Rodger Bumpass (born November 20, 1951) is an American actor. He is a main cast member on the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, providing the voice of Squidward Tentacles, among other characters.
Bumpass also voiced The Chief in the animated series Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?, Professor Membrane in Invader Zim and Mr. Besser, the school principal in the animated series The Kids from Room 402. Bumpass has amassed credits on other animated films, animated television series, and video games, and reprises the role of Squidward Tentacles in all SpongeBob SquarePants associated media.
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 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, 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 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 was 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 a collector of SpongeBob memorabilia and he claims to have 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 Year Title Role Notes1981 Escape from New York Dancer Credited as Roger Bumpass1986 National Lampoon's Class of '86 1987 The Running Man Phil Hilton Credited as Roger Bumpass1996 Bio-Dome Narrator 1999 Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure Baby Huey (in-suit performer), Irv Direct-to-video
Television Year Title Role Notes1978 Disco Beaver from Outer Space Television film1981 Two Reelers Roger Television film1983 Wizards and Warriors Prisoner Episode: "The Dungeon of Death"1984Footlight FrenzyBenny the Stage Manager, Johnny ChicagoTelevision film Hot Flashes Chuck Fodder 5 episodes1988 What Price Victory Television film1992 Silk Stalkings Jack Fellman Episode: "Shock Jock"1994 Shadow of Obsession Custodian Television film1995 Hart to Hart: Secrets of the Hart Higgins2002 Santa Jr. Wally Fisk2003 Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure Lab Visitor, Plumber, Air Controller 2004 Just Desserts Boz Roswell Murder Without Conviction Patrick Talley Jr. A Boyfriend for Christmas Russell Parker2007 Marco Polo Rustigielo
Theatre Year Title Role Notes1977–1978 That's Not Funny, That's Sick Himself
Voice-over roles Film Year Title Role Notes1981 Heavy Metal Hanover Fiste, Dr. Anrak Credited as Roger Bumpass1984 Robo Force: The Revenge of Nazgar Mark Fury 1992 Porco Rosso Blond Pirate English dub1994 The Super Dave Superbowl of Knowledge Additional voices Television film1995 Theodore Rex Additional voices 1996 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Frollo's Soldiers 1997 Hercules Man pointing at Young Hercules Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas Additional voices Direct-to-video1998 Quest for Camelot Additional voices A Bug's Life Harry Mosquito Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World Additional voices Direct-to-video1999 Toy Story 2 Clerk The Iron Giant Maine Man, Rick the Soldier Tarzan Elephant #2, DavidCredited as Roger Bumpass Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost PerkinsDirect-to-video The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man Dr. Octopus2000 Titan A.E Additional voices The Emperor's New Groove Male Villager #1, Male Villager #82001 Atlantis: The Lost Empire Mr. Hickenbottom, Chief of the WatchADR Group Spirited Away Foreman 2002 English dub Monsters, Inc. CDA, News Anchor Osmosis Jones Announcer for Nerve News Network2002 Cinderella II: Dreams Come True King's GuardsDirect-to-video The Hunchback of Notre Dame II Frollo's Soldiers Direct-to-videoUncredited Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron Colonel's Soldiers Treasure Planet Turnbuckle, Police Robot #1 Lilo & Stitch Man 2003 Brother Bear Male Bear #2 2004 The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Squidward Tentacles The Incredibles Mr. Incredible's Lawyer 2006 Curious George Hunter #1 Ice Age: The Meltdown Various Mammals 2009 The Haunted World of El Superbeasto Screaming Patron Direct-to-video(credited as Roger Bumpass) 2010 Kung-Fu Magoo General Smith, Driver2013 Monsters University Jerry Jablonski 2015 The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water Squidward Tentacles 2019 Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus Professor Membrane Netflix film2020 The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run Squidward Tentacles2021Seal TeamSharks2024 Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie Squidward Tentacles, Butch, Police Loudspeaker, Bikini Bottomite Netflix film2025 Plankton: The Movie Squidward Tentacles, Fish Troop, Goofy Goober EmployeeOrder UpSquidward Tentacles The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Squidward Tentacles
Television