WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.280 --> 00:00:19.440 Four finger discount. Dude shy, everybody, welcome to four figure 2 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:21.440 discount were today we are very lucky to be joined 3 00:00:21.480 --> 00:00:24.640 by one of the most iconic voice actors of our time. 4 00:00:24.719 --> 00:00:27.000 It is Billy West. Billy, how are you, sir, good? 5 00:00:27.039 --> 00:00:29.800 How are you doing very well? I'm very very happy 6 00:00:29.800 --> 00:00:32.039 to have you on board the show. This authernoon for us, 7 00:00:32.200 --> 00:00:34.719 this evening for you. Well, it's nine thirty pm in 8 00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:37.520 Los Angeles. Ye, I appreciate you staying up past your bedtime. 9 00:00:37.920 --> 00:00:40.079 Ah, that's the only new. 10 00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:43.439 Are you a night out, Billy? 11 00:00:44.119 --> 00:00:46.759 No, I used to be, but take a medication that 12 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:49.359 I wake up every three hours. That's one of the 13 00:00:49.479 --> 00:00:52.320 side effects, you know, So I have to add up 14 00:00:52.359 --> 00:00:56.119 a night's sleep, you know, I have to like wake 15 00:00:56.240 --> 00:00:58.359 up and I go right back to sleep, of course, 16 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:00.520 but it's a drag because I got to add up 17 00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:03.560 the hours to equal a decent sleep. Sometimes I just 18 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:07.040 wake up and stumble around and try to figure out 19 00:01:07.079 --> 00:01:08.959 something to do until I fall asleep again. 20 00:01:09.400 --> 00:01:10.920 It is one of the drags of getting a few 21 00:01:10.920 --> 00:01:12.439 more miles on the media. You've got to be very 22 00:01:12.439 --> 00:01:14.120 strategic about your sleep patterns. 23 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:15.680 Well. 24 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:18.799 Firstly, congratulations on the success of the latest season of 25 00:01:18.840 --> 00:01:20.879 Future Armor. I saw you posted recently that it's got 26 00:01:20.920 --> 00:01:22.920 the highest rating of any season for the last decade 27 00:01:22.920 --> 00:01:24.760 of Rotten Tomatoes, so that must be exciting. 28 00:01:25.159 --> 00:01:27.920 I was thrilled to death that the fans appear to 29 00:01:27.959 --> 00:01:31.280 be over the moon and critics like it. That's as 30 00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:33.640 good as it gets. That's the best of both worlds. 31 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:36.799 And you know, I'm thrilled to death that that situation 32 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:40.359 is what's going on. I think that everybody is always 33 00:01:40.439 --> 00:01:44.359 trying to be at you know, their utmost creative, the actors, 34 00:01:44.439 --> 00:01:48.239 the writers, everybody. No, you know, it's like it's still 35 00:01:48.280 --> 00:01:51.439 a big labor of love and still a passion project 36 00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:52.680 for everybody. 37 00:01:52.959 --> 00:01:54.599 Is you ture with the show you're most proud of? 38 00:01:54.680 --> 00:01:55.159 Do you think? 39 00:01:55.840 --> 00:02:00.000 Yes, it's my favorite thing I've ever done. And plus 40 00:02:00.120 --> 00:02:03.040 after all this time, it's we're like family, you know. 41 00:02:03.719 --> 00:02:05.640 Is that the reason that it is your favorite that 42 00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:08.960 the relationships that you've created during the making of it? 43 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:10.800 Is it the creative output as well? Is it a 44 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:12.520 combination of all of those things. 45 00:02:12.919 --> 00:02:15.280 It's a combination of so many things. 46 00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:18.039 You know, when we would record all the time, we'd 47 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:21.879 be in a particular studio and then when the show 48 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:25.319 was canceled and it was out of production. We were 49 00:02:25.400 --> 00:02:27.960 off for a couple of years or so, and when 50 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:29.800 we came back, it was like we hopped in the 51 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:33.960 same seats and you know everybody, you know, It was 52 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:34.840 like we never left. 53 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:37.120 So you were back in the studio again. You went 54 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:40.639 recording remotely because the pandemic obviously made everyone record from home. 55 00:02:40.680 --> 00:02:44.919 But we had to record remotely when the show first 56 00:02:44.960 --> 00:02:47.599 came back because of the COVID and all the other 57 00:02:47.960 --> 00:02:50.560 things about it. But I've been going to the studio 58 00:02:51.199 --> 00:02:53.800 for the sessions and everybody else has been too. 59 00:02:54.680 --> 00:02:57.240 You have to change your approach when you're recording from 60 00:02:57.319 --> 00:02:59.000 home as opposed to because you've got to try and 61 00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:01.879 create that energy and possibly it's be impossible to do, 62 00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:04.000 I'm assuming, but when you're at home, how do you 63 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:06.000 approach the job differently When you're recording from a home 64 00:03:06.039 --> 00:03:08.400 studio compared to being in a room full of so many, 65 00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:09.400 so much talent. 66 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:14.599 You can't replicate the sparks that fly when you have 67 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:18.520 an ensemble, but you have to trust the director, you know, 68 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:20.919 and the director will keep you on your toes. And 69 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:24.919 it's David X. Cohen who's always directing. I love his 70 00:03:25.800 --> 00:03:30.719 style and he lets us. You know, if they get 71 00:03:30.759 --> 00:03:33.879 what they want and somebody has an idea for something, 72 00:03:33.960 --> 00:03:35.159 they'll always explore it. 73 00:03:35.240 --> 00:03:37.039 They'll always say, Okay, give it a whirl. 74 00:03:37.080 --> 00:03:37.280 You know. 75 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:39.560 Doesn't it laugh for much ad libbing in Futurama? Or 76 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:40.800 do you're one of those guys likes to sort of 77 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:42.639 stick to the script? Mall right? Or do you prefer 78 00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:43.680 to Do you like to add lib? 79 00:03:43.840 --> 00:03:44.400 Yeah? I do. 80 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:48.919 I honor the writers because they're my heroes. They these 81 00:03:49.199 --> 00:03:52.680 guys are so good, the men and women that write 82 00:03:52.680 --> 00:03:58.280 the show. They're just so good, you know. I love what. 83 00:03:58.120 --> 00:04:00.560 They have to do and what they have to say. 84 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:04.319 And if I get an idea, you know, which isn't 85 00:04:04.360 --> 00:04:06.560 all the time, but I mean if every now and 86 00:04:06.599 --> 00:04:11.560 then something just happens to pop up, I will ask, 87 00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:13.360 you know, I'll say, hey, I was thinking, can I 88 00:04:13.400 --> 00:04:17.439 try something? And they're always happy to you know, and 89 00:04:17.480 --> 00:04:19.199 if they don't like it, of course, it'll just wind 90 00:04:19.279 --> 00:04:19.879 up on the floor. 91 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:22.639 But it's a wonderful situation. It always has been. 92 00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:23.360 Yeah. 93 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:27.199 I love that level of respect. I imagine being in 94 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:30.759 that kind of collaborative, creative environment. I imagine would be 95 00:04:30.759 --> 00:04:32.879 a kin to like to say, maybe doing live theater, 96 00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:35.800 or being on stage with a band, or even being 97 00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:38.879 in like say a radio studio with sort of like 98 00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:41.439 minded individuals and putting a show together. That way, you're 99 00:04:41.480 --> 00:04:43.839 all going to be sparking off one another. Even if 100 00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:47.279 you're sticking to the script or sticking to the story 101 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:49.279 or the or the lines that you put down for 102 00:04:49.319 --> 00:04:53.240 one another, you know there'll be an inflection in the 103 00:04:53.279 --> 00:04:56.240 way you deliver a line, or a level of energy 104 00:04:56.319 --> 00:04:58.360 might go up or go down, depending on how you've 105 00:04:58.360 --> 00:05:01.759 interacted with other people. It's got to feel like some 106 00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:04.000 kind of crucible or colder in that way. 107 00:05:04.199 --> 00:05:07.480 I guess it's just it's joyous, you know. I mean, 108 00:05:07.519 --> 00:05:10.680 I never know when it's gonna be the last time, 109 00:05:11.160 --> 00:05:14.360 and so I try to just live as much as 110 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:19.160 I can in every second, every moment of when we're working, 111 00:05:19.639 --> 00:05:22.040 and I'm so thankful when it's over. It's like I 112 00:05:22.120 --> 00:05:26.240 don't want to leave, you know, because I frame every 113 00:05:26.319 --> 00:05:29.480 moment in my gallery upstairs, because I know that it's 114 00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:33.600 finite and everything does come to an end. In our case, 115 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:37.360 it's come to an end a few times. So hopefully 116 00:05:37.399 --> 00:05:40.759 they'll pick us up for another season maybe if they 117 00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:44.079 wanted to do more. I mean, I'm so there. If not, 118 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:49.120 I'm just gonna run away. I'm done. I have nothing 119 00:05:49.160 --> 00:05:49.560 to prove. 120 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:52.240 When did you start taking that approach off? This might 121 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:54.680 be the last time because a lot of us we 122 00:05:54.759 --> 00:05:57.040 take things for granted, and during the nineties, do you 123 00:05:57.040 --> 00:05:59.600 think you took your success for granted at any point 124 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:01.680 or do you have you always been I'm going to 125 00:06:01.720 --> 00:06:03.319 treat this like it could never happen again. 126 00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:07.720 I think I treated it as something really, really precious, 127 00:06:08.519 --> 00:06:12.040 and you never wanted anything to happen to it or 128 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:15.240 anyone else. I think as the years went by, I 129 00:06:15.800 --> 00:06:21.120 began to become more sentimental as time passes. I mean, plus, 130 00:06:21.160 --> 00:06:23.560 you know, I'm seventy four now, you know, you just 131 00:06:23.800 --> 00:06:27.800 you know, it's so weird to think of myself. And 132 00:06:27.839 --> 00:06:29.720 if somebody had told me that I'd be working at 133 00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:32.279 seventy four years ago, I would have thought they had 134 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:35.600 rocks in their head. You know, I would have never 135 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:37.639 imagined working at my age. 136 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:41.199 Billy I wanted to ask about about working the nineties, 137 00:06:41.199 --> 00:06:43.439 particularly working on shows like Red and Stimpy. I mean, 138 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:45.600 I was I'm a generation ex kid, so I was 139 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:47.680 sort of a ran for that era, and the impression 140 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:52.360 that got of it was audience audiences were being fed 141 00:06:52.399 --> 00:06:55.000 stuff in the eighties. It felt very predictable, very kind 142 00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:57.959 of by the numbers, but there was this underground scene 143 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:02.240 that was bubbling up to the surface, and the powers 144 00:07:02.279 --> 00:07:05.120 that be in the entertainment industry were like, we know 145 00:07:05.240 --> 00:07:07.839 people like this, we don't know how to do it, 146 00:07:08.040 --> 00:07:10.319 so we're gonna give it to the We're gonna give 147 00:07:10.519 --> 00:07:14.120 these weirdos and these strange guys the reins and let 148 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:16.720 them do exactly what they want and we got all 149 00:07:16.759 --> 00:07:20.680 this great stuff as a result. I mean, is that 150 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:22.399 what it felt like in the midst of it, in 151 00:07:22.439 --> 00:07:24.920 the in the thick of it, like I can't believe 152 00:07:24.920 --> 00:07:27.519 they're letting us, not only they're letting us make this stuff, 153 00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:29.480 that they're putting it out there, that they're advertising it, 154 00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:31.319 that they're saying, yeah, this is the next big thing 155 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:32.160 to get to check out. 156 00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:35.560 I think they got skittish, you know, they were like 157 00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:40.759 once they saw it in production, they were like, ah, 158 00:07:40.920 --> 00:07:45.680 what have we done? And but but the women at Nickelodeon, 159 00:07:45.879 --> 00:07:48.759 believe it or not, they were pretty adventurous. I mean, 160 00:07:48.839 --> 00:07:51.959 to have that three cartoon block that they came up with, 161 00:07:52.160 --> 00:07:56.800 which was Doug Rugrats and Ren and Stimpy That was 162 00:07:56.879 --> 00:08:01.959 Jerry Leeborne and Vanessa Coffee and Mary Harrington sort of 163 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:06.560 oversaw and and sort of nurtured and fostered Ren and Stippy, 164 00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:12.199 and then it became a television production. They were pretty courageous, 165 00:08:12.480 --> 00:08:16.000 you know, they were taking a risk. They knew it 166 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:18.639 because it was you know, it was supposed to be 167 00:08:18.839 --> 00:08:23.079 for children. Nickelodeon was the children's network, and here you 168 00:08:23.160 --> 00:08:28.800 have this crazy, you know, psychotic show, all this screaming 169 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:32.519 and yelling and h but I mean it was great. 170 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:35.080 It was great. Yes, I think there was a feeling 171 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:38.039 of like, oh my god, wait'll they wake up out 172 00:08:38.039 --> 00:08:39.240 of their coma, you know, and. 173 00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:43.279 Kids are weird and loud and virgie on psychotic as well, 174 00:08:43.320 --> 00:08:45.399 so that would probably tapped into something that I really dug. 175 00:08:45.919 --> 00:08:49.080 You know, you're so right. The thing is is the 176 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:52.399 world had to be rescued from this universe of my 177 00:08:52.519 --> 00:08:58.000 little Pawony and Rainbow Bright Strawberry or Cake and Pound puppies, 178 00:08:58.039 --> 00:09:02.440 and you know, all this wreck that mirrored children's own 179 00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:06.159 immediate realities. It was never gonna take them on an 180 00:09:06.200 --> 00:09:09.440 adventure or take them somewhere, you know, on a thrill ride. 181 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:13.960 And that's what these cartoons offered, you know, just an alternative. 182 00:09:14.600 --> 00:09:16.879 They even did them on Sunday mornings, just to be 183 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:19.279 different from what the networks were doing. 184 00:09:19.799 --> 00:09:23.600 Can you recall when John first on board to do 185 00:09:23.679 --> 00:09:25.559 both ren En Stipy at the beginning. Obviously he took 186 00:09:25.639 --> 00:09:27.320 run over and then you took it over later on, 187 00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:29.399 But can you remember your first thoughts when you heard 188 00:09:29.399 --> 00:09:31.080 the idea for this ren and Stimpy. When you were 189 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:33.679 first reading those lines, we thought, this is going to 190 00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:36.279 be some of the craziest stuff that's ever been created 191 00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:37.919 for kids television show. 192 00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:41.679 I think that I was I had euphoria over the 193 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:45.480 fact that I was actually getting paid to do voices 194 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:49.399 for a cartoon. You know, I was thrilled to death. 195 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:53.360 I just thought it was so surreal that I wasn't 196 00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:57.440 aware of too much outside of the daily business of 197 00:09:57.480 --> 00:10:01.039 going to the studio making sure I had enough energy 198 00:10:01.399 --> 00:10:03.919 because I would get fatigued. I mean, some of the 199 00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:09.200 takes would be so gruelling and repetitive and screaming, you know, 200 00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:12.279 a take after take after take. Oh, that's not quite it. 201 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:14.879 I don't know that's your ninety eight percent there and 202 00:10:14.919 --> 00:10:18.000 all kinds of shit like that, you know, And I 203 00:10:18.120 --> 00:10:20.799 was built for abuse, you know. Little my book comes 204 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:23.720 out and people read about the kind of childhood I had, Billy, 205 00:10:23.720 --> 00:10:24.080 forgive me. 206 00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:25.720 This sounds like a bit of a wanky question, but 207 00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:28.919 I mean, I'm curious about I don't know the resonance 208 00:10:29.000 --> 00:10:31.240 of voice acting for you as a performer. I mean, 209 00:10:31.480 --> 00:10:33.120 do you feel it in the body or in the 210 00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:36.440 mind when you feel like you've actually this is this 211 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:38.720 is this character's voice, This is how the sound, this 212 00:10:38.759 --> 00:10:40.799 is how I this is the intenetion of a certain width. 213 00:10:40.799 --> 00:10:43.440 And then do you feel it physically or mentally or both? 214 00:10:43.960 --> 00:10:46.200 It's both. I think a lot of it is based 215 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:50.200 on having been around for so long and that I 216 00:10:50.279 --> 00:10:56.159 have a really good understanding of the human psyche. And 217 00:10:56.240 --> 00:11:00.240 I try to make characters not sound so cartoony so 218 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:03.559 much as these are people that you could know in 219 00:11:03.639 --> 00:11:07.960 real life, even though they're cartoons. But even Matt Groening 220 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:10.639 said The Simpsons is a cartoon to him, Futurama is 221 00:11:10.679 --> 00:11:15.159 real as if those people were real, really, okay, yeah, 222 00:11:14.679 --> 00:11:17.919 And I try to play them as if that you 223 00:11:17.960 --> 00:11:20.879 could know them. And I try to find something that 224 00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:25.840 resonates not only sounds good, but sounds unique, different from 225 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:28.600 the average approach, like what you would expect. 226 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:30.879 Well, you say that, I feel like the I think 227 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:33.879 it was the second finale of Futurama, the one where 228 00:11:33.879 --> 00:11:35.399 it's the time loop. I think it's one of the 229 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:37.919 most perfect ending to a TV show of all time 230 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:40.519 with fran Lelif's going, let's go do that right again 231 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:43.159 and brings that humanity to it in a show that's 232 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:45.799 full of aliens and monsters and I go through space, 233 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:47.960 but at the core of it, it's it's human. 234 00:11:48.440 --> 00:11:51.840 Yes, I really work at trying to be as honest 235 00:11:52.120 --> 00:11:54.919 as I can, because that's what connects with people. That's 236 00:11:54.919 --> 00:11:58.759 why people like something. It's got to resonate for them. 237 00:11:59.240 --> 00:12:02.559 There's got to be more to a voice than just, 238 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:05.679 you know, some screwy voice. I mean, you got to 239 00:12:06.559 --> 00:12:09.519 you know, one of my heroes, mel Blank, was such 240 00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:13.440 an amazing actor. I tried to act my ass off 241 00:12:13.480 --> 00:12:16.759 with these characters, and I want it to be where 242 00:12:16.840 --> 00:12:19.840 you don't even realize it or notice it. I guess 243 00:12:19.840 --> 00:12:22.440 it's a testimonial to how good you get after a 244 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:26.120 long time with performing. You kind of know what works 245 00:12:26.240 --> 00:12:27.360 and what doesn't. 246 00:12:27.720 --> 00:12:29.639 Can you tell when you've done a take and they've 247 00:12:29.639 --> 00:12:32.679 gone thanks Bill, and you've gone, Nah, I can do it, Bet, 248 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:34.320 I can kick it up a note. Yeah. 249 00:12:34.440 --> 00:12:37.399 Yeah, I'm pretty honest about stuff and I and I 250 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:40.720 have enough of self awareness, like, oh, they're not buying 251 00:12:40.759 --> 00:12:41.399 the bullshit? 252 00:12:44.600 --> 00:12:47.919 Does that extend to pretty much everything you do with me? 253 00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:50.840 Because you've done a lack of commercial work as well. 254 00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:53.519 I mean I was, yes, I was really curious about, 255 00:12:53.559 --> 00:12:57.080 you know, working opposite Jack Caason as the red and 256 00:12:57.120 --> 00:12:59.240 Yellow M and M's I mean, are you giving that 257 00:12:59.720 --> 00:13:02.279 red eminem in a life so to speak? 258 00:13:02.679 --> 00:13:06.759 Yeah, it's just something that you know, it's appropriate to 259 00:13:06.840 --> 00:13:08.519 what that character is supposed to be. 260 00:13:08.679 --> 00:13:11.120 You know, he's he's sort of a wise, assy. 261 00:13:11.360 --> 00:13:15.080 Cynical trying to be patient with those around him, but 262 00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:17.360 he seems to be moving a little too quick and 263 00:13:17.399 --> 00:13:19.080 then he, you know, and then he gets like pulled 264 00:13:19.080 --> 00:13:23.799 back by people like Yellow, played brilliantly by JK. Simmons, 265 00:13:23.840 --> 00:13:26.639 who's one of the best actors that's ever been. 266 00:13:27.480 --> 00:13:28.200 And I knew this. 267 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:32.279 I started working with him thirty something years ago and 268 00:13:32.360 --> 00:13:35.519 I knew right away. I said this guy's a national treasure, 269 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:38.159 you know, and I hadn't really seen him in much 270 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:41.320 except for a TV show called Oz, which was a 271 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:42.120 prison show. 272 00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:46.840 We know, all was don't worry, oh boy you okay. 273 00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:50.879 Yeah, nothing intimidating about that, you know, just like working 274 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:52.519 with the guy. But he's the greatest guy in the 275 00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:57.080 world and unlimited in his talent and his abilities and 276 00:13:57.120 --> 00:13:59.840 what he puts forth. You know, it's I can't believe that, 277 00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:03.320 you know, still going on after all this time. I 278 00:14:03.320 --> 00:14:05.600 don't know where the time goes. It's like there's these 279 00:14:05.639 --> 00:14:08.519 theories the time is moving faster for some reason, that 280 00:14:08.519 --> 00:14:12.919 there's people screwing around in a laboratory and cern cern 281 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:17.639 and people warping time, and I don't know. I don't know. 282 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:19.720 I do know that everything goes by in a blink 283 00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:22.000 of an eye. After a certain time in your life 284 00:14:22.039 --> 00:14:23.480 and your timeline. 285 00:14:23.159 --> 00:14:25.279 I'd say there's some validity to that. Things don't feel 286 00:14:25.279 --> 00:14:30.159 like they're speeding up. But I just love the idea that, Yeah, 287 00:14:30.200 --> 00:14:32.759 the creation of these commercials for this for this Delightful 288 00:14:32.840 --> 00:14:36.039 Candy has become like a two handed between these two 289 00:14:36.120 --> 00:14:39.039 talented actors who were creating these characters and coming up 290 00:14:39.080 --> 00:14:41.480 with actions and reactions and interactions for them both. I 291 00:14:41.559 --> 00:14:42.360 think that's marvelous. 292 00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:47.679 Have you ever eaten me? I had, I've eaten me? 293 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:51.879 Do you ever? Do you guys have a just just riff? 294 00:14:52.039 --> 00:14:54.080 And has a riff of yours have been turned into 295 00:14:54.080 --> 00:14:54.600 a commercial? 296 00:14:55.519 --> 00:14:58.600 No, I'd like to say that, yes, it happens, but 297 00:14:58.919 --> 00:15:01.480 I don't know. It's it's streamlined. You know, It's like 298 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:04.519 the writers know exactly what they want. It's been run 299 00:15:04.679 --> 00:15:07.519 through so many gauntlets. By the time it gets to us, 300 00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:10.480 you know that they know exactly what they want, and 301 00:15:10.759 --> 00:15:13.879 you know, and somebody will direct us. The ad agency 302 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:19.039 takes turns directing. It's it's always a new group of people, 303 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:22.399 you know, they get younger and younger. They're like Viet Con. 304 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:24.559 They keep getting younger and they just keep coming. 305 00:15:25.840 --> 00:15:28.679 How does the directing differ from a commercial compared to 306 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:31.000 a show like a futuruma way, I'm assuming it's just 307 00:15:31.080 --> 00:15:32.919 the same people all the time, or a similar group 308 00:15:32.960 --> 00:15:34.559 of people. But what does it like when you have 309 00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:35.879 to do a new commercial for a new do you 310 00:15:35.960 --> 00:15:38.039 have to Obviously they know who you are, but how 311 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:40.240 does their approach different from that of a TV show? 312 00:15:40.879 --> 00:15:44.960 Well, everybody who directs mirrors the style of actors. Like 313 00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:48.879 there's a million styles of acting, million ways to get 314 00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:51.519 from point A to point B, you know, instead of 315 00:15:51.559 --> 00:15:54.120 a straight line. I mean, there's people that embellish, there's 316 00:15:54.159 --> 00:15:58.679 people that overact as a trademarked style, and there's people 317 00:15:58.720 --> 00:16:01.559 that underact and are subtle. 318 00:16:02.600 --> 00:16:03.879 But the directors are the same. 319 00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:07.000 Each one is different and and it's your job to 320 00:16:08.120 --> 00:16:12.440 fulfill their objective. You're an objective fulfillment machine unless it's 321 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:15.720 your project, unless you created it. But I'm happy to 322 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:18.440 be that, you know, happy to be the person that 323 00:16:18.679 --> 00:16:20.000 delivers for someone else. 324 00:16:20.440 --> 00:16:24.000 And I imagine some are better at communicating the wants 325 00:16:24.039 --> 00:16:25.039 and needs than others. 326 00:16:25.799 --> 00:16:30.960 Yes, it's true, it's true. I've been very fortunate though. 327 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:35.039 The majority of directors that I've worked with are people 328 00:16:35.159 --> 00:16:37.759 that know what they want to hear. You know, they're 329 00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:40.960 not dithering, and you know we'll know it when we 330 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:44.639 hear it. Oh, I hate when I hear that, you 331 00:16:44.679 --> 00:16:47.399 know at auditions, you know, what are you looking for? What? 332 00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:50.759 What ballpark? I don't know, we'll. 333 00:16:50.519 --> 00:16:51.720 We'll know it when we hear it. 334 00:16:53.000 --> 00:16:54.399 We could be here all day, man, you know, and 335 00:16:54.480 --> 00:16:56.679 you'll do something, and they'll go, what if what if 336 00:16:56.679 --> 00:16:59.879 it was a female? Okay, and you do that, and 337 00:17:00.519 --> 00:17:02.559 what if she was an Eskimol. You know, it's like 338 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:05.000 when they don't know what they want, you could spend 339 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:08.640 days ticking the pepper out of ants. Shit. 340 00:17:08.920 --> 00:17:13.480 Yeah, Billy, there was something I was shocked to learn. 341 00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:16.359 I was reading a previous interview with you, and you 342 00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:19.079 mentioned that there would be occasionally, I'm not sure if 343 00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:21.160 this was happened to you specifically or happened with other 344 00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:23.640 voice actors, but you would go into audition for a role, 345 00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:27.400 and then the producers or the studio or the director 346 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:30.920 or whoever would sort of use your audition as the 347 00:17:31.079 --> 00:17:33.119 template and they would go to say that, like to 348 00:17:33.240 --> 00:17:35.759 an a lister or a quite unquote name actor, and 349 00:17:35.839 --> 00:17:38.359 say this is how we want it done. It's almost like, 350 00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:44.119 you know, yeah, llm's scraping actual intellectual property for AI slop. 351 00:17:44.359 --> 00:17:45.799 It struck me as so corrupt. 352 00:17:46.440 --> 00:17:49.279 I brought a tape recorder when they actually still had 353 00:17:49.319 --> 00:17:51.759 them to an audition. 354 00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:54.200 Actually it was a paid audition. 355 00:17:54.319 --> 00:17:57.200 They wanted me to read some parts for an entire 356 00:17:57.400 --> 00:18:02.640 movie script, an animated and you know it's they were 357 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:06.240 sort of nebulous about who they wanted to do it ultimately, 358 00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:10.119 and I knew that, but what I really didn't like 359 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:14.880 was that you bring your own genius or whatever you 360 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:18.920 want to call it, your own invention yet to things 361 00:18:19.640 --> 00:18:22.400 and they're just co opting it. You know. It's like, okay, 362 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:26.119 we're going to okay, and then they they tell the celebrity, Okay, 363 00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:28.319 you hear what he did there, we want more of that, 364 00:18:28.599 --> 00:18:31.119 and like, can you copy what he did there? And 365 00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:34.039 you know, and I've heard my stuff in the in 366 00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:37.599 the final mix in the theater. I've heard lines that 367 00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:40.960 I had libbed or put a particular spin on, you know, 368 00:18:41.559 --> 00:18:45.720 finesse whatever. I only accepted it because I got paid 369 00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:49.160 for it. You know, it was considered a paid audition, 370 00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:53.079 so they were buying what you were inventing that day. 371 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:56.880 And you know, it's as simple as that. Really, there's 372 00:18:56.920 --> 00:18:59.400 so many ninnies that, you know, everybody's got to be 373 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:03.119 a celebrit or you're nothing. I feel like there's so 374 00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:06.960 many crafts people that just dedicate their life to this work. 375 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:10.200 And I know a lot of voice actors that don't 376 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:14.359 act theatrically that can piss circles around a lot of 377 00:19:14.680 --> 00:19:18.319 movie actors and TV actors that I've seen, but you know, 378 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:22.799 there's always been this strange divide, like we're the redheaded 379 00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:24.920 bastards step children of the industry. 380 00:19:25.400 --> 00:19:28.640 When did that shift start? Was it the Disney films 381 00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:30.880 in the nineties with like Aladdin and The Lion King. 382 00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:32.440 Was that when I started to sort of shift more 383 00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:36.240 towards we're gonna get on screen actors. Yeah, yeah, Tim 384 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:39.000 Allens and your your Tom Hanks's toy story as opposed 385 00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:40.839 to genuine voice actors. 386 00:19:41.400 --> 00:19:44.480 Well, they always wanted to go with star power, but 387 00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:47.799 my feeling was that they weren't voice people. They were 388 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:51.640 basically doing their own voices. That used to bother me 389 00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:55.559 because to me, voice acting is alchemy. You know where 390 00:19:55.559 --> 00:19:57.279 they used to use us to. You know, we'd walk 391 00:19:57.359 --> 00:19:59.680 in a room and the producers and then everybody, the 392 00:19:59.799 --> 00:20:02.799 cre natives would say, see that bar lead on the table, 393 00:20:03.880 --> 00:20:05.240 it would be nice if you could turn it to 394 00:20:05.319 --> 00:20:08.960 gold for us, you know, before you left and you 395 00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:12.480 go boom and there it is. You make gold out 396 00:20:12.519 --> 00:20:16.160 of it. And now when you know, when the bar 397 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:18.720 lead is sitting on the table, they bring in these 398 00:20:18.759 --> 00:20:23.359 twenty million dollars per pictures, celebrities, and it's still a 399 00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:28.000 bar of lead. There's no alchemy, there's no there's no magic. 400 00:20:28.079 --> 00:20:31.240 There has to be something that changes into something else 401 00:20:31.359 --> 00:20:33.920