Bill Fagerbakke

Early life and education

Fagerbakke was born on October 4, 1957, in Fontana, California, and moved to Rupert, Idaho, as a youth. He graduated from Minico High School in Rupert in 1975, where he was a three-sport athlete for the Spartans in football, basketball, and track.

Although he had multiple scholarship offers for college football, including Pac-8 schools, Fagerbakke decided to stay in state and attended the University of Idaho in Moscow. The Vandals went 7–4 in 1976, their first winning season in five years, and were 5–2 in the seven games that Fagerbakke started. Head coach Ed Troxel planned on moving him to the offensive line in 1977, but a knee injury in spring drills ended Fagerbakke's athletic career, which turned his focus to theater.

Fagerbakke's first theatrical role was in a campus production of Godspell. He later attended graduate school at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

Career

Fagerbakke has appeared on television in roles such as assistant coach "Dauber" Dybinski on Coach, and in films, including Funny Farm. He had a role as the mentally disabled Tom Cullen in the 1994 mini-series Stephen King's The Stand. From 1996 to 1999 he played Alan Parish in the Jumanji TV series. In 1999, he had a role in HBO's original series Oz as Officer Karl Metzger.

His character on Coach was based on a former assistant coach at Idaho, a graduate assistant nicknamed "Tuna."

He has appeared in numerous live action and animated films. With his first appearance coming in Perfect Strangers in 1984*.* He has since appeared in films such as Loose Cannons, Halloween II, Rosewood Lane and Baby Makers.

He has lent his voice to animated shows such as Family Guy, American Dad, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Kim Possible, Duck Tales and Young Justice. While having main roles on shows such as Transformers: Animated, Lloyd in Space and Gargoyles.

In 2007, he made a cameo appearance on the show Heroes as Steve Gustavson in the episodes "Run" and "Unexpected." In 2009, he had a role in the film Jennifer's Body. He also played the role of Marvin Eriksen Sr. in the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. In 2012, he made a cameo appearance in the TV show Weeds.

Since 2021, Fagerbakke has been the lead role in the SpongeBob SquarePants spinoff The Patrick Star Show.

In 2022, Fagerbakke guest-starred in the fifth season of Dynasty as Peter de Viblis. His daughter Carson portrays Peter's daughter Patty.

''SpongeBob SquarePants''

Since 1997, he has provided the voice of Patrick Star for the Nicktoon SpongeBob SquarePants. His role as Patrick has become one of the most iconic in all of animation. He has also been compared to the character's real life counterpart as show write Kent Osborne once said of Fagerbakke, "He is this big guy, and he plays Patrick so well. He's just this big guy, and he lumbers around."

In 2004, Fagerbakke voiced Patrick in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, along with subsequent films The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run. He also voices the character in video games and spinoffs.

The television show celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2019. In celebration, a television special was aired, titled "SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout". One scene includes each of the show's main characters' voice actors portraying live-action versions of their characters. While not the first SpongeBob SquarePants episode that blended animated sequences with live-action characters, this the first time that the characters' voice actors have all played a live-action scene all together.

Super Bowl LVIII, which took place in 2024, was broadcast on CBS; the network's parent company Paramount also owns Nickelodeon, the network that airs SpongeBob SquarePants. As part of a plan to maximize the use of its broadcasting rights partnership with the National Football League (NFL), Paramount decided to air an "alternative" Super Bowl telecast on Nickelodeon that was aimed to be more family-friendly. The channel's website claimed that the broadcast was intended for "kids of all ages, from 2 to 102". The broadcast on Nickelodeon was hosted by Nate Burleson and Noah Eagle in live-action and accompanying them were SpongeBob and Patrick. Bill Fagerbakke and SpongeBobs voice actor Tom Kenny voiced the characters in real-time, improvising their own jokes in-character, and also utilized motion capture.

Personal life

In 1989, Fagerbakke married actress Catherine McClenahan, with whom he had two daughters, one of which is actress Carson Fagerbakke. In September 2012, he filed for legal separation from McClenahan, citing irreconcilable differences. He has lived in Los Angeles ever since filming the show Coach, however he visits Idaho often. He enjoys spending time with his grandchild.

In 1997, Bill Fagerbakke returned to his alma mater—the University of Idaho to star in benefit performances of the play Love Letters, staged by the Idaho Repertory Theatre to support the university's theater program.

Fagerbakke is good friends with his SpongeBob SquarePants co-star Tom Kenny.

Filmography

Television voice roles

Video games

Television live-action roles

Film

Other

• Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast (2003) - Patrick Star
• SpongeBob SquarePants 4D: The Great Jelly Rescue (2013) - Patrick Star

Accolades

Kids choice awards

In 2009 Fagerbakke was nominated for at the 2009 for Best Burp at the Kids' Choice Awards (shared with Tom Kenny), for their performances as SpongeBob and Patrick. In 2014 Fagerbakke won Favorite Animated Animal Sidekick as Patrick Star on SpongeBob SquarePants*.*

Behind the Voice Actors (BTVA) Awards

In 2013 Fargerbakke was nominated as a part of the Best Vocal Ensemble in a TV Series (Children's/Educational) in SpongeBob SquarePants, and in 2016 he was nominated as a part of Best Vocal Ensemble in a Feature Film for Sponge Out of Water.

Other awards

In 2012 he was nominated at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards for Best Acting Ensemble in the film The Artist. In 2019 Fargerbakke received the Animation Hall of Fame Game-Changers Award for his work as Patrick Star at that year's World Animation & VFX Summit.

References

References

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4. CARLOS, AMANDA. (2013-07-13). "Many famous and popular people have called Fontana their home".
5. White, Vera. (July 31, 1997). "Football not enough for Fagerbakke". Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
6. (October 5, 1976). "Bad news for Idaho: Joe Pellegrini lost". Spokesman-Review.
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8. Payne, Bob. (November 28, 1976). "Vandals on the rise?". Spokesman-Review.
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11. (January 8, 1991). "Bill Fagerbakke". Waycross Journal-Herald.
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13. (2012-09-21). "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants". Hogan's Alley.
14. Lawler, Kelly. "Incredibly sweet 'SpongeBob Squarepants' 20th anniversary special has a human Krusty Krab".
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16. Seitz, Loree. (2023-08-01). "CBS Sports and Nickelodeon to Host Kid-Focused Alternative Super Bowl Telecast".
17. "Happy birthday to my beautiful daughter Hannah Fagerbakke. I am so proud to be your mum. You are a delight and a joy and have been for the last 27 years! I love you sweetheart! ❤️❤️❤️".
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32. Gardner, Chris. (April 11, 2024). "'The Smurfs Movie' Sets Starry Cast to Join Rihanna; Dave Bautista, Eric Nam Board 'Airbender' Franchise".
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34. "Critics' Choice Awards {{!}} Blog {{!}} 17th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards (2012) - Best Picture: The Artist".
35. "Bill Fagerbakke to Receive Animation Hall of Fame Game-Changers Award for His Work on 'SpongeBob' at the 2019 World Animation & VFX Summit".