Rodger Bumpass

Early life

Rodger Bumpass was born on November 20, 1951, in Little Rock, Arkansas, to Carroll C. (1924–2009) and Virginia Cathey Bumpass (1921–2004). He had two siblings, one of whom was stillborn. His parents ran a dry cleaning business. He described his mother as "the life of the family" and his father "a typical Southern male with Southern male disgust" but added that he was loving and giving. As a child, Bumpass idolized Mel Blanc and would do impressions of Looney Tunes characters as well as other cartoon characters. He memorized the comedy albums of Jonathan Winters and Bill Cosby and was inspired by Tim Conway's physical comedy.

Bumpass attended Little Rock Central High School, where he received his first training in theatre. He then majored in radio–TV and minored in theatre at Arkansas State University. He worked at the campus radio station and also at Jonesboro's ABC affiliated television station, KAIT-TV, where he had multiple duties as announcer, film processor, cameraman, audio technician, and technical director. While at KAIT, Bumpass also wrote, produced, and performed in a late-night comedy program called Mid-Century Nonsense Festival Featuring Kumquat Theater. He graduated from A-State in 1976, and when encouraged by an A-State professor to consider professional theatre, he moved to New York in June 1977.

Career

In the late 1970s, Bumpass was involved with a number of National Lampoon productions. 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 National Lampoon TV special Disco Beaver from Outer Space for HBO. In 1979, Bumpass was cast as 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 cancelled due to objections by the creators of the movie Jaws. 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 of the same name. He also made in appearance appearances in movies such as Escape from New York and Bio-Dome; however, when the demand for voice actors became higher, he started doing background voices on shows such as Batman: The Animated Series, Bonkers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles until he got a more prominent role on Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?.

He has since lent his voice in multiple Pixar films such as A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., The Incredibles, Cars and Monsters University. He has done additional voices for shows such as Gravity Falls, Rugrats, Alvin and the Chipmunks and Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, also voicing Foreman in the English dub of Spirited Away. He is also known for voicing The Chief from Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?, Doctor Light on Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go along with Professor Membrane on Invader Zim.

''SpongeBob SquarePants''

Bumpass is best known to present-day viewers as the voice of Squidward Tentacles and various incidental characters on the Nickelodeon animated comedy series SpongeBob SquarePants. When he auditioned for the role in 1999, the character notes he received highlighted Squidward's prominent nose, which inspired him to give the character the iconic "nasally" sounding voice. He has also voiced provided the voice of other characters such as Squidward's mother. Bumpass has also voiced Squidward in the SpongeBob film series, spinoff shows and video games.

Many of the show's crew praise Bumpass for his performance and similitude to the character. Tom Kenny called Bumpass "brilliant" and has stated that "when he goes apoplectic as Squidward while recording, his head turns red, and you're afraid he's going to have an embolism."

In 2012, Bumpass received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for his role as Squidward.

The show had 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 is the first time that the characters' voice actors have all been in a live-action scene together.

Personal life

On July 27, 2019, Bumpass married Angela VanZandt, with whom he attended high school 50 years prior.

Bumpass is an avid collector of SpongeBob memorabilia and believes he has one of the biggest collections in the world.

In February 2022, Bumpass received a special tribute at the Arkansas State Capitol. The Arkansas Senate passed Resolution 25, recognizing his accomplishments for his iconic voice work as Squidward. The moment was made even more memorable when he responded in character, delivering the University of Arkansas "Woo Pig Sooie!" cheer. In September of that same year, Bumpass was inducted into the Arkansas Walk of Fame in Hot Springs.

Legal issues

On January 15, 2016, Bumpass was arrested for alleged DUI in Burbank, California. A police report of the incident alleged that officers of the Burbank Police Department found Bumpass in his car in the middle of the road. Bumpass admitted to drinking and driving, and he failed a sobriety test. His blood alcohol levels were said to be more than twice the legal limit. He was later released on a $15,000 bail shortly the next morning.

The incident was first reported by celebrity gossip website TMZ several days after it occurred, on January 19. A day later, Bumpass alleged to the website that the police had lied about the DUI report, claiming that he was not leaning against his car when officers spotted him, and that he was being tailed and pulled over by the officers before his arrest, though he did confess again to the DUI charge. Nickelodeon representatives were notified of the incident by Bumpass, but did not release any immediate comments or actions regarding the matter.

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 did not consider DUI charges to be an immoral act, and thus Bumpass was not legally subject to termination.

Filmography

Live-action roles

Film

Television

Theatre

Voice-over roles

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and nominations

• 2012 – Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program – Nominated
• 2013 — Behind the Voice Actors Awards Best Vocal Ensemble in a Television Series - Children's/Educational for SquarePants Sqaurepants — Nominated
• 2016 — Behind the Voice Actors Awards for Feature Film Voice Acting Award-Best Vocal Ensemble in a Feature Film: for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water — Nominated

References

References

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