Watch 'Space Jam' Stars Bob Bergen and Bill Farmer Go Head-to-Head in a Voice-Off
You may have noticed an uptick in Space Jam nostalgia on the interwebs today. That’s because Nov. 15 marks the 20th anniversary of the beloved Looney Tunes-Michael Jordan animated/live-action clash. Not only that, but Warner Bros. Home Video has released a shiny new steelbox commemorative Blu-ray to mark the occasion.
Related: ‘Space Jam’ Turns 20: How Michael Jordan’s Oddball Cartoon Mashup Became a Beloved ’90s Time Capsule
To celebrate, we had voice actors Bob Bergen and Bill Farmer join us for a live chat on Facebook, which you can watch above. Together, these two voiced a handful of the Looney characters that hit the hardwood with M.J. (and Bill Murray, of course) in the 1996 hit: Bergen is the man behind Marvin the Martian, Porky Pig, and Tweety, while Farmer did Foghorn Leghorn, Yosemite Sam, and Sylvester the Cat.
Bergen and Farmer are actually two of the most prolific voice actors in the business. Farmer currently does Goofy and Pluto for Disney properties like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and together the pair have contributed voices for Toy Story 2, Inside Out, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Up, and Monsters, Inc., among many other hits. Some highlights from our chat:
They never got to meet Michael Jordan. While it’s not surprising to hear they didn’t work with the retired Chicago Bulls legend, given No. 23 shot live-action scenes and they recorded in sound booths, Bergen’s story about seeing the baller at the film’s world premiere was worthy of a Sad Jordan Face. He said he spotted Jordan at the event, but the athlete’s security detail wouldn’t let anyone — not even his costars — approach him.
They’re still awaiting word on Space Jam 2. “[You] know as much as we do, it’s been in the trades, it’s been rumored,” Bergen said of the sequel, which LeBron James has been lobbying to make. Both agreed now would be the right time to do it, even if they’re still in the dark about its chances. “A lot of people think we have a lot of inside information as actors,” Farmer said. “No, we’re kind of like the plumber. They call, we go and do a job, we voice it, and go home.”
Check out their voice-off. In a tradition we started with Zootopia voice actors Maurice LaMarche and John DiMaggio, we had Farmer and Bergen go back-and-forth firing off their many voices, with appearances from Porky, Goofy, Yosemite Sam, Tweety, George W. Bush, a gremlin, and more. Enjoy!
The Space Jam 20th Anniversary Steelbook is now available.
