Billy West

Birthday: 16 April 1952, Detroit, Michigan, USA

Birth Name: William Richard West

Height: 166 cm

Billy West was born on April 16, 1952 in Detroit, Michigan, USA as William Richard West. He is an actor, known for Futurama (1999), Futurama: Bender's Big Score (2007) and Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs (2008). He is married to Violet West.

I'm not like a high intellectual.

To me, it all comes down to things being character-driven. It's hard for me to look beyond that. CG ...Show more »

To me, it all comes down to things being character-driven. It's hard for me to look beyond that. CG and all this cool stuff - so be it. But to me, it pretty much begins and ends with character-driven plots rather than technologically-driven plots. Show less «

You have to have some kind of power of observation, almost like a trained observer.

It had more layers than an onion. These writers meant business. There was a level for everybody. You...Show more »

It had more layers than an onion. These writers meant business. There was a level for everybody. Your major could be celestial mechanics, and there'd be celestial-mechanics jokes. Show less «

Robert Mitchum sounded different from John Wayne, and John Wayne sounded different from Clark Gable.

Somebody's real voice is probably the hardest one that somebody could attempt.

Even when I was coming through school, I was a loner and I used to study music and play it and play ...Show more »

Even when I was coming through school, I was a loner and I used to study music and play it and play it, and I was in bands. Show less «

[on working on Howard Stern's radio show] It was exciting, because there was nothing like it. When I...Show more »

[on working on Howard Stern's radio show] It was exciting, because there was nothing like it. When I came around, he was starting to get played in other cities on other stations. He was syndicating. And this show was like-when that show came to town, all the other radio stations had to duck and cover, because they couldn't go where he was going. He built that up; he learned how to dance right up close to the line. So close that it's like, "Whoa!" But that's very masterful, to be able to do that. Now there's so many watered-down versions of his show, and his humor, and the vernacular from the show. Other stations, it's commonplace to talk like he did. He kind of taught everybody how to talk, brash. He would just Tourette out his thoughts, and I thought that was the greatest thing in the world. Show less «

But the throat just kind of falls into line once you realize in your head what it is. You got to rem...Show more »

But the throat just kind of falls into line once you realize in your head what it is. You got to remember the musicality of a character you're going to do. Show less «

I don't get to watch Futurama, until it's on TV.

I've always said that you can't be the new Mel Blanc by doing Mel Blanc's voice.

If someone gave me the chance to create something, I put myself into it. I just want to try to do so...Show more »

If someone gave me the chance to create something, I put myself into it. I just want to try to do something that will last forever and that won't leave people saying, 'Gee, it could have been better, it could've been this, it could've been that.' Show less «

You watch people and study them the way an alien would.

Well, I happen to have a love of vocal reproduction devices.

Robin Williams understands sonic performances. He understands what it's like to change your voice up...Show more »

Robin Williams understands sonic performances. He understands what it's like to change your voice up. Show less «

As long as I can apply my craft, I'm happy.

Life is for the living. I was a little scared before surgery 'cause of the release you sign that say...Show more »

Life is for the living. I was a little scared before surgery 'cause of the release you sign that says there's always a very small percent chance that you'll die during the operation. Show less «

Billy West

Billy West's FILMOGRAPHY

Billy West'S roles

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