Bill Farmer (born November 14, 1952) is an American voice actor, comedian and impressionist. He has performed the voice of the Disney character Goofy since 1987, and has also been the voice of Pluto and Horace Horsecollar since 1990.
Early life Farmer was born on November 14, 1952, in Pratt, Kansas, the second child in his family. His parents were of English and Welsh descent.
Farmer began doing voices at the age of 10, involved doing impressions, 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 character voices. Farmer graduated from the University of Kansas in 1975, where he became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. In university, he found work in radio and TV and then moved on to stand-up comedy as an impressionist. In 1982, while he was still doing stand-up comedy, Farmer worked at a comedy club called the Comedy Corner in Dallas, Texas. He continued to work there until his move to Hollywood in 1986.
His 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.
Farmer asserts that voice acting is not about funny voices, but about acting. His mentor was the versatile voice actor Daws Butler, the man behind many of Hanna-Barbera's characters. He taught Farmer that when doing cartoon voices, a person is not merely doing a funny voice, but they are an actor and the acting is premier and that one has to think like the character one is performing.
Career In 1986, he got a call from his agent about an open audition for the Disney character Goofy. When he auditioned for the role, he studied the way the original actor Pinto Colvig performed as Goofy in the classic cartoons. He studied the hilarious laugh and the distinctive "gawrsh". After auditioning for the role, he inherited the voice of Goofy in January 1987 (and also Pluto in 1990). He originated the voice of Horace Horsecollar in Disney's version of The Prince and the Pauper and has played him ever since as well. Farmer also performed additional voices on The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse (1987) and Astro Boy (2004). In 1987, Farmer had a small part as reporter Justin Ballard-Watkins in the film RoboCop.
Other significant characters he has played include Sylvester the Cat, Scooby-Doo and Beetlejuice in ABC Family Fun Fair, an annual stage show that toured malls in the late 1980s; and Yosemite Sam, Sylvester and Foghorn Leghorn in the film Space Jam (1996). He has also done several guest 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; Detective Date in the SEGA game Yakuza, 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, and Sam and others in the cult classic adventure game Sam & Max Hit the Road. Farmer has also played Secret Squirrel on Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law in both the animated series and its spin-off video game, Stinkie in Casper: A Spirited Beginning and Casper Meets Wendy, Stanley in Beauty and the Beast, male cats in Cats Don't Dance, male ants in A Bug's Life, Male Soldier #1 in The Iron Giant, Man #1 in Toy Story 2, a photographer in Monsters, Inc., Edgar in Brother Bear, Oliver Sansweet's lawyer in The Incredibles, Willie Bear in Horton Hears a Who!, Sam the Bus Driver in The Grinch, Mr. Leghorn in Loonatics Unleashed, and Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck in Robot Chicken. From 2014 to 2016, he played Doc, the leader of the title characters in Disney's animated television series The 7D. He also voiced Blackhoof Boar Clan Leader in the 2008 video game Kung Fu Panda. Farmer still regularly performs comedy routines at the Laugh Factory. He voiced the character Hopediah "Hop Pop" Plantar on Disney's Amphibia from 2019 to 2022. In 2020, Farmer hosted the live-action television show It's a Dog's Life with Bill Farmer on Disney+.
Recognition
In September 2009, Farmer was named a Disney Legend. In 2011, the International Family Film Festival awarded Bill Farmer the 'Friz Award' for Animation.
He won the Annie Award for Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production for his work as Goofy and Grandma Goofy in Mickey Mouse.
Personal life Farmer married his wife, Jennifer Wynne, on June 2, 1984. Together they have one son, Austin (b. 1989), who works as a sound engineer and freelance drummer.
Filmography Film + List of voice performances in feature films Year Title Role Notes 1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit Koko the Clown, Goofy (singing voice, uncredited) Role shared with Tony Pope 1990 The Prince and the Pauper Goofy, Pluto, Horace Horsecollar, Weasels #1 1991 Rover Dangerfield Farm voices Beauty and the Beast Stanley Provides the "gulp, gulp, gulp" sound of Gaston swallowing eggs. 1995Theodore Rex Additional voices A Goofy Movie Goofy Runaway Brain Pluto Short film Toy Story Monotone Announcer 1996 Space Jam Foghorn Leghorn, Sylvester, Yosemite Sam Role of Foghorn shared with Greg Burson The Hunchback of Notre Dame Frollo's Soldiers 1997 Cats Don't Dance Male Cat #3 Hercules Male Builder #1 1998 A Bug's Life Male Ant #3 1999 The Iron Giant Male Soldier #1 Toy Story 2 Man #1 2001 Monsters, Inc. CDA, Photographer 2003 Brother Bear Edgar 2004 Home on the Range Donkey Shrek 2 King Harold's Guards ADR group 2005 Son of the Mask Masked Otis Role shared with Richard Horvitz 2006 Ice Age: The Meltdown Male Elk Cars Winford Bradford Rutherford, Lee Revkins, Ryan Shields 2007 Happily N'Ever After Additional voices Surf's Up Male Penguin 2008 Horton Hears a Who! Willie Bear 2012 The Lorax Thneedville Man #3, Street Sweeper 2013 Monsters University Professor Brandywine, Jason Chiang 2015 Minions Additional voices 2016 The Secret Life of Pets Sing Bob the News Reporter Dog 2017 Despicable Me 3 Additional voices 2018 The Grinch Sam the Bus Driver 2020 Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe Hermellivue 2021 Seal Team Seal2023Once Upon a StudioGoofy, PlutoShort film Four Souls of Coyote Duck/Racoon
+ List of voice performances in direct-to-video and television films Year Title Role Notes 1990 Disney Sing-Along-Songs: Disneyland Fun Goofy, Pluto 1993 Disney Sing-Along-Songs: The Twelve Days of Christmas Goofy 1994–95 Mickey's Fun Songs series Goofy, Pluto 1997 Casper: A Spirited Beginning Stinkie 1998 Casper Meets Wendy The Spirit of Mickey Goofy 1999 Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas Goofy, Pluto 2000 An Extremely Goofy Movie Goofy Nominated - Outstanding Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Feature Production 2001 Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse Goofy, Pluto, Practical Pig The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald Knight #2, Mob Leader Episode 52002 Cinderella II: Dreams Come True King's Guards Mickey's House of Villains Goofy, Pluto 2004 The Lion King 1½ Goofy, Sleepy Cameo Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers Goofy, Pluto Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas
Animation + List of voice performances in television shows Year Title Role Notes 1987 D-TV Doggone Valantine Goofy Television film; first production as Goofy D-TV Monster Hits Television film 1988 Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures Additional voices 6 episodes 1989 Goofy About Health Goofy Betty Boop's Hollywood Mystery Fergie Furbelow Goody Field Trips Goofy Episode: "Planes" 1990 Goofy's Guide to Success Television film 1992 Raw Toonage 1 episode Goof Troop Christmas Television film Mickey's Nutcracker Goofy, Pluto UncreditedTelevision special 1992–93 Goof Troop Goofy Main cast Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa Puma 4 episodes 1993 Bonkers Goofy 3 episodes 1995 What-a-Mess Additional voices 1996 Quack Pack Pluto 2 episodes 1998 Paracycling Goofy 1999 Disney's Mouseworks Spaceship Pluto 1999–2000 Mickey Mouse Works Goofy, Pluto, Horace Horsecollar Main cast 2001–03 House of Mouse Goofy, Pluto, Horace Horsecollar, Practical Pig, Sheriff of Nottingham 2003–04 Totally Spies! President Uncredited2 episodes 2003–06 The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Stank Williams, Blort Sportscaster 3 episodes 2004 Game Over Race Announcer Episode: "Meet the Smashenburns" 2004–05 Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law Secret Squirrel 2 episodes 2005 Loonatics Unleashed Sportscaster, Mr. Leghorn Episode: "Stop the World I Want to Get Off" 2006–16 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Goofy, Pluto Main cast 2006–16 Robot Chicken Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Coach, Pubertis, Retired Navy Ship Commander 4 episodes 2006 The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Warden Buford Lee Stormstrucker Episode: "Who Framed Jimmy Neutron?" Ergo Proxy Al (English dub) Episode: "Shoujo Smile: Eternal Smile" 2007 Higglytown Heroes Janitor Jay Episode: "The Big Pink Elephant/Higglies on Horseback 2008–2013 The Garfield Show Additional voices 5 episodes 2010 Jonah Hex: Motion Comics 7 episodes 2011–2016 Minnie's Bow-Toons Goofy, Pluto, additional voices 40 episodes 2013 Wheel of Fortune Goofy, Pluto Episodes: "Making Disney Memories Week 1, Making Disney Memories Week 2" 2013–2019 Mickey Mouse Main cast 2014–16 The 7D Doc, Sir Yips-A-Lot 2015 Jake and the Never Land Pirates Ghostly Bob 2 episodes 2016 Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special Goofy Television special 2017 The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular 2017–2021 Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures Goofy, Pluto, Horace Horsecoller, Mayor McBeagle, Mr. Bigby, Uncle Goofy, Additional voices Main cast 2019 The Tom and Jerry Show Irish Spike, Irish Butch Episode: "Double Dog Trouble" 2019–2022 Amphibia Hopediah "Hop Pop" Plantar Main cast 2019 Vampirina Larry Moss Episode: "Bat Got Your Tongue/Haunted Theater" 2020 DuckTales Goofy Episode: "Quack Pack!" 2020–2023 The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse Main cast 2021–2025 Mickey Mouse Funhouse Goofy, Pluto, Horace Horsecollar 2021–2024 Chip 'n' Dale: Park Life Pluto 2021 How to Stay at Home Goofy 2022 We Baby Bears Lord Billy Willy Episode: "Happy Bouncy Fun Town" 2022, 2026 Chibiverse Hopediah "Hop Pop" Plantar 4 episodes 2022 Dead End: Paranormal Park Chester Phoenix Episode: "The Other Side" 2023 Dew Drop Diaries Wilford the Dog 2025–present Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+ Goofy, Pluto Main cast
Anime + List of dubbing performances in anime Year Title Role Notes 2003 Porco Rosso Additional voices English dub 2004 Astro Boy Dr. Tawashi Main cast
Video games