voices  
1996 Quack Pack Pluto  
1998 The Spirit of Mickey Goofy  
1998 Paracycling Goofy  
1998 The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald[10] Knight #2, Mob Leader (ep. 5)  
1999 Disney's Mouseworks Spaceship Pluto  
1999–2000 Mickey Mouse Works Goofy, Pluto, Horace Horsecollar  
2000 Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law Secret Squirrel  
2001–03 Disney's House of Mouse Goofy, Pluto, Horace Horsecollar, Practical Pig  
2003–06 The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Stank Williams, Blort Sportscaster  
2004 Astro Boy Tawashi  
2004 Game Over Race Announcer  
2005 Loonatics Unleashed Mr. Leghorn  
2006–present Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Goofy, Pluto  
2006–12 Robot Chicken Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Pubertis  
2007 Higglytown Heroes Janitor Jay  
2008 The Banana Splits Fleegle  
2010 'Til Death George Bush, Minister  
2012–present Minnie's Bow-Toons Goofy, Pluto, others  
2013–present Mickey Mouse Goofy, Pluto  
2014–present The 7D Doc, Sir Yips-A-Lot  
2015 Jake and the Never Land Pirates Ghostly Bob  

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
1993 Sam and Max Hit the Road Sam, Psychic, Flambe  
1994 Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness Leshy  
1995 Full Throttle Horrace, Corley Motors Merchandise Salesman, Gas Guard Pilot, News Anchorman  
1996 Mortimer and the Riddles of the Medallion Bald Eagle, Coyote, Gila Monster, Additional vocies  
1998 Disney's Hades Challenge Goofy  
1998 King's Quest VIII: Mask of Eternity King Gryph, Weirdling Tradesman  
1998 Baldur's Gate Brunos, Irlentree, Yeslick Orothiar  
2000 Mickey's Speedway USA Goofy  
2000 Looney Tunes Racing Foghorn Leghorn  
2000 Looney Tunes: Space Race Foghorn Leghorn  
2000 Mickey Mouse Kindergarten Goofy, Pluto, Bellhop #1, Bellhop #2  
2000 The Flintstones: Bedrock Bowling Bamm-Bamm Rubble, Dino Bridge  
2000 The Emperor's New Groove Pacha  
2001 Disney Learning: Phonics Quest Goofy, Horace Horsecollar  
2001 Goofy's Fun House Goofy  
2002 Ty the Tasmanian Tiger Wedgwood the Pirate, The Frill Necked Lizard  
2002–present Kingdom Hearts series Goofy  
2002 Disney Golf Goofy  
2003 Toontown Online Goofy  
2003 Tales of Symphonia Governor-General Dorr  
2004 Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2 Parrotbeard, Squeaver, Johno  
2004 EverQuest II additional voices  
2005 Destroy All Humans! Narrator, Rural Male  
2005 Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3: Night of the Quinkan Parrotbeard  
2006 Over the Hedge Lou, Rottweiler  
2006 Dead Rising Cletus Samson  
2006 Yakuza Date (English version)  
2006 Flushed Away Spike  
2006 Nicktoons: Battle for Volcano Island Old Hermit Crab, Plant King, Crab Refugee #4, Plant Guard  
2007 Meet the Robinsons Ice Cream Vendor  
2008 Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law Secret Squirrel, Cameraman, Prison Guard #2  
2008 Disney Think Fast Goofy, Horace Horsecollar  
2010 Epic Mickey Goofy, Horace Horsecollar  
2011 Kinect Disneyland Adventures Goofy, Pluto  
2012 Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two Goofy, Horace Horsecollar, Practical Pig  
2012 Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion Goofy  
2014 Disney Magical World Goofy, Pluto, Sleepy  

Park Attractions

References

  1. ^ "About Toonhouse". Toonhouse Inc. Archived from the original on April 23, 2012. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Stahl, Scarlett (February 24, 2012). "A Visit with a Goofy Guy Named Bill Farmer". LaughingPlace.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved August 30, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "Disney Legends - Bill Farmer". D23. Archived from the original on August 30, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b c d Interview with Bill Farmer on Rob Paulsen's Talkin Toons Podcast, 2012
  5. ^ a b "Disney Legend, Bill Farmer talks about voicing Goofy and new Disney Junior series "The 7D"". mediamikes.com. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  6. ^ "Bill Farmer". Voice Chasers. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  7. ^ Erik Pedersen. "Annie Award Winners 2015: Full List Of Animation Award Winners - Deadline". Deadline. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  8. ^ "RoboCop (1987) - Paul Verhoeven - Cast and Crew". AllMovie. All Media Guide. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  9. ^ http://movieweb.com/movie/pumpkin-man/cast/
  10. ^ "The Voices of Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald (1998, Live-Action/Animated Series (Direct-to-Video)) - Voice Cast Listing at Voice Chasers". Voice Chasers. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bill Farmer.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Farmer&oldid=718364876"