Bill Farmer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bill Farmer
Farmer at GalaxyCon Columbus in 2023
Born	(1952-11-14) November 14, 1952 (age 72) Pratt, Kansas, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Kansas
Occupation	Voice actor
Years active	1986–present
Agent	AVO Talent
Spouse(s)	Jennifer Wynne ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	1

Bill Farmer is a famous American voice actor. He is best known as the voice of the beloved Disney character Goofy. He has played Goofy since 1987. Bill Farmer also voices Pluto and Horace Horsecollar for Disney.

Early Life and Voice Beginnings

Bill Farmer was born on November 14, 1952, in Pratt, Kansas. He was the second child in his family. His parents had roots in England and Wales.

Bill started doing different voices when he was just 10 years old. He loved to imitate famous Western movie stars. Sometimes, he and his friends would order food at drive-thrus using his funny character voices. He went to the University of Kansas and graduated in 1975. While in college, he worked in radio and TV. Later, he became a stand-up comedian, using his talent for impressions. In 1982, he performed at a comedy club in Dallas, Texas. He continued there until he moved to Hollywood in 1986.

A commercial agent in Dallas suggested he move to California. The agent thought Bill's voice talent would be a great fit there. Bill and his wife discussed it and made a plan. She stayed in Dallas for a year while he got an apartment in Hollywood. Just four months after moving, his agent asked if he could do any Disney characters.

Bill Farmer believes that voice acting is more than just making funny sounds. It's about truly acting. His teacher was Daws Butler, a voice actor famous for many Hanna-Barbera characters. Butler taught Bill that a voice actor must think like the character they are playing. The acting part is the most important.

A Career in Voice Acting

After moving to Hollywood in 1986, Bill got a chance to audition for the Disney character Goofy. He carefully studied how the original actor, Pinto Colvig, voiced Goofy in old cartoons. He learned Goofy's funny laugh and his special "gawrsh" sound. After his audition, Bill became the voice of Goofy in January 1987. He also started voicing Pluto in 1990.

Bill was the first to voice Horace Horsecollar in Disney's movie The Prince and the Pauper (1990). He has continued to voice Horace ever since. He also did extra voices for shows like The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse (1987) and Astro Boy (2004).

In 1987, Bill Farmer had a small acting role as a reporter in the movie RoboCop.

He has voiced other well-known characters too. These include Yosemite Sam, Sylvester, and Foghorn Leghorn in the movie Space Jam (1996). Bill has also been a guest voice in many TV shows, like The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. He has voiced characters in video games, such as the Destroy All Humans! series. He was Governor-General Dorr in Tales of Symphonia and Detective Date in the SEGA game Yakuza. He also voiced Captain Wedgewood in Ty the Tasmanian Tiger and Sam in the adventure game Sam & Max Hit the Road.

Bill Farmer voiced Secret Squirrel in Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law. He was Stinkie in Casper: A Spirited Beginning and Casper Meets Wendy. He also voiced Stanley in Beauty and the Beast. He played male cats in Cats Don't Dance and male ants in A Bug's Life. He was Male Soldier #1 in The Iron Giant and Man #1 in Toy Story 2. He voiced a photographer in Monsters, Inc. and Edgar in Brother Bear. He was Oliver Sansweet's lawyer in The Incredibles and Willie Bear in Horton Hears a Who!. He voiced Sam the Bus Driver in The Grinch and Mr. Leghorn in Loonatics Unleashed. He even voiced Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck in Robot Chicken.

From 2014 to 2016, he voiced Doc, the leader of the main characters in Disney's TV show The 7D. He also voiced Blackhoof Boar Clan Leader in the 2008 video game Kung Fu Panda.

Bill Farmer still performs comedy at the Laugh Factory. From 2019 to 2022, he voiced Hopediah "Hop Pop" Plantar on Disney's Amphibia.

In 2020, Bill Farmer hosted a live-action TV show called It's a Dog's Life with Bill Farmer on Disney+. On this show, he traveled around meeting different dogs and learning about their lives.

Awards and Recognition

Bill Farmer Disney Legends plaque at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California

In September 2009, Bill Farmer was honored as a Disney Legend. This award recognizes people who have made a big impact on The Walt Disney Company. In 2011, the International Family Film Festival gave him the 'Friz Award' for his work in animation.

He also won an Annie Award for Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production. This was for his amazing work as Goofy and Grandma Goofy in the Mickey Mouse TV series.

Personal Life

Bill Farmer married Jennifer Wynne on June 2, 1984. They have one son named Austin, who was born in 1989. Austin works as a sound engineer and is also a freelance drummer.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Anime Dubbing

Video Games

Theme Park Attractions

Live-Action Roles

Web Shows

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Bill Farmer para niños