Voice actor John DiMaggio talks about the new revival of “Futurama” on Hulu.
The voice actor played Bender in the long-running animated series, which originally ran on Fox for four seasons before being canceled in 2004. The series became even more popular when older episodes aired on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim.
Four films were subsequently released on home video before it was renewed for a new season on Comedy Central. After being canceled and brought back several times, season 11 finally debuted last week on Hulu.
John DiMaggio Says New ‘Futurama’ Hulu Revival Is ‘As Good If Not Better’ Than Original Series
Instagram | John DiMaggio
John DiMaggio, who voices the foul-mouthed robot, believes the new season is “as good if not better” than the original series in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, conducted via Zoom ahead of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
That said, DiMaggio almost didn’t return for the Hulu revival. Although the renewed series was announced in early 2022, DiMaggio was already in contract negotiations for months before the official announcement. He has fought for better wages, not just for himself, but for his colleagues. Unfortunately, contract negotiations stalled, but he decided to return to the show.
“Like I said before, it’s a situation where it’s better to be in the Thanksgiving dinner room than standing outside in the cold, wet rain across the street, looking in through the window,” DiMaggio told the publication.
John DiMaggio ‘Happy to be Back on the Show’
Instagram | John DiMaggio
“But I’m glad to be back on the show,” he continued. “I’m not knocking him… It’s great to work with these guys again, and I’m grateful for it. It’s always exciting to get back on this bike every time. It’s like, these are new tires.”
Still, he called the contract negotiations “heartbreaking for many reasons.” He later called it “bittersweet and disappointing” before adding, “People don’t know how long we’ve been around [going] back and forth People just assumed it was when it was announced until I said yes. Not like that.”
He said his own contract battle “was like throwing stones at Goliath,” adding, “A lot of my colleagues, a lot of people I’ve worked with in the past, a lot of the community support me. People don’t come to read it. It makes it difficult for casting directors we’re the weak ones. I apologize to him, but it’s tough. It’s one of those things where you learn how you can be resilient.”
DiMaggio Reveals He Has ‘A Very Different Relationship’ With Bender Now
Instagram | John DiMaggio
Luckily, he’s happy to return for another season and see what Bender and the rest of the Planet Express crew can do this time around. “There is always something new [with the show],” he said. “The longer you have this universe, the more there is to do in it.”
John DiMaggio went on to say that he has “a completely different relationship with the character” of Bender than he did when he first voiced the character decades ago. “Bender is Bender in me,” he added. “When I started this, I was completely alone. Like Bender, a bit out of control. But now, Bender is like my son. I still love it. I still appreciate it. He is like a good friend. So, it’s a real gift to be able to do this and get better.”
John DiMaggio Reveals Other Voice Actors Can’t Imitate His Bender’s Voice
Instagram | John DiMaggio
Therefore, he emphasized that it was “never difficult” for him to pick up where he left off. “That’s always on the tip of my tongue. It’s always there,” he says, though he reveals that it’s actually harder to pull off Bender’s signature voice than he thought.
“It’s hard to imitate. I work with some of the best in the business, in the world, and they can’t do it,” he shared. “After I die, they’ll have to do a big autopsy for science. They’ll have to figure out how it works.”
New episodes of “Futurama” are available to stream on Hulu.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
