Australia's number one pop culture convention, Supernova is returning once again in twenty twenty three, starting with Gold Coast at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Center on April fifteenth and sixteenth, as well as at the Melbourne show Grounds on April twenty second and twenty third. Guests include the likes of Boba Fette himself, Tamara Morrison, Stephen Armel, legendary Disney voice actor, Jim Cummings and so much more. So gets your tickets today at supernova dot com dot au.
Four Finger Discount. Dude, welcome to fourth Finger Discount, where today we're heading all the way back to season eight of The Simpsons to review episode four f one two. It's the Itchy and Scratchy and Pucci Show. I am Dando, I am guy, and we are not alone Dando No. Today, we are incredibly honored to be joined by a man who has probably indirectly given me more life advice than my very own parents. He's a true icon of pop culture and a man who has built a career. I'm making us
all smile. Here is the incredible gym coming. Jim thinks for your time. How are you doing Hey, you very good. Well, I'm glad to be here. I just realized I need to turn on a couple of lights. I just got a glimpse of myself and I looked like I'm a vampire. Let me see if I can turn around a light here. That's fine. Zoom does that to you? I know the family. I'm constantly
a judge adjusting lights and blinds and all this kind of stuff. I don't know if that helps much, but anyway, we're back to live action, and we're back. We're back. Well, what's a typical daylight for you for Jim Cummings in twenty twenty three when you're not hitting the convention circuit? Is it plenty of Boston Cream Pie and Steely Down? I'm assuming yes, Actually those are my two of my favorites, as you apparently know. But
yeah, you know, there's a few auditions. I'm send in a few reads here and there, and you know, just get my schedule gone for the day or for the week. I thought you've had this incredible career acting career, but you've also you're just a muso at heart. Do you think being in a band and getting actually getting paid ten dollars to perform at Lady of Matt Comwell Social Senate at the age of thirteen. Do you think that's what gave you the performing bug or well, I don't know. It's it's
either that or you know, I've told this before. You know, when I when I was very young, I was like five five years old, sitting there watching the Jack Benny program on television with my dad and mel Blank was a regular you know, of course Bugs Bunny did Daffy Duck, you know, Tad the original voice for them, and uh, my dad goes, you see this guy, see this guy right here. I said,
yeah, he goes. His guy does all those voices for those cartoons like to watch on Saturday morning, Bugs and Daffy and Tazz and blah blah blah. And I thought, wow, well he doesn't have to stand in the corner, does he? For being weird? So I said, well, okay, I'm gonna do that, And so I did. We're all glad you did that. Yeah, me too, Thank you. I appreciate that.
So when he told you that you've got it in Ralph Russo's office, that must have been like the off made a moment, right, Yeah, that was yeah, he It was interesting because it was my first demo tape and I didn't know anybody in the business. I didn't know. I mean, who do you know? You know? But I did know a guy who was at the video depot where I worked as a as a manager,
and he had a talent company talent agency. But it was all like, you know, clown acts and guys who would you know, poodle acts and he would book you know, bad musicians, magicians and jugglers and things like that. And I said, well, okay, he's in show business. So I gave him my first demo tape. And it turned out that Mel Blank just coincidentally had offices in his building and it was it was on Sunset Boulevard, and he saw him walking down the hall one day and he goes,
hey, maw maw, maw maw, come here. Hey he got two minutes. He goes, yeah, yeah, what do you need, kid? And he said, I got a guy here that wants to be you. And he goes they all do what else you got? He goes, well, you've got two minutes. He just sent me a demo tape. At least I could say that I played it from Mel Blank. In fact, you know because I'll see him. Okay, all right, play.
So he hits play and he said, mel stood there and they put his head back and he closed his eyes and about ten fifteen seconds and he had to speak smile and uh, and he listened to the tape is about, like I said, two minutes long, and it was over and he goes tell the kid, he's got it. Oh, and he left and that was it. And so that was like my official sanction. I've got it. He didn't say what, but apparently I had it. It's like being blessed by the Pope. Yeah, it was. I made it.
Yeah, Mel blank said, I've got it. So we're here anyway to talk about the art The Simpsons, a show you've actually been on, you know, dunk In the Horse in Settles or Galactica. You broke out like with Winnie the Prove when The Simpsons was, it was before the Simpsons really exploited, So you were pretty much a Disney legend by the time the Simpsons exploited. Was ever desire to go on Simpsons in that earlier In those earlier years, Oh gosh, you know, it seemed like they had they had
their cast and you know, there were just different people on there. Harry was, oh gosh his name, but they had a pretty good cast. Yeah, people that were very versatile, like Dan Castellanetta, he's an old buddy and Nancy. You know, I've done a one hundred cartoons with each of them, and uh, you know, with all that talent on there, yeah, they didn't have to go very far. I mean they would have occasionally people like Kelsey Grammer or some famous facial person Flint Eastwood I think
did one even and uh it was interesting. So I think they had a covered They didn't have to go out of house very often. They did not, and I think that's clever on their part, just getting say, five core people to do five hundred characters, you know, save a lot of
money. Yeah. But did you ever watch the Simpsons envious? Or what was ever a desire to want to be on the show that seemed to be the biggest animated showing the world at that time, or was it just no, you know what I'm with Disney Maybe so yeah, I never Now, you know, I don't think any any voicewover person gets very envious. I mean we're all grateful for what we have. Yeah, I certainly am you know. I mean, I I mean, like I've said before, this
the stuff used to get me kicked out of school. So for somebody give me all this fame and fortune and fill in the blank, then okay, I'm not gonna I'm not gonna rock that boat with any with any negative feelings about it. I'm just I'm just grateful, you know every day, That's all. I think. It's one of the big positives compared to just the standard acting work that it's the voice acting world. It seems to be so
tight knit. Yeah, oh yeah, yeah. Everybody knows everybody now, so when you finally get the role, it's playing a horse, right. And Frank Welker, he usually did all the animal sounds for The Simpsons at that point he left them two thousand and six. How did that come about? Did they approach you? Was Frank sick that day? What happened? No? I don't know. Um, it's funny. I remember when they were casting for The Simpsons. I was one of the few times I ever
lost my voice in my life, and I couldn't even audition. I mean, they already had a core cast anyway, from the Tracy Ullman Show. They were doing those little shorts on there. So but I mean, I you know, I guess I could have been a clean up guy. But but no, I it just came about. I don't I don't really recall. They must have, you know, I'm sure they called my agent said you got any horses, and they said, sure, yeah, I got one, and uh so I Palomino on my way over there, and uh,
you know, and how hot does it? You can do a voice, can do a horse sound, but how hot is it to act as a horse. Yeah, I don't know. I don't remember very much. To be honest with you. Well, he didn't have to do a lot of acting. It was mostly galloping, yes, you know, and which I didn't have to do. But I just wanted to make that sound. What was the Simpsons experience lot? Did you actually go to the studio? Always just recorded from your hand because you're just doing a couple of horse sounds.
So yeah, yeah, I went to the studio to the show in Centric City. I think it was a Culver City. Yeah, it was a long time ago. How has the voice acting experience changed now? Because back even in those years of the Simpsons, they all got together, did the show together in the studio. Now they do it all from their house. Is that how you do did recently? I do a lot of it? Yeah, I do a lot of it that way. I did my first Shark Week. There's a thing that we have here over here, and
uh, I did that at home, and that was weird. I don't I you know, I've always had a home studio, like you know, this fabulous layout that you see here, but you know, started off with a closet and and a beach towel behind me. So that was my soundproofing. But um, but I really like going in and doing an ensemble. I like it because I add live a lot and uh, and so that
either helps the line before me or after me or makes it irrelevant. And if they keep your ad lib and then the line behind you doesn't work, then they have to go and rerecord another. Whereas if if if everyone's all there at the same time, that's problem is alleviated, you know, and uh, and it's and it's and it feels better. I just like it because you're playing directly off someone, you know, you're not reading a script and imagining how they would say it in your head. And then like like
Mickey Mouse Fun House. We do them right now. We're in our god, I think thirtieth year of doing that. Variations of that show was Clubhouse, House of Mouse, fun House blah dah dah and uh. And you know, we started off doing it all together and now we do it separately. Everybody's completely you know, not in the studio at the same time. Blah blah blah. And I don't like it. I don't like it.
I like it the old one. I think it comes through when you watch sort of say modern day Simpsons, you can just sort of tell that they're not together something about it. Sort of it's lost that a little bit of soul, I think, yeah, oh sure, yeah, And it's and it's you know, if they you know, if you're you're thinking that the person delivered the line this way, then you're delivering your line according to what you thought, and then they weren't saying it that way at all. You
know, it doesn't it doesn't gel I don't think I agree. What's your thoughts on the whole AI thing now? Because you watch some I'll watch a clip on YouTube recently of someone who got Harry Shearer's voice as principal Skinner and recreated a scene with their own dialogue using Harry Shearer's voice, using AI, is that scary as a voice actor? Yeah, I don't. Well, I don't like that either, And I don't think I think it's the thing that they have to remember is that it's not just a voice, it's a
it's an actor who's musing a voice. You know. My buddy Jess Harnell says, well, as a voice actor, it's a small V, but a capital A, you know. And uh, you know, which I think is a good way to put it. And yeah, I don't. I don't care for it. I mean that's I can't imagine it. You know, it'll take over. I imagine something like that would be good for a talking toy. Yes, you know, something very static. Well, I was gonna ask you what do you think of the Kate differences between doing
a voice and acting a voice? Wow? You know there is Uh, I can't a good thing. I can't remember his name because I'm sure be happy to say it. And there was a guy on the interwebs maybe five years ago six and he went all down the line and he goes and here are Jim Cummings's voices and then he you know, he did dark Wing and then he did Tiz and then he did Tigger, and then he did Pooh, and then he did Hondo knocka. Then he you know, bump it up, up it up, and they were they sounded okay, but I
mean he couldn't have acted wet if you threw him in the pool. Yes, you know, and I thought, okay, wow, you uh you sound like that. And that's all. He probably did it to his mates at a potty and absolutely killed it. And photo will say, right, yeah, oh, yeah, yeah, exactly. I'm sure he thought he was crushing it. But yeah, you know, it's it's no boy.
No. So we here today to talk about the Itchy and Scratchy and Pucci Show, an episode where Homer becomes a voice actor for the character Pucci on each Scratchy show in the Simpsons. Yeah, and at the side of the episode, they asked for the cartoon to create a new character and they do a focus group. Do you have any fun focus group stories? Remember a part of focus groups, particularly children's focus groups for your animated shows. You ever get the feedback from them? No, I know that of all the
closest I ever came to. That was the character Bonkers Bonkers Bobcat. He's on. It was on the Disney Afternoon originally now all over Disney Plus. And it was interesting, you know, because we it's the only time I've ever gone through five auditions, and I think in the third, fourth, and fifth audition they actually have to pay you a session fee. Well, because they should have made up there they I was told that they are one
hundred people. And I do remember sitting in a in a lobby with everybody there and we're all there was like twenty people in there, and uh, they said, well, they're they're not gonna even know this week or next week. They'll they'll just figure it out and probably about a month. I said, oh wow, that's a long time, so long ago, because they're auditioning one hundred people a five hundred, I mean, oh my god, everybody in their dog so you know, you're there, you're there,
you're there. Do that audition and they get a callback. Okay, now there's only dozens of people there, and okay, well another call the other callback. Really wow, okay, so you go back and made it all the way to the fifth callback. And I went in and dog on. I'm gonna forget his name, but if Philip was doing Max Headroom, which was a and Jim Carrey was sitting there, wow, and he was. He was on Living Color at the time, a big on camera role.
Uh he was kind of a breakout character obviously. And Matt just writ Matt Freua, was that the guy? Oh yes, Matt Freuer, thank you. Yeah, that's exactly right. Yeah, that's who it was. And they were there, and the three of us were sitting there looking at each other, and Jim Carrey had an at teschee case for whatever reason I'll never know, and they took in Matt Frewer first, and he came out and go, well, I guess we'll see ce ce ce ce. See what
happens. You know, really funny because he was the bizarre thing. And uh then Jim Carrey went in, and about half an hour or so later he came out. He picks up his briefcase and says, well, I guess you'd go and then and then he walked on out of there, and I said, I think I'll stick around. And uh so then I went in finally and I did it. And about him a week later, they called me up and they go, how would you like to be bunkers? And I said, well, I guess I'll stick around. And so yeah,
that was that was my That was my big brush with him. So you beat Jim Carrey. That's a claim to fame in himself, isn't it. Yeah? I would think, yeah, yeah, that's crazy. Probably I couldn't do it now, but I think he's he's somewhere spending money or counting it, yes, slipping on a pile of it. Yes, well yeah. In the episode the woman who voices Itchy and scratches Jim Ballamy, she does both characters in the episode, and Homer when he meets her,
he's taken it back. He can't believe a woman is hosting his arm voice and these two characters, both of them. Hell yeah? Is that an experience you get every day someone has gone, well, you've you've voiced all these people, like you must just encounter that every day of your life. Well, not quite, but I do a lot of conventions these days.
Yeah, And oh my gosh, I always get it for Jeremy Iris because I sang a song I did like four or five lines looping because he was back in England, but I sang a song called be Prepared and he never even says the words be prepared and um. And people will often come up and they'll and then they'll, first of all, they'll go, okay, so you didn't do but you didn't, but this does you don't sound like that? I go, thank you. I know, I don't. I'm
not an actual duck. That's all right, don't worry about it, you know. And and they'll say, but but that was you. But I thought I thought you were lucky Pakala, and I thought you were and I, yeah, I am, I am, And they scar is the one from Lion King that gets him every time they got Now, now that was that was Jeremy Irons, and I go, you were supposed to think it was Jeremy Irons and it wasn't Russell Means and Pokerhonnas either. And I did
all his singing. You know, he didn't even care. He didn't even And now I saw him at entertainment tonight. He kind of took me off. He goes, because they asked him, what what did you enjoy most about being in this great big Disney movie? And as a Native American, he goes, well, I I really enjoyed the singing, I really and and and everywhere, and they're all gone, oh, so will you sang? Yes? Oh yes, did you like my singing? And I guess
he was just busting their chops. But if they were going along with it, I think he was fine with it, just testing the water to say whether they knew anything or not. I don't know anything. I'll go with it. Yeah, yeah, I think so, I think so. And uh, but that's okay because you know, the check cleared, so Jim. When Chris Hemsworth has to play thor again, he obviously has to hit the gym again or has to sort of maintain a certain I guess regimen.
And I'm wondering if for a voice actor you have to constantly be mindful of your instrument. You constantly have to be training it or maintaining it. You know, is it hot tea and lemon every morning? I mean, how do you keep your vocal called sort of limbering and pumped up? Well, I've often had hot tea and lemon in the studio with a little bit of honey obviously some money, but no, I I have all the cigarettes I've ever smoked in my life. Right here in my hand. So you know,
there's that. And um, you know, I'll go to a football game or baseball, you know, and and I clap and I whistle. I oh, yeah, you know, because it's a it's an instrument. You know, you're gotta be aware. It's the money maker. Yeah. Yeah, it's an instrument for me and a money maker. So I don't you know, if I was a dancer, I wouldn't be walking across hot coals either, you know. So yeah, it's you know, it's just
maintaining being healthy. You know. So far, so good. We'll spit you speaking of the linking just before, and that was funny because when we post it up that we're gonna get a chance to speak to you, everyone goes, why is Sky there? It's Jeremy. Yeah, it's not him, it's Jeremy. But my favorite liking story for yourself is that you wrote the fot line in a kutamatada. That's amazing. I did, thank you,
thank you acting yeah, my buddy, Jess harnell Um. As it turns out, Nathan and Ernie, Sabella, Timon and Bomba they were not singers, and so they said, well, you know, let's just get Jim and Jess in here and have them sing Kuna Matata, and then we can get them a cassette because back then it was all cassettes and they can
drive around in their car listening to it all day. And that way, when we get them into the studio at the end of the month, you know, they'll know it as well as they know Happy Birthday, you know, just they'll know it by heart. They we won't have to sit there and agonize because I've done that in studio with people who do not sing, and I really feel sorry for them because you're you're really taking them out of
their wheelhouse. I haven't done it in a long time, but you know somebody who just doesn't sing, you know, there while your character sings, oh well, m you know, which was actually it was good that Christopher Lloyd did that, you know, and he said, wow, that may know how I saw and me out here, but bye, you know. And then they called me in and I went in and I sang his song, Uh call my Men Young bah blah blah blah blah blah and the Dog of the Night. You know, it was very Lord Webber and uh,
oh gosh, where was that going with that? Oh? Yeah, So we were we were doing a kun of atada and I was to moan and he was or I was pull and he was tom and We're going through the song and I remember Rob Minkoff brought up the one of the producers said, well, I don't know these lyrics. I mean, it's like it's just reminds me. I feel like I'm talking to my parents. You know. When I was a kid, it was really hard. You have it easy. I had to lift rocks all day and you get it, you know,
it's loadida for you. And oh I had to go uphill both ways to school, you know, and in the snow, and it was terrible for me. And I go, yeah, no, it gets old really quickly. Hey doesn't this wart hog doesn't he have a flatulence problem? And they go yeah, And I said okay, and I went over and I whispered the lyrics into Jess's here. Oh the shame, but what's in the name? And I got down harder and every time that I but not in
front of the kids. Sorry, coonamatada. So I alluded to the word parted, which you can't say parted because farted is a word that shouldn't be said, you know, parted. We're bleeping it out of this Yeah, yeah, don't say it. And so I'm just glad I didn't say it, you know, farted anyway, so that I'm trying to class up the joint. So that was Yeah, that was my That was my big king moment. Lyric is oddly enough, I didn't get Sir Tim Rice apparently wrote
those words. Yeah, Nolton John, that's the last time I let them in what everybody remembers you Rice? Yeah, yeah, it's so true. Yeah, it's funny because it's literally that's literally my wife's favorite movie. We listened to the track at least once a week and my kids kumata that monament. That is my kid's favorite monament in the whole movie. Oh my gosh, that's funny. You know, I remember got it and I've got it around here somewhere. The La Times came out and said that this is a
Disney movie that everybody has to see. Went for one reason. Who knew Jeremy Irons could sing? And he's phenomenal. He is because the bad guys always get a really really good song, like Captain hook Hat. It had a great song, and uh, and it's also the only of course that was me. And it's also the only Disney movie you'll ever see where you
almost hear a rhyme based around flatulence. So I'm thinking, so, A, I'm giving Jeremy Irons credit for something he didn't do, and B I'm giving Tim Rice and Elton John credit for writing lyrics that I had lived. And uh, where's my check? You know the check, Claire? You know. So I don't know what a quick job is, Jim. With all these people lifting your laurels, it must be nice when work you do is visibly appreciate. I'm thinking of like when the Christopher Robin movie came out
of the one with you and McGregor. I think there was a lovely piece in Vanity Fair where they basically said, Jim Gummy deserves an ask him for this for his for Yeah. I couldn't have agreed more. But oddly enough it didn't happen. But I know, and I wrote them a letter, wrote that fellow, a letter that was very kind. That was very very sweet of him, you know, I and I wasn't even ticker originally,
no, not to two thousands. Yeah, yeah, that was there was another fellow what's the thing as someone who myself I grew up in the nineties. The voices behind the characters were never sort of market It was just like the characters, right. I think, now we're all getting old enough to go back and read his and learn this goes We sort of go he voiced our childhood? How is this man not has an a statue at Disney World of this man? You know what I mean? Like like, it's just
it's it's crazy. Yeah, thank you for that. I actually get that a lot. You you bo okay, you voiced my entire childhood, you know. And the guy's like forty years old, and they go, okay, well but I didn't mess you up. Oh no, no, you didn't mess me up. It was great, you know. Yeah, there was a very good impression of Dando. You just did oh well thirty four
thirty four not quite forty yet. But speaking of fans, right, So, in this episode of the of the Scratching Pitch Up the Simpsons, they go up on they look a panel and as an audience in front of them, and we have a very snarky fan who thinks he's a genius. He has his shirt says, genius at work, and he brings up and a mistake during one of the animated shows, and they put they're sort of up on the stage going, what are you talking about? You're a gray man,
what are you doing this for? And do you ever come across moments like that where you just wish you could politely to say what is wrong with you? Yeah? Occasionally occasionally, you know, when you know it's you know, there was Oh wow, No, it's Bob IgA pick up. Yeah, it's Bob again with your check for the fighting Jake. Sorry, Patrick, I have to call you back. I was accountant. Oh how's it calling out for? What's that? To check? What? I don't
know? I'm sorry, I can't believe that just did. Sorry, we're talking about I'm fans that just They asked questions about an episode of Darkwing Duck from season two The k How How how will I know this? Yes? Yes, yes, and no? And one of my favorites is uh it's one of the things. So were you you were like Darkwing dark or something or what? Yeah? But I thought I thought I thought you were Naga Duck. Well I was Naga Duck. You just said dark Wing. No, no, I was dark wing and Naga duck. Oh, well how's
that? How'd that go? What? What is that? I don't know what that means? You know what was that? Like? Well, what was that? Are you pooh? Well? Yeah, but I thought you were a tigger? Well I yeah, well I am pooh, so you pooh and tigger? Yes, that's right? What about you? Or what about you? Or I go, well, no, that's that's that's not me. Okay, just checking. Okay, thanks, thanks for coming by. Would would you like an autograph nowur? It's on pop with what's your
favorite character that your voice? Yeah? Oh that's painful. I have too many of them. It's Pooh, Tiggered, dark Winged, Tazza, Hondo, Oanaka, and Ray from Princess in the Frog. So I have to thank you, Jim. I've just scratched the next five questions off my list. Okay, good. Which which is the character you think gave you the most freedom to just beat you? Uh? Boy? Probably Hondo, I'm not gonna yeah, because he's a he's a wise guy and uh and uh.
I think we were talking about a little while ago they had um I think it was Vanity Fair that had the ten top twelve lines of Hondo o'naka, and I made up ten of them. They were just at you know, and I thought that was just that really really works, you know, so that was despined with me, Jim. Act actors get get top cast, the voice actors get top cast. Well, I think to an extent it hadn't really happened to me, but it's about to say, I mean,
you've got a great degree of versatility. It seems yeah, yeah, I think. Well, I started on a show called Dumbo Circus. It's not not on anymore. I don't even think they saved any of them. And I was kind of like they joked around. Ron Gans got restless, solely played. He played a cute tea anyway, he said, oh here he is Cast of thousands. Oh thanks. That was my nickname Cast of Thousands because I played Lionel and then like half the spectators and guest start guests,
people you know, coming and going. So that that was it was kind of like on the job training, you know, I I was getting paid to learn and develop. Lasted for a year and a half. So when was the first time you remembered not remembering one of your characters? Because you've done so many already. Well it's not that I didn't really remember, but you know, I've done some video games, not not many, but apparently I've done some really popular ones. And this is at a convention.
It's got to be like ten years ago. And these two guys come up, you know, okay, so do the voice? Do the voice? And I go, oh bother, No, no, no, the voice? You know the voice? And I go and then I'll do take her no dark Wing. No, it's not what what voice? I mean? Can you beat more specific? Uh? Balder's Gate? And I went, what about it? Oh? It was a video game? Oh geez okay. And it was a character named Minsk and he was modeled after Lenny from in of Mice and Men. And he had a hamster and uh he was
sweet. He was Nordic of some sort. But the mean skin the hamster of just this boo. Don't mess withe boo or he'll get you through, you know. And it's and and I said, wow, okay, that was from nineteen ninety five, you know, so that's it's not top of
mind due the voice. Yeah that one, sure, surely you mean mins from nineteen ninety five, do you lot that though, because it's because when you haven't a voice of so long, is it like using muscles that haven't been used for a while, just trying to remember those kind of voices always just there's always always name. Once you've created it, it's you can just go to it. Yeah. For for me, it's pretty easy. I could just go to it, you know. You know that's my old joke.
I'm schizophrenic and so are we. Australia's number one pop culture convention, Supernover, is returning once again in twenty twenty three, starting with Gold Coast at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Center on April fifteenth and sixteenth, as well as at the Melbourne Showgrounds on April twenty second and twenty third. Guests include the likes of Boba Fett himself, Tamara Morrison, Stephen Armel, legendary Disney voice actor, Jim Cummings and so much more. So it gets your
tickets today at supernover dot com dot au. Well. In this in this Simpsons episode, the guy who's running the convention, he asked for a comic book. Guys they call him on the Simpsons. He asked for a ton of autographs for himself. What are some of the more interesting things that you now get asked to sign besides you know, DVD covers and Funko pops. Is there anything odd ball that yet asked to sign these days? Well,
the occasional breask, yeah always helps, and I don't. It's I don't and you know, I don't like doing that signing um and and occasionally someone will and I remember, and women will do this and that's always on the ankle and could I sign their foot their their ankle And I go, you're gonna you know, you're gonna shower and this is gonna be there. She goes, not till I get the tattoos. Oh, oh, you're tattooing my name And I don't know about that. That's that's a tough one.
That's that's my name is next level fan, isn't it. Yeah, you you are a fan? And uh. And then she'll show me that, you know, she's got all these characters and there will be Pooh and Ticker and dark Ring and they're all dancing up the leg and yeah, I have a lot of a lot of tattoos, a lot of tattoos, Jim.
It strikes me that occasionally you have a very wholesome fan momentum. I was reading an article a little while ago about the work you do with with the Make a Witch Foundation, particularly you were on the phone to a little girl who who wanted he Winnie the Pooh, and uh, I was saying, I love you, Winnie the Pooh, and I was like, oh my god, God, it's too early for me to be in tears. Oh yeah, yeah, I remember it well. I mean, you know, terminal cancer. I think I want to say. She was two and a
half three and to make a wish. People called me up and they said can you do this? And I said, my lord, can I would love to. I would love to. And then she died like six months later. Oh going, and I just it just destroyed me. I didn't know what to think, you know. And I said, well, you know, and their mother, oh God, bless her. She gets on here and she said thank you, thank you, thank you. And I said, oh no, it's strange. She goes, yeah, but she's
smiling. She hasn't smiled in a year and a half. And I'm okay, well that was half her life, you know. And I said, well, you know, you're only welcome. I feel like I should be thanking you for this blessing to you know, see this precious little girl and maker Mager smile, Mager smile. I'm sorry to start our bad memories, Jim, but I mean it must just do it pointed. Yeah, warm inside though, to be able to use your gift in that way. Yeah, no, I agree. I agree. It's it's a beautiful, beautiful
thing. And I have a similar story by this young man has actually just texted me yesterday, years ago, years ago, got to be I don't know, maybe twenty years ago. He was ten probably at the time. And my agent at the time called me up and he said, hey, can you talk to this young boy. His his dad is in the Army Corps of Engineers or something and and blah blah blah. And he was a doctor and but his son is you know, he's he knows all about your
character. This is one of the Disney Afternoon was going full force, full force, and uh and would you talk to him? Would you take some time on Saturday to speak with him? And he lives in Washington, DC. And I said sure, sure, sure, absolutely, you know, and so I get on the phone and as dad's there and he goes, is this Jim Cully's Yeah, he goes, listen before before I put him on the phone, I'm gonna call him Ronnie. Are you the guy on
the Wheati's commercial with Boomer Size and the football player? And I go, oh, yeah, that's me. He goes, wow, okay, how about Havilne the motor Royal for Is that you on that commercial too? And I go oh, yeah, yeah, that's me. And he goes, wow, Well, I know, I know that you're in all these oh you know what here, I'm just gonna put Ronnie on the phone and I said, hey, Ronnie, how are you doing. Your dad tells me that you recover a really good ear and he goes, yes, thank you.
Now, I think that you should do the voice of Balker Steve Bobcat, who is of course the very first tune detective who lives in Tunetown. And they went, oh, but jee you okay there, good. Now, I think that you should do the voice of Lucky for Kell, who is of course his human counterpart, and he too is in the Hollywood Tune Division. Oh I'm doing that, but good Now, I think that you
should do the voice of cat from Cat Dog. He is, of course the other end of dog, and did, well, yeah, okay, good Now, I think that you should do the voice of dark winged Duck. And he even though he sounds like Drake Mallard, which is of course his secret identity, you can do blah blah blah. And I'm doing that, doing that, doing that, and we're going for about forty five minutes, and it's always good. Now I think that you should do and so and I said, is your dad there? And I talked to Dad.
Yes, And he gets on the phone and he goes, holy, I'm so sorry. I had listen. I had no no idea that he his mother's got to talk to you. And she gets on and I go and I go, hi, how are you, how are you, ma'am? And oh my god, oh my god. She's in tears. She's just crying. She's crying and crying. She goes, I'm so sorry. But we had no idea. We had no idea. We have two video cameras going right now and this is, this is phenomenal. And I said,
oh, I don't worry about it. You know, he's a little chatterbox. He you know, he's got a lot to say, and I would have done the same thing at his age. She goes, no, no, no, no, no, not that kind of no, no idea, Ronnie doesn't speak. Oh my god, wow, I said, he doesn't speak, this little guy. I couldn't shut up. He goes, he's almost ten. We haven't heard his voice since he was three. Whoa, oh god, she shoot me. And I just I was flabbergasted. And uh. And his dad gets on it and he says, he goes,
this is great. I can't thank you enough. This is beyond therapeutic. This is miraculous. This is you know. And he was he was in tears, and then I was in tears. Then my two daughters are here there, and then we're all sitting around crying and uh and and he says, now I can take this to his therapist and I could play this this video for him and say, oh, yes, Ronnie, you do speak, you speak very very well. And to twenty years later, he called me yesterday he told you, thank god, Yeah, I'm still in
contact with him. So now so so you basically helped him to lend a talk going forward. He spent going forward all oh yeah, oh yeah, well see I looked it like, I said, yeah, I've seen him, Yeah, I've seen him. That's an amazing story. Yeah, And
and his dad was explained. They explained autism to me like if if we see people at through an open door, completely opened door and not at you know, that's how we do. But if you're certain people that have autism, and there's many degrees, they see the same world, but they only
get to look through the keyhole. And he says, and the way he explained it, he said, when he was looking through the keyhole, the Disney Afternoon was on the other side, and he would sit there and he would watch the show with his dad and he would lean over and go and he would whisper many make sure what's you say? And it would be Monterey Jack or uh, you know King Louis or just you know dark Wing or who negative check? Oh wow, so he really really picked up. He
he's got it. You know it got an ear. You know that is well you may not have got the check for the kunamatata, but you got stories like that. So yeah, yeah, no, it's true, exactly right, because I was thinking, I mean, the voice actors are clearly beloved advice many people but at the same time that don't decide like the high profile of you know, sitting about the line talent particularly you know from the
two thousands onwards. You know, you started saying Mikes and Eddie Murphy and so and so in Shrek and you know, oh yeah stock cost of shocktail or something like that. Oh yeah, yeah, you know my friend calls a TV guidecasting. Yeah, how is that? So has that made your Did that make your career more difficult because it felt like the biggars were focusing on actors as opposed to the voice actor. Yeah? Yeah, well, you know, I know a lot of people were not crazy about it.
I had knocker would. I had enough characters that were kind of established, and I would sneak in to a lot of movies anyway, uh, you know, like Princess and the Frog, and I got that one because I could sing. And also they wanted I was a decan on a riverboat. And the caging. They wanted a cage in accent. That's not like somebody from down there and Alabama talking like ess so I do and there Boddy.
You know that's that's just a sudden accent, whereas a cage and accent you go out that the value day like that, you've got to know, you got to know. And so and I was a decade out of riverboat, so I had it down, you know. And quick aside, The first teenage muting Ninja Turtles I ever did was I played a character, a Cajun alligator called Letter yea yeah, and he was He was the voice of my
very first riverboat tugboat captain. That's how he talked. Yeah, that's and I always have said that if you do a perfect impression of somebody, nobody knows, it's a new character. If you do a terrible impression of somebody, everybody knows, I can't even tell who it is, that's a new character. So he was a new character and evil Letter and he told black days. And I often wonder, because my career started a couple of years
right after that. He was sitting there and the teenage muting Ninja Turtles. Come on, Hey, grandpa, you want to come in here? Look at this galligator here, you want to to you know this guy? I don't know. Fun stuff growing out. One of my friend it toys was a leather head toys. Oh really, there you go. That's why that's
how I knew that. Yea, yeah, but yeah, but you've mentioned in previous interviews Dark Ring Duck Right when they pulled the pin on that show, it was still one of the most popular, the most popular Disney animated show going at the time. Did you get back to that now and just think why there was rumors of a reboot? Is that still happening, What's what's the plan? Yeah, well he was in one of the duck Tails just for yeah year or two, a couple of years ago, and uh,
and that was it. I mean, there's always a rumor of dark Well, you know, I hear they're making more dark Wings and I go, well, i'd I'd like to get a phone call because we're not waiting on me. You know, they redid Ducktails completely the newcast. I don't know for better or worse, but they did, you know, but you know it was pretty good. It was odd looking animation. It was it wasn't my wasn't my cup of tea. But I know I grew up with
what you were working on. But what were your thoughts on the Chippendale movie from from last year? I thought I really enjoyed that. I thought it was fantastic. Yeah, I got a kick out of it. Yeah. I had a few cameos in there, so that was what documents. And I think Pete was in there as well. I mean a Goofy movie was one of my favorite movies growing up. I loved Pete. Yeah, yeah, I liked it. Yeah, I liked that movie. It was It was great. And uh, you know, uh Pete, Pete, Goofy.
They're just like Mutton, jeff Or Laurel and Hardy. You know, they're they're quite a team. You know, they're better with each other than they are separately. I always thought you mentioned Hondo earlier Big Style Wars him, assuming your Big Style Wars fan yourself as well. Oh yeah, you were in your mid twenties when the first film came out. Were you a Luke Skywalker guy or a Han solo guy? Oh boy? I uh were
you lay guys buddy? Yeah, I was a layout guy. Uh yeah, but probably I'd probably identified more with Han because he was more of a wise guy. Yeah. But uh but Mark's a good buddy of mine. So yeah, that's what I was gonna say. What with Mark, you know, a legendary voice after in his own right, You know, I think he's oh yeah, he's known as Luke Skawalker. But I think to anyone who grew up in the nineties and beyond is like, no, he's
the joker. Yeah, oh you bet, yeah. Absolutely. It's so funny because the first time I met him, we were at we were doing Tasmania and uh and they were starting up Batman and he was a joker and they go, Jim, did you know that Mark Camills is down there and he's doing the joke? And I go, oh my god, I'm gonna go bust in because you know, I did a couple of Batman too. I mean they know, yeah, yeah, I can just go in and bug him and and uh. And it's I'm walking across the parking lot and
Mark's walking and he goes, oh wow. And then he comes up to me and he goes, hey, how are you doing, buddy, Mark Camill? And I go, yeah, I know, man. Jim Commings, good to meet you goes, yeah, so what are you doing? I said, well, I'm I'm doing tasks right now and uh and and he goes, oh, we'll listen to me. Fame. Give me some dark wing, what give me? Give me some dark win dug. I am the terror that blaps him. He goes, oh, okay, so
that's in the mask. It's not entirely in the mask. It's not it's not really nasal, is it. I go, uh, okay, you go, okay, well give me some times. It was Oh to see, that's perfect that that sounds just like no blank now give me pooh. Oh my god, I cannot believe this again. I'm so gonna turn this off. Sorry, really popular guy. Why is it ringing? Uh?
Yeah, there you go anyway. Uh. And he's having me do all these characters and he goes and give me some Tigger and I go, you know, he goes and and finally like three or four characters and they go, okay, hold on, you're not getting to meet me. I'm getting to meet you. Okay, okay, give me some Luke and he laugh and you know, we just became buddies ever since. A great guy. He just seems like the loveliest person who just enjoys being Mike Hamill. Oh
yeah, yeah. We did a couple of Hannah Barbara's shows and I was the Cajun, of course, designated Cajun, and he was he was a bad guy and what was it? Returned to swamp something village, you know. But I got a great poster out of it and a lot of great stories. So it's just a lot of fun. Well, your your friends, he said, and your friends of Mark and it's a very tight in
the community. Do you guys ever help each other with voices? Have you ever not given a voice of somebody but sort of gone, Maybe if you do it more like this, it might be better. Have you ever you can think of an iconic character that you've sort of helped guide somebody too? Yeah, No, I haven't had that. Um, but my dear friend Wayne Allwine was Mickey Mouse and he he got he was ill for a while, and uh, I know that he was instrumental in helping along Brett the
new Mickey Mouse. And he was very gracious in that regard. You know, he and Rucy Taylor, Mickey and Minnie were married, you know, which I thought, I was just so sweet, you can't even stand it. And yeah, and he, God rest his soul, he was. He was very gracious. But I've never yeah, I've given you know, advice, and you know, I think I did a seminar once or twice, But I realize I'm not that good a teacher. I don't. I don't know how. You know, how do you go back? Yeah?
Go go tell people. I mean, you know, I always recommend d Bradley Baker. He's got one, he's got a good website. And you know, Chris Zimmerman did, and I know bj Ward gave some classes for a while. But yeah, I don't. I don't know how. I mean, you know, do bad impressions of famous people? And are good impressions of famous people? Do perfect impressions of people nobody knows? And that's
about it, you know, and characters that you met, gentleman. On that note, I'm sorry, I might have to skip out the content more content mill is calling. Okay, but Jim, you did mention doing good accents of famous people. I wondered before I depart, I could hear your Mike Tyson, I here, it's quite good. Well, I could think of this nature how Never, if I did, I would have to wipe your head up up the flow because it's so good. Yeah, I just hope, I just hope I don't run into make one of these days.
So you don't want me on it in a web, you know, we don't want that, we don't. I think it's a different side of mine these days, anyway, with his own little brand of what if we call it. Yeah, I think he's mellowed out a little. Yeah. Yeah, I'll let you gentlemen keep talking. But Jim, thank you so much for your time too. It was a great, great pleasure for me to speak with you. I know it is for Dan. He's probably gonna keep you on the line for another hour. But thank you so much for being
up a bit, for being with us today. Man, I really really appreciate it was a great pleasure. Thank you. All right, Daniel, enjoy the rest of your chat. I'll talk to you a bit of a letter. So you got your gig for Winnie in the late eighties. Do you think that was just a case of just perfect timing, because in my opinion, that was really the golden era for Disney animation, That was the
real boot. No. I agree. I you know, I've told the story before, and I auditioned for Gopher Rabbit, Pooh Tigger and uh an eyor you know, because you just throw it again some wall, see what happens. And I thought I really nailed or I thought, oh, I'm so gonna be Ego. Yeah, you know. I went home and I took about a week and a half, two weeks, and my agent calls up. She goes, well, I have good news and I have bad news. And I said, oh, really, what's We'll give me the
bad news, give me the bad news. She goes, You're not gonna be or. And I go, really, who's he or? She said, well, Peter Cullen. And I went, oh, wow, you know, you lose to the great Peter Culin. He amazing, he optimist, prime, he's you know, he's Peter Cullen exactly. I said, well, I can't I guess, I guess I can't complain, you know. And I said, what's the good news. She goes, You're winning the Pooh and Tigger, and I said, the hell of the or?
He or we are. But at the time, you know, Paul Winchell was, uh, he was still with us when Sterling, God rest his soul. You know, they're both gone now. But Sterling was in his late nineties, so he was just you know, he was done. He didn't want to go out to play anymore. He was and God love him, and and but Paul did and He was going back and forth this in the late eighties, and they were having this famine over there, and he
had developed an idea to raise these in the shore in Mississippi. Over here, we have these little things that are like half salamander, half fish, and they're all very very nutritious and very ugly. And they're called mud skippers. And you look at him, oh yeah, oh yeah, so but they're all nutrition. And so he decided he was going to teach them how to raise these because you can raise them in mud practically, you know. And so he was going back and forth to try and cure hunger. You
know, he invented one of the artificials. It was one of the inventors of the Jarvis artificial heart, Knucklehead Smith Tigger, and he was curing hunger. Yeah. Well, so, I mean he had his plate was full, yes, And so when he was over there, I was Tigger. I jokingly referred to myself as Tigger. Like fortunately a lot of nobody was able to tell I mean, I all I could hear was me, you know, like at the time he said when he first heard your tiger,
and you sort of went through what doesn't sound right? Yeah, no, doesn't. That's the problem, sterling. He just was we need the pooh, wasn't he He heard him talking, just talking. Yeah, it was just him talking a lot that story. You said. I think it was maybe your girlfriend. I maybe you watch at the time. You were having lunch at a diner and you heard him. You heard him ordering the food. How does how does no one else in the room just commedicately get that's
when the food? Yeah? Yeah, well there he was. He was the only other table. Oh yeah, there was no one else there. And you could we couldn't see him because he was in a booth and we were sitting at a upper table, and and he said, I believe I will have the choulder, And I went yeah, And so I got up and I looked and there he wasn't God bless him. He would looked like an albino crow. Yeah, you know, I had a big shock of
giant white hair. It was really something. And I wish I went up and talked to him, because I mean, I had no idea that I would that this was going to revive it like two or three years later, that I would end up being WINNI The poop described the intimidation of having to voice such an icon of Disney. Well, I didn't know it was intimidating at the time. I was too young and stupid. Okay, yeah, so I just okay, you know, because he hadn't he hadn't been around.
Yeah, because that that animated series really revived it, didn't it. Yeah? Oh yeah, yeah, very very much. So you know, um, you know, people will say, now, were you the original because and I got no. No. I was in grade school when the original came out, but then it was gone for twenty years, and I was grateful, I said, it gave me time to grow up. So so then I then I could, you know, be the new one of
the poop. I know you've said you had to an audition for every role, but were they ever roles that you just felt, well, they probably had me and mom when they wrote this one. Boy, I don't know if it was. It might be dark Wing or Hondo. Dark Wing Hondo really feel like they just you an extension of you, don't they? Yeah? Yeah, you know they have this similar sense of sense of humor. Yes, all ye, that's for sure. And you know, and I, like I said, I had lived all of them. The you know
when dark Wing was getting ready to launch into battle. He was I am the terror that flaps in the night. I am the wicked scourge that picks such her nightmares. I am dark Way Duck and that would be his battle cry. And by about the seventh or eighth show, and I would always do it as written, one take, and then we'd do a second take, and I would and by the seventh or eighth show, the writers going, I am the terror that flaps in the night. It doesn't matter what
I right here, Jim's gonna say something else anyway. I am dark Wayne Duck. And I always wish I saved that script because that would that would be good in a frame. What's great is that they have the faith that for you to just be able to just make stuff up anyway. Yeah, it doesn't matter what I say here. Yes, but I always did it as written, and then I just did another one. You know. Jenny mc swaine would she our great director. She would say, okay, give
me one for the give me one for the road comings. Then I said, okay. It was easier back then for Chooting's animation, because you think there was more freedom to sort of get away with things. He probably couldn't get away with now yeah, oh yeah, yeah, we you know, And I would occasionally try to sneak things by and I would then they would
have to fix it in post. You have to come in and do And I remember once, I think it was on The Bunker Show or there was these two hillbilly hound dogs and it would billy talk like legs, she has list down there lack an old hill billy and and one of the lines would know that that that don't belong to me, that must be yours and my. Instead I said, well, that ain't none of mine. I believe that's urine, and and it sounded okay, yeah, you know, it
sounded like a hillbilly. And they go, you can't say it must be urine. I got it, but it is his and it ain't mine. And that this okay, we'll just say it's not yours. Just do that, okay, So okay. One of the it's funny in the modern world
that was streaming. Streaming is just everything now. I think one of the biggest positives of streaming is that it's made it all these shows that you that we grew up on, all these shows that you worked on in the early ninet is so accessible now because shows we met a bunk as a couple of times for a good while before streaming was a thing. I'm thinking in my head, was Bonk as a show? Or am I just crazy? Because I remember watching this Bunkers show as a kid, but no one remembered it
really was. It wasn't on TV anymore. I'm like, was it just a figment of my imagination? And the Disney Plus coming and I went, it's the show. I knew this existed. Yeah, so that's the positive Disney Plus. It had two origins. The first one started off with Bonkers had a a lady partner, and it wasn't as good. It was kind
of forgetting the name of whose partner got up so longer. But anyway, when they rebooted it, they new writers, new new complete art direction, and that's when Lucky Pakeel was brought on and I wounded up being my Bonkers and Lucky, so that was kind of fun, and you know, and I would get in arguments with myself and we invented a really interesting way to have these arguments because Bonkers Lucky we have to go no, but yeah, we have to get over and we're not going to do that, but but
you know, and so I would record all of bonkers lines in my head when they would get these little made you know, those little quick, quick, quick arguments, and I would record Bonkers first and thinking in my mind what I was going to do with Lucky Paquell, and then they would play Bonkers back through the headphones and I would just insert Lucky into into the right spots, you know, and it was really organic. It was really nice
sort of times when you would voice a conversation in one take. Also always separated with the characters. That might be easy for the editing side of things. Well, I used to do do all the characters in a row, but then I just wanted to separate them because I wanted to, like Pooh and Tigger, you know, definitely, because I wanted to keep poo in a pristine you know, because if you bounce back and forth, the first syllable might sound like the other character or something. That's a good point.
Yeah, I never thought about that. Yeah, one, we'll find a question for you. Go. So, in this Simpsons episode that we're discussing earlier, that the character of Pooch the Humber voices gets marketed everywhere, you know, nappies and magazine covers. Do you have a look at your characters and see yourself or is it important that you have to separate Jim Cummings from the character. Oh gosh, you know, I'm very proprietary of them.
I'm very you know, I watch out for them. I don't let you know there was I wan't to even mentioned this spoof horrible movie, but uh, I'm talking about Yeah. I'm just I'm very respectful of them. I you know, I you know, I don't take myself seriously, but I take the work seriously, you know. And you have to be grateful and be full of gratitude, and uh and I certainly, yeah, I mean to be and because you know, there, for the grace of God, I could be working at a steel mill. So you know, you have
to have to be humble and be grateful. Yes, that's the way I feel about it. And I'm very you know, people will say, like at a convention, hey, could you could could you speak like winning to poo? And I ask my girlfriend, no, no, I can't tell you how much. No, you know, getting Brandy points that way, buddy, Yeah, yeah, and you're not no, could you make Winn a pood cust about dark? No? If he did that, would this NY be annoyed? Do you think it is? It? Yeah? It
should be, I would be yeah, exactly. Yeah. All right, guys, well doc forget. As we said earlier, Jim's gonna be hitting the convention circuit. I'll walk throughout the states in twenty twenty three, so be sure to check out Jim cummings well dot com to see when he'll be in a town. Knee, But Jim, thank you so much for your time today. It's been an absolute honor to be able to speak with you. You're an absolute legend and I wish you nothing but the best going for
it, all right, you two? Damn God bless