Childhood & Early Life
Rodger Bumpass was born on November 20, 1951, in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA, to Virginia and Carroll, owners of Bumpass Cleaners and Dryers.
He studied at Little Rock Central High School and then attended Arkansas State University. He graduated from the university in 1976, majoring in radio-TV with a minor in theater.
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Career
Rodger Bumpass joined National Lampoon's ‘That's Not Funny, That's Sick’ in 1977 and toured with them for a year.
Soon after this, he featured in HBO’s TV special ‘Disco Beaver from Outer Space.’ In 1980, he created the character 'Fartman' for ‘The White Album.’
In 1981, he appeared in the science fiction action film ‘Escape from New York’. The film also starred Kurt Russell, Donald Pleasence, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Adrienne Barbeau, Isaac Hayes, and Harry Dean Stanton.
In 1983, the actor had a minor role in ‘Wizards and Warriors’, a CBS television series about two kings of neighboring kingdoms who use wizards and witches, both good and evil, to battle each other.
In 1984, he voiced several characters in the popular animated television series ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks’. This was followed by his contribution to one episode of ‘The Jetsons.’
In 1987, Rodger Bumpass played Phil Hilton in ‘The Running Man’, a dystopian action flick about a TV show where convicted criminals have to “run” to escape death at the hands of professional killers. That year, he also lent his voice to characters of ‘Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures’.
He ended the decade with his role of Louis Tully in ‘The Real Ghostbusters’ and Scorch in ‘Ring Raiders’.
Rodger Bumpass began the 1990s with a role in the animated series ‘The Toxic Crusaders’. In 1992, he contributed to the animated series ‘Raw Toonage’ that ran on CBS. The same year, he did the crime drama television series ‘Silk Stalkings’.
In 1993, the actor voiced Grumbles Grizzly in ‘Bonkers’. The following year, he joined the cast of the animated series ‘Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?’ as the Chief. The role is regarded as one of his most popular voice roles till date.
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This was followed by his appearance in the mystery TV series ‘Hart to Hart: Secrets of the Hart’. During 1996 and 1997, Bumpass lent his voice to characters in ‘Quack Pack’, ‘Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas’, and ‘101 Dalmatians: The Series’.
He continued doing voice acting and featured in ‘Quest for Camelot’, ‘Mulan’, ‘Rolie Polie Olie’, ‘A Bug's Life’, ‘Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World’, ‘Tarzan’, and ‘The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man’.
He commenced the 2000s with the role of Gammel in the video game ‘Sacrifice’. In 2001, he joined the cast of ‘Invader ZIM’ as Professor Membrane, a role he played until 2003. That year, he also lent his voice to Squidward Tentacles in the popular animated series ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’.
In 2003, the actor was cast as Doctor Light and Biclops in ‘Teen Titans’ and ‘Chalk Zone,’ respectively. This was followed by his voice role in the video game ‘X-Men Legends’.
During 2007 and 2008, Bumpass had guest appearances in two episodes of ‘Yin Yang Yo’. In the ensuing years, he featured in ‘Gravity Falls’, ‘Monsters University’, ‘Mixels’ and ‘Incredibles 2’. The actor will soon reprise his role of Squidward Tentacles in ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run’.
Family & Personal Life
Rodger Bumpass had a brother named Leonard who died in 1992. He also had a sister named Cathey who died at birth.
Bumpass married Angela Ann VanZandt, the founding president of Women in Film, in Arkansas in 2019.
On January 19, 2016, the actor was arrested for driving under influence in Burbank, California. He was, however, released shortly on a $15,000 bail.
Facts About Rodger Bumpass
Rodger Bumpass, the voice actor behind Squidward Tentacles in SpongeBob SquarePants, is not only known for his iconic character but also for his impressive vocal range and versatility in voicing a wide variety of characters.
In addition to his voice acting work, Bumpass is also an accomplished stage actor, having performed in numerous theater productions throughout his career.
Bumpass is a talented musician and has played the saxophone in various bands and musical ensembles.
Despite voicing the grumpy and cynical Squidward, Bumpass is known for his friendly and approachable demeanor, often engaging with fans at conventions and events.
Bumpass has lent his voice to many other popular animated shows and films, showcasing his diverse talents and contributing to the success of numerous projects in the entertainment industry.
