Billy West Quotes

United States, Voice Actor
April 16, 1952

William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor, comedian, singer, musician, songwriter and former radio personality. He has done hundreds of voice-overs in his career such as Ren (season 3 to season 5) and Stimpy on The Ren & Stimpy Show; Doug Funnie and Roger Klotz on Doug; and Philip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg, Zapp Brannigan and a number of others on Futurama. He does voices for commercials and is the current voice of the red M&M.

Also known as Comedian, Singer, Musician, Songwriter

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

Billy West
- Power
Somebody's real voice is probably the hardest one that somebody could attempt.

Billy West
- Real

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

Billy West
- Different
Well, I happen to have a love of vocal reproduction devices.

Billy West
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.

Billy West
- Music
- School
- Study
I don't get to watch Futurama, until it's on TV.

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

Billy West
- People
- Study
- Alien
Robin Williams understands sonic performances. He understands what it's like to change your voice up.

Billy West
- Up

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.

Billy West
- Character
- Remember
I'm not like a high intellectual.

Billy West
- High
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.'

Billy West
- People
- Forever
I've always said that you can't be the new Mel Blanc by doing Mel Blanc's voice.

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

Billy West
- Long
- Happy
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.

Billy West
- Life
- Small
- Die

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.

Billy West
- Character
- Pretty
- Cool
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.

Billy West
- Business