Billy West facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Billy West
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West at Animate! Columbus in 2023
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| Born |
William Richard Werstine
April 16, 1952 Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
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| Years active | 1980–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Violet Benny
(m. 1992; div. 2009) |
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known as Billy West, is an American voice actor, musician, and radio personality. He is famous for lending his voice to many beloved cartoon characters. You might know him as Bugs Bunny in the 1996 movie Space Jam. He also voiced the main characters in Doug and The Ren & Stimpy Show.
Billy West is also the voice behind several characters in Futurama, like Philip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg, and Zapp Brannigan. In commercials, he voices the Red M&M and used to be the voice of Buzz for Honey Nut Cheerios. He has also voiced classic characters such as Elmer Fudd, Popeye, Shaggy Rogers, Rocket Raccoon, Muttley, and Woody Woodpecker.
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Billy West's Early Life and Background
William Richard Werstine was born in Detroit, Michigan, on April 16, 1952. He has Irish family roots. Billy grew up in Boston, in a neighborhood called Roslindale. After studying for a short time at Berklee College of Music, he played in different bands around Boston. During the day, he sold guitars in a shop in Harvard Square.
Billy West has shared that during the Vietnam War, he was part of the draft lottery. He received a low number, which meant he might have been called to serve in 1970. However, he was not drafted due to medical reasons. He later voiced Richard Nixon on Futurama, which he jokingly called his "revenge" against Nixon.
Billy West's Career Journey
Billy West's career began in radio and quickly moved into television and film. He is known for his amazing ability to create many different voices.
Starting in Radio
In 1980, Billy West was part of an oldies band called The Shutdowns. He worked at WBCN radio in Boston, where he performed funny daily routines. Later, in 1988, he moved to New York City and worked at K-Rock Radio.
He became a regular on The Howard Stern Show from 1988 to 1995. On the show, he became known for his impressions of famous people like Three Stooges member Larry Fine and Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott. After leaving radio, Billy West moved to Los Angeles and found great success as a voice actor.
Voice Acting in Television
Billy West's first TV voice role was in the cartoon Beany and Cecil in 1988. His first big roles were on Doug and The Ren & Stimpy Show. These were two of the first popular Nicktoons on Nickelodeon.
Throughout his career, Billy West has voiced nearly 120 different characters. Many of these are famous animated figures. He is one of the few voice actors who can perfectly imitate Mel Blanc, who voiced many classic Warner Bros. characters. This includes characters like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Elmer Fudd. In 1998, Entertainment Weekly called him "the new Mel Blanc."
Billy West's favorite characters to voice are Philip J. Fry and Stimpy. He created both of these voices himself. He has also voiced "Red" in many M&M commercials and the 3D film I Lost My M in Vegas. He was also the voice of Zim in the first pilot for Invader Zim.
Voicing The Ren & Stimpy Show
Billy West voiced Stimpson J. Cat in Nickelodeon's The Ren & Stimpy Show from 1991 to 1996. He also took over the voice of Ren Höek from 1993 to 1996. He voiced other characters on the show too, like Mr. Horse.
Originally, Billy West was supposed to voice both Ren and Stimpy. He even performed both characters on the tape that helped sell the show to Nickelodeon.
His Roles in Futurama
In Futurama, Billy West voices many characters. These include Philip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Zapp Brannigan, and Dr. Zoidberg. He voices so many characters that sometimes entire conversations in the show are just between characters he voices!
The role of Zapp Brannigan was first planned for the actor Phil Hartman, who sadly passed away before the show began. Billy West was then given the role. He based Zapp Brannigan's voice on "a couple of big dumb announcers" he knew. Futurama has been brought back several times, and Billy West always returns to voice his characters.
Voice Work in Advertising
Billy West has voiced many characters in TV commercials. Some of his well-known advertising roles include:
- Red, the plain milk chocolate M&M (since 1996).
- Buzz, the bee for Honey Nut Cheerios (1990–2004).
- Popeye for Minute Maid.
- Characters like Babe Ruth and Bruce Lee for Brisk Iced Tea.
- Marfalump, a mascot for Pepsi around the time Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace came out.
Online and Film Work
Billy West has also lent his voice to online cartoons, such as Zombie College. He started his own podcast show in July 2015, where he performs many different characters in each episode.
In movies, Billy West voiced Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd in Space Jam (1996). He also voiced Shaggy Rogers in the direct-to-video film Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998). In 2004, he voiced the classic character Popeye in the film Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy. He also appeared in a small role in Garfield: The Movie.
Music Career
Billy West is also a talented guitarist and singer-songwriter. He has a band called Billy West and The Grief Counselors, and they released an album called Me-Pod. He has toured as a guitarist for famous musicians like Roy Orbison and Brian Wilson.
He has also worked with other well-known artists such as Deborah Harry and Lou Reed.
Voice Acting in Video Games
Billy West has voiced many characters in video games, including Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd in various Looney Tunes games.
Some other video game characters he has voiced include:
- Stimpy in The Ren & Stimpy Show: Veediots! and Nicktoons Racing.
- Dr. Zoidberg in The Simpsons Game.
- Philip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg, and Zapp Brannigan in the Futurama video game.
- Nash and Zam in Crash Nitro Kart.
- Muttley in Wacky Races: Starring Dastardly and Muttley.
- Red in M&M's: The Lost Formulas.
- The Narrator in Minecraft: Story Mode.
Billy West's Personal Life
Billy West was married to Violet Benny.
He bought a home in Hollywood Hills West in 1998 and later sold it in 2016.
Images for kids
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Billy West at a Q&A session at Galaxy Con Raleigh in 2023.
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Billy West in 2006.
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Billy West posing with fans at Galaxy Con Raleigh.
