Rodger Bumpass (born on November 20, 1951; age 73) is an American actor and voice actor. He is a main cast member for the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise, voicing Squidward Tentacles. Bumpass also provided voices for characters from Chalkzone, Invader Zim, Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? and Dr. Arthur Light in Teen Titans and its reboot version Teen Titans Go!
Bumpass makes live-action cameos in "Truth or Square" as a security guard, "Goons on the Moon" as the storyboard artist, in "SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout" as Mr. Manward, one of the employees at the Trusty Slab, and in "SpongeChovy" as the Surface World Pizza chef.
Non-SpongeBob discography[]
- The following is a list of works where Rodger Bumpass played a role, outside of voicing Squidward in the SpongeBob SquarePants series.
Television[]
- Invader Zim – Professor Membrane, Nightmare Bitters, Spleenk
- ChalkZone – Biclops / Man
- Ring Raiders – Scorch (5 Episodes)
- Tiny Toon Adventures – Ronald Grump, Snowman
- The Toxic Crusaders – Toxie / Dr. Killemoff (13 Episodes; Credited as Roger Bumpass)
- Batman: The Animated Series – Hoffman
- Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog – Robots
- Bonkers – Grumbles Grizzly
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Titanus
- Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? – Chief
- The Kids from Room 402 – Mr. Besser the Principle
- Batman Beyond – Cop
- Teen Titans – Doctor Light
- Mixels – Flamzer, Naut, Major Nixel, Gate Keeper, Narrator
- Alvin & the Chipmunks – Additional voices
- The Jetsons – Additional voices
- Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures
- The Real Ghostbusters – Louis Tully, Grundel, and additional characters
- TaleSpin- Doctor Axolotl
- Petal to the Metal
- Kurenai no buta
- Raw Toonage- Grumbles the Grizzly
- Problem Child
- Timon & Pumbaa – Savage Lion
- Theodore Rex
- Quack Pack – Countdown Voice
- 101 Dalmatians: The Series
- The Angry Beavers
- Catdog – Pig
- Sacrifice – Gammel
- Time Squad
- 3-South
- Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando – Inventor and the Unknown Thief
- What's New, Scooby-Doo? – Steve
- Yin Yang Yo! – The Lesson
- Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer
- Random! Cartoons
- Chuggington
- Gravity Falls – Various
- We Bare Bears – Theater Manager ("Shush Ninjas" only)
Biography[]
Early life[]
Bumpass was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on November 20, 1951. He attended Little Rock Central High School, where he received his first training in theater. He then attended Arkansas State University during his college years, where he majored in Radio–TV and minored in theater.
He worked at the campus radio station and also at Jonesboro's Raycom Media owned ABC-affiliated television station, KAIT-TV, where he had multiple duties as announcer, film processor, cameraman, audio technician, and technical director.[2]
Career[]
While at KAIT, he also wrote, produced, and performed in a late-night comedy program called Mid-Century Nonsense Festival Featuring Kumquat Theater.[3] He graduated from A-State in 1976, and when encouraged by an A-State professor to consider professional theater, he went to New York in June 1977.[2]
In 1977, he won a role in the National Lampoon music and comedy road show That's Not Funny, That's Sick and toured with them until 1978. That same year, he appeared in the TV special Disco Beaver from Outer Space for HBO.
In 1979, Bumpass was awarded the leading role in a National Lampoon film to be called Jaws: 3 People: 0, in which he would have a love scene with Bo Derek. However, the film was canceled due to objections by the creators of the film Jaws.[2]
In 1980, Bumpass created the character of 'Fartman' to appear on the National Lampoon LP The White Album, which later inspired the Howard Stern character by the same name.[4]
Bumpass is best known to present-day viewers as the voice of Squidward Tentacles, the Purple Doctorfish, and the anchovies on SpongeBob SquarePants.[5][6] He is also known for voicing The Chief from Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?, Dr. Light on Teen Titans, and Professor Membrane on Invader Zim.[2] Though he has been voicing and acting in films since the 60s, and had also appeared on stage through the mid 70s until the late 80s.[2][7][8]
DUI arrest[]
On January 15, 2016, before 11:00 P.M., Bumpass was arrested with suspicion of driving under the influence at Burbank, California. Officers alleged that they found Bumpass slumped inside his blue Chrysler PT Cruiser in the middle of the road. After attempting to walk away, he confessed to drinking at a bar before driving, and was soon handcuffed after failing a sobriety test. His blood alcohol levels were reportedly twice the legal limit in California. He was released the following day on a $15,000 bail.[9][10] The incident was first reported by celebrity gossip website TMZ several days later, on January 19.[9] The following day, Bumpass alleged to the website that the police had lied about the DUI report, claiming that he was not slumped in the vehicle when he was spotted, and that he was being tailed and pulled over before his arrest, though he confessed again to drinking. Nickelodeon representatives were notified of the incident by Bumpass, but did not release any immediate comments or actions regarding the matter.[11]
On January 25, 2016, ten days after the incident, Nickelodeon representatives confirmed to TMZ that Bumpass would remain on SpongeBob SquarePants for the foreseeable future. The representatives alleged that the network's morals clause for the show did not consider DUI charges to be an immoral act, and thus Bumpass was not legally subject to termination.[12] He has been faced with drunk driving charges.[13]
Trivia[]
- Bumpass has stated the best way to voice Squidward is to put it all in the nose and give him the "Oh PuhLEEZE!" attitude.[citation needed]
- He played the pilot for his family and his father was asleep after the whole thing.[14]
- In 2019, he married his high school sweetheart Angela VanZandt, fifty years after meeting each other.[15]
- Bumpass often likes to ride on a recumbent bicycle for exercise. This inspired a scene in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie where Squidward rides a recumbent bike.
Rodger Bumpass and Bill Fagerbakke's names are plastered on the bathroom door.
- In "Krusty Koncessionaires," his name can be seen plastered on the bathroom door.
- In Lights, Camera, Pants!, his name is misspelled as "Roger Bumpass."
- In a interview for the episode "The Legend of Boo-Kini Bottom," Bumpass had stated that his favorite episodes of the series were "Dying for Pie" and "Band Geeks."
Gallery[]
Roles[]
External links[]
- Rodger Bumpass on Wikipedia
References[]
- ^ Backpay Payback and House Hunting (credits)
- ^ a b c d e Rodger Bumpass (1951–). The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture. Retrieved on 2009-06-21.
- ^ "Reports of Death of Squidward's "Voice" Premature", KAIT, August 28, 2006. Retrieved on 2009-06-21.
- ^ id="Reference-Dawson-1999">Dawson, Jim (1999). Who Cut the Cheese?: A Cultural History of the Fart, illustrated, Ten Speed Press, 134. ISBN 1-58008-011-1. OCLC 9781580080118. Retrieved on June 21, 2009.
- ^ Cavazos, Norma. "Television Q&A", Dallas Morning News, August 23, 2001. Retrieved on 2009-06-21.
- ^ SpongeBob SquarePants. Boxoffice Prophets (November 19, 2004). Retrieved on 2009-06-21.
- ^ Drake, Sylvie. "LOW MOAN FARCE ALMOST NIMBLE BUMBLES IN `FOOTLIGHT FRENZY'", Los Angeles Times, April 2, 1987. Retrieved on 2009-06-21.
- ^ Churnin, Nancy. "Old Globe Gets 24 Nominations From Critics", Los Angeles Times, September 19, 1989. Retrieved on 2009-06-21.
- ^ a b SpongeBob SquarePants: Squidward Tentacles Busted for DUI, TMZ, January 19, 2016. Retrieved on January 22, 2016.
- ^ SpongeBob SquarePants Actor Rodger Bumpass Arrested for Alleged DUI, People (magazine), January 19, 2016. Retrieved on January 22, 2016.
- ^ SpongeBob SquarePants' Squidward Tentacles Claims Cops Lied in DUI Bust, TMZ, January 20, 2016. Retrieved on January 22, 2016.
- ^ 'SpongeBob SquarePants' DUI Bust Won't Cost Squidward His Job, TMZ, January 25, 2016. Retrieved on January 25, 2016.
- ^ http://www.latimes.com/socal/burbank-leader/news/tn-blr-spongebob-squarepants-voice-actor-to-face-drunk-driving-charges-20160208-story.html
- ^ https://ew.com/tv/2019/06/27/spongebob-squarepants-20th-anniversary/
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glgAx8eXi-A
