HNGN got up close and personal with the cast of "Bob's Burgers" at PaleyFest 2014 in New York City. Almost a little too up-close-and personal - John Roberts, the voice of Linda Belcher, entertained the crowd by providing strip teases to keep everyone on the edge of their seats.
On the red carpet, the stars spoke about their roles and the inspiration that allows their unique characters to really come to life.
"It's funny 'cause it started with the voice, and Linda is, my mom was a single mom. I told a different story with my mom's character than I did on YouTube...There are definitely a lot of similarities. I draw a lot of inspiration from my mom. I can kind of do it in my sleep. That combined with what the writers bring in...it's kind of like a combo platter," Roberts said when we asked about his role as Bob's wife.
Roberts has apparently enjoyed mimicking his mother for quite some time.
"I just found some standup comedy from when I was like 16 years old, and I've been doing my mom as a character...Like someone sent me the high school talent show thing that I did. I hadn't seen it in forever. Like, oh my God, I've been doing this my whole life," he said.
As one of the most groundbreaking animated series to hit the small screen, the plot of "Bob's Burgers" is one that any viewer can relate to. This character-driven show reveals the dynamic of a hard-working family and portrays true bonds through matchless humor.
H. Jon Benjamin, the voice of the male leads in both "Bob's Burgers" and "Archer," dished to us how he relates to his characters.
"I do share some traits with both characters, and I probably live a lot more like Bob than Archer," said Benjamin. "I can't kill people in real life, and I can't drink all the time. I do have a child and a family, so my life is a little more like Bob. But, I'm kind of an arrogant a--hole. So that I share with Archer."
As Loren Bouchard, the creator of the animated sitcom, stated during the PaleyFest panel discussion, the show was never meant to be centered on Bob. Yes, Bob is the focus because of his burger shop, but the eccentric identity and existence of each character is what propels the content.
For a cast that is made up entirely of former and current standup comedians, the event was certainly not a boring one, and we can all imagine what it must be like to work with these actors on set.
"Well as a cast, we improvise quite a bit," said Larry Murphy, who voices Teddy and Gretchen. "We do three passes on a script, and then on the third pass, we kind of go off script. It might be like 80/20 for what is scripted. As the show goes on, we're in the fifth season, they get pretty good at writing for your character."
"Bob's Burgers" recently reached its 100th episode, and the cast doesn't plan on going anywhere soon.
"Super fun. It's the best job I've ever had. It's a great gig," Murphy said about working with a cast full of comedians. "Doing straight voiceover is usually a solitary thing, but we do this show ensemble, so everyone is together all at once in New York and LA recording at the same time."
HNGN had our questions answered and learned more about the cast of "Bob's Burgers," but what we really witnessed was a group of friends who are truly passionate about their careers. Behind these animated faces are talented actors who care about how their characters are translated.
"It's character-based comedy. We start there and we end there," Bouchard stated.
