Bill Farmer, the voice behind Goofy

The Sorcerer Radio Network, a global leader in fan-based Disney internet radio and programming, is proud to have actor Bill Farmer, the voice behind Goofy, as guest on the WDW Tiki Room radio show Friday September 2, 2011.

William “Bill” Farmer is a voice actor and comedian, best known for being the current voice of the Disney characters Goofy, Pluto and Horace Horsecollar. Farmer’s first job, at the age of 15, involved doing voices, especially those of Western stars like John Wayne or Walter Brennan. He and his friends would sometimes go through fast food drive-thrus and order foods in his voices. Bill attended the University of Kansas where he found work in radio and TV and then moved on to stand-up comedy as an impressionist until he moved out to Hollywood where he voiced Goofy since 1986.

Farmer’s decision to move to California came from a Dallas commercial agent who suggested that, given his talent for voices, he should try his luck in California. He was recently married, but he and his wife talked it over and came to an arrangement. She stayed back in Dallas while he commuted for a year after he got an apartment. Then four months after his moving out to Hollywood, his agent asked him if he could do any Disney characters. His very first animated character audition was for Goofy. When he auditioned for the voice, he studied all the cartoons with Goofy in them, especially the ones released in the 1930s. He studied the hilarious laugh and the distinctive “gawrsh”. He inherited the voice of Goofy (as well as Pluto and Horace Horsecollar), around the same time Tony Anselmo inherited Donald Duck, and Wayne Allwine and Russi Taylor did likewise for Mickey and Minnie Mouse, respectively. Bill believes that cartoon voices are not about funny voices, but rather acting. His mentor was the late Daws Butler, the voice behind many of the old Hanna-Barbera characters. Daws put it in Bill’s mind that when doing cartoon voices, you’re not merely doing a funny voice, you’re an actor and the acting is premier and that you have to think like the character you’re doing.

Farmer is also known as the voice of Goofy in A Goofy Movie in 1995 and as the voice of Goofy in the sequel An Extremely Goofy Movie in 2000.

Farmer is known for starring in Astro Boy (2004), House of Mouse (2001), Mickey Mouse Works (1999), Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (2006), Goof Troop (1992) and The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse (1987). He is best known for his voice acting for Goofy and Pluto, two famous Disney characters, and more recently he has also played Horace Horsecollar. Another big role he played was in the movie Space Jam (1996), where he voiced Yosemite Sam, Sylvester, and Foghorn Leghorn. He also has done several minor voices, both on TV (including The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy) and in video games, including the Destroy All Humans! series, Namco’s Tales of Symphonia, where he voiced Governor-General Dorr, in Square’s Kingdom Hearts series reprising the role of Goofy, Detective Date in the SEGA game Yakuza and Sam and others in cult classic adventure game Sam & Max Hit the Road. Farmer has also voiced Secret Squirrel in Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law, in both the animated series and its spin-off video game. He also voiced Lim in Geng series 1-4.

His other voice roles include Stinkie in Casper: A Spirited Beginning, Willie Bear in Horton Hears a Who!, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck in Robot Chicken, Tusky Husky on Krypto the Superdog, Captain Wedgewood and Frill Lizard in Ty the Tasmanian Tiger, many voices on EverQuest II, Cletus Samson, Floyd Sanders, Jeff Meyers and Ryan LaRosa in the video game Dead Rising, Tyler the Candlestick Maker in Bongee Bear and the Kingdom of Rhythm and much more.vHe also was the announcer in Troops, in 1997. In September 2009, Farmer was named a Disney Legend.

Join hosts Kristen Hoetzel and Aljon Go on WDW Tiki Room for a SPECIAL DISNEY LEGENDS show. They will feature EXCLUSIVE audio of the D23 Expo’s Legends ceremony as well as an exclusive interview with Bill Farmer, the voice of Goofy. They will also have a special Bonus Levels videogame review by Eric Allen featuring his Top 5 Disney game apps! Tune into the WDW Tiki Room, the show about ALL THINGS DISNEY, Fridays 8:00 a.m./eastern on Sorcerer Radio – www.SRSounds.com.

About WDW Tiki Room
WDW Tiki Room, the show about all things Disney, is hosted by the husband and wife team of Aljon Go and Kristen Hoetzel. Every week they discuss Disney in pop-culture, theme parks, Disney news, celebrity interviews, Disney fan events and play the best mix of Disney artists and Disney attraction audio. The show airs every Friday morning at 8:00/eastern on Sorcerer Radio – www.SRSounds.com. For more information on Kristen and Aljon as well as on-demand playback of archived shows please visit this LINK.

Be sure to follow Kristen and Aljon on Twitter @wdwtikiroom and “like” them on Facebook.com/wdwtikiroom.

About Sorcerer Radio
If you are looking to virtually relive your recent Disney trip or dream of your next one, then Sorcerer Radio is the place for you. Sorcerer Radio is a fan-run, award-winning internet radio station that has been entertaining Disney fans for a decade! With many weeks worth of Walt Disney World park music and attraction audio, as well as Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line you can easily be transported to your favorite vacation destination anytime, while at home or at work. Sorcerer Radio stands out from the pack in our innovative programming and personalities, providing fans with DJ hosted shows every weekday morning providing a balance of Disney discussion and music. Sorcerer Radio plays a wide variety audio from the Disney universe. We also have FREE APPS for your iPhone, iPad and Droid so you can listen just about anywhere! Check out the award winning Editor’s Pick on Live365, Sorcerer Radio at SRsounds.com, All Disney music, all day long!

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