Bob Berger[1] (born March 8, 1964),[2] known professionally as Bob Bergen, is an American voice actor and television personality. He voices Warner Bros. cartoon characters Porky Pig and Tweety and has voiced characters in the English dubs of various anime. He formerly hosted the children's game show Jep!, adapted from the game showJeopardy!. Including all this roles, he is among the highest-grossing actors of all time.
Early life
In his childhood, Bergen would often spend hours watching and taping cartoons, imitating voices as well as creating characters of his own.[3] He once told his parents that he wanted to voice Porky Pig, to which his mother objected.[3][4]
As a teenager in 1978, he phoned Mel Blanc after researching in phone books.[3][4] He crashed a recording session for the live stage show version of Bugs Bunny in Space, pretending to be Blanc's assistant,[5] and watched him in action. Upon the realization that he needed training and for his voice to change, he began studying voice-over with coaches in Los Angeles. He took acting lessons with Daws Butler at his weekly voice-over workshop.[3][4] He also met June Foray during a live reading of The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends while attending an ASIFA-Hollywood show at a mall in Woodland Hills.[6][7] In March 1980, Bergen appeared as a contestant on a Teen Week episode of Wheel of Fortune, winning prizes including a watch. After two years at a Meisner acting conservatory and three years of improv study with The Groundlings, he was able to secure an agent at age 18 and pursue his dream, while working as a tour guide at Universal Studios to make ends meet.[3][4]