BotCon 2009: Transformers Animated Voice Actors

You know what’s weird? “Weird Al” having to ask David Kaye “how do we do this?” That’s pretty weird – especially weird for David Kaye. “They can make that happen, this is LA.”

Tom Kenny, AKA Spongebob Squarepants, played Starscream and Sumdac. Did you know that? Oh yes. Tom Kenny brought his son in for a recording session, not telling him that Weird Al was also going to be in to record that day. SUPER-COOL, OR WHAT? Best dad evar.

David Kaye went into TF: Animated thinking that he was going to do Megatron again, but a with a call from his agent, he found out otherwise. “Congratulations, you’re Optimus Prime!” “You mean… the good guy?” So it became very strange during the first few episodes when Sue Blu would call for Megatron’s lines, and David would stand up before remembering, “oh, it’s Corey [Burton].” Meeting his idols turns him into Chris Farley (“remember when…”), like when he got to meet Peter Cullen for the first time in Providence. Now that’s just Prime.

How much improvisation is there in the show? In Al’s case, they tailored the part knowing he was going to be the actor. “’I dare to be stupid,’ WHAT??” Not so much, really. But Al gets to Tweet something as Wreck-Gar. He gets an almost immediate response! …from someone in the crowd: “’You’re very funny with David Kaye in this panel.’ Well, thank you, Brian Rueben!”

What would Al like to work on? Produce the next U2 album, of course. But mostly he’s just happy to still be “Weird Al” for a living. Working on the live-action movie, given the opportunity? “Let’s think about it… YES.”

It’s sad that Animated won’t be continuing, because it’s clear that these actors are very attached to it, and Hasbro is very happy with how fans have responded to it. We’ll find out what’s going on with the TV show at the Hasbro panel.