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http://www.billywest.com/index4.htm

Of all the characters you've played, which one is your favorite?
Fry on Futurama and Stimpson J. Cat.

Did you always want to be a voice actor, or is it something you just fell into?
As a child I was always able to do little voices and unearthly noises with no encouragement. I was an imp that blurted out anything, anywhere. I guess I was pre-disposed for it.

This from his website:

What advice do you have for someone trying to get into voice acting?
Have a recording studio do a professional demo tape of straight reads and character voices. They usually have all the stuff for you work with on your demo. Always consider critiques of your performances. You take the demo and try to get an interview with a commercial talent agency for them to listen to. Try everywhere. I started in radio and got a job doing VO's in 1980 after the star of the morning show heard it. I worked for free at first and then it turned into a paying part-time job. Try stations to see if any of the shows need a good voice person. Radio shows are most likely to use a person that can do political figures or celebrities. They mostly rely on their on-air talent to read the straight stuff or let the production director do it. It's a good idea to think about re-locating to where the industry is, namely New York or LA, even though it's frightening.

When I left my hometown there were a few guys that called me after they heard me in a cartoon or saw me on TV or in a commercial doing voices. "Wow man, what's it like to have a job like that? Must be nothin' but tits and ice cream!" All I said was "Hey, I took the risks you guys never did. You got married too early and had kids and got steady jobs and took the safe path of least resistance. I had the balls to get in in a business of 90unemployment and bet on myself. I did real well but there were no guarantees of even a small success. I was a gunslinger that wouldn't listen to advice and got lucky. But so could you.

Good news, everyone!

If you read Billy West's FAQ before asking a question, you won't repeat things that he's been asked before, and make us all look like a bunch of uneducated monkeys without cooling hats!

And that wouldn't be good news at all!

http://www.billywest.com/index4.htm is where you find his FAQ. I've already seen a post moderated to 5 that asked questions answered there.

The link to billywest.com redirects me to http://www.billywest.com/upgrade_flash/upgrade_fla sh.html, which then gives 404. Although apparently I need to upgrade my flash.

Incidentally, IIS?! For shame!

I was waiting for someone else to announce the show's return to television so I wouldn't get clobbered if I had any information that was inaccurate!

Yes-- what Katey said is true so there is every reason now (with no reservations) to go nuts.I'm glad to go back to work on my favorite show!
I'm sure I'll be on a bunch of shows to promote this.I've never seen Craig
Ferguson--what's his story? Futurama lives!

Billy

Yes! A full season of new Futurama episodes is on the way on Comedy Central! I already knew but every time I said anything,I got my ass spanked for ''jumping the gun.'' Everyone is coming back and we start recording in July.So,ahh.....Death to my enemies! This'll be so much fun. Billy

http://billywest.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=202 0&PN=1/

http://www.billywest.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID =2018 -- Billy gets more info from David X. Cohen which is cause for us to hedge our optimism.

I am sad and sorry, guys.

Seems even Billy himself was incorrect and he apologizes, but damn I'm disappointed.

http://www.billywest.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID =2020

Hooray for lack of fact-finding!

http://billywest.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=202 0&PN=1

Not so good after all

In another post on the blog, Billy West says:

I think it has progressed past rumors at this point. Second-to-last post, straight from Billy West himself, confirms it is coming back as 4 feature length movies.
http://www.billywest.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID =1685&PN=1&TPN=4

Quoted from Billy West's Message Board:

Well, I spoke to David X.Cohen because we did promos for a new Futurama compilation and he said that they did have talks with the top guys at FOX and they were extremely impressed with the sales of the Futurama DVDs. The idea was to make a Futurama movie right to DVD and then a 2nd and a 3rd. That's what's being discussed. Fox is trying to figure out a budget for the whole project, and it sounded like David X. was very jazzed!

I would love more than anything to do that show again. I thought it was best experience on every level... creatively, voice-wise, writing, animation and the laughs. The laughs. Writers and performers that respected each other.

It's got a bit more effect when you have a quote from a voice-actor talking with a producer.

Except that Billy West (voice of Fry, Prof. Farnsworth, Zoidberg, Zapp Brannigan) has indicated that David X. Cohen (writer, exec producer) has talked with the Fox executives, and they were very open to going forward with this. This isn't just rumors from some comic con, this is coming from the actual people who make the show.

I would try to contact them through Adult Swim. Maybe they would put a picture of the case up in their promo spots.

Or, you can try to contact Billy West (voice of Fry) through his website at: http://www.billywest.com/

The sad fact is that it may just be too hard to get all the right people back together. On the messageboards on Billy West's website (the voice of Fry, Zapp, Zoiberg etc but you know that) he said that the production team had broken up. At least I think that's where he said it anyway. But he has said he'd love to make more so who knows?

That said isn't Katy Sagal doing something else with her time now?

Family Guy is pretty much confirmed now, as the official site of the voice of Lois (forget her name) says as much.