Summary
- The original voice cast of Futurama is back for the show's eleventh season, bringing iconic characters like Fry, Leela, and Bender to life once again.
- Billy West, who voices multiple roles, including Fry and Professor Farnsworth, also played Ren and Stimpy in The Ren & Stimpy Show, and even took over the role of Bugs Bunny in Space Jam.
- Katey Sagal, known for her live-action roles in Married... with Children and Sons of Anarchy, stars as Leela, the capable warrior and captain of the Planet Express ship.
The Futurama cast of characters is one of the reasons the animated comedy remains so beloved after various cancelations and revivals, and most of the cast of Futurama season 11 have been present since the very first episode aired in 1999. Futurama is a lighthearted comedy set in the 31st century that follows Philip J. Fry, an immature delivery man from the year 2000 who is accidentally frozen and wakes up in the future — played from season 1 through to Futurama season 11 by the inimitable Billy West. The fun premise provides a lot of wild concepts and hilarious adventures, but it is the Futurama characters that Fry meets in this new reality that make the show so special, from his best friends at Planet Express to the hilarious antagonists of the series.
The Futurama cast returns for yet another revival with Futurama season 11. Not only has West returned to voice Fry, his great nephew-to-the-power-of-32 Professor Farnsworth, and Dr. Zoidberg, but he's joined by nearly all of his longtime castmates despite over two decades passing. While there was some question about who would be returning and who might not, Katey Sagal as Leela, Phil LaMarr's Hermes, and even John DiMaggio as Bender have returned for the Futurama season 11 cast. There are some new cast members in Futurama season 11 too though, and several guest appearances. What's remained the same is that every member of the Futurama cast is a top-tier voice actor with plenty of outside credentials, so viewers who want to see Billy West in a role other than Fry or delve deeper into John DiMaggio's career outside Bender need not look far.
Billy West As Philip J. Fry, Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, Dr. John A. Zoidberg, And Zapp Brannigan
Billy West's Futurama cast characters include Philip J. Fry, Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, Dr. John A. Zoidberg, and Zapp Brannigan as well as plenty of other smaller roles. West is a prolific voice actor and one of several actors in the Futurama cast who voices multiple minor and single-line characters, as well as many recurring ones. However, Billy West's most prominent role from season 1 through to Futurama season 11 is Philip J. Fry, the dim-witted 20th-century delivery man who finds himself making sense of waking up 1000 years in the future.
Fry isn't the only Futurama character played by Billy West. West also steals the show as the lobster-like Dr. Zoidberg and the oblivious wannabe intergalactic hero Zapp Brannigan. Fittingly, West also voices Fry's descendant Professor Farnsworth who is a brilliant scientist but also a grumpy old man who is prone to falling asleep. Even before Futurama, West cemented himself as a renowned and respected voice actor by taking on some iconic roles. He voices the titular character on the popular 90s cartoon series Doug as well as both Ren and Stimpy on The Ren & Stimpy Show. West even took over the role of Bugs Bunny in Space Jam.
Katey Sagal As Turanga Leela
Katey Sagal stars as Turanga Leela in Futurama season 11, and she's voiced the captain of the Planet Express since its first voyage all the way back in 1999. Leela is the female lead of the show, a one-eyed mutant whose tough exterior (poorly) hides many insecurities. The relationship between Fry and Leela is key to Futurama with Leela caring for Fry but not always seeing a romantic future with him. However, she is far from just a love interest as she is the most capable warrior of the main characters yet feels like an outsider having grown up as an orphan mutant.
Katy Sagal is likely the member of the Futurama cast that fans will know best from live-action roles as she has a prolific television career. Sagal first gained fame for her role as Peggy Bundy on the sitcom Married... with Children. Sagal then went on to return to the sitcom world opposite John Ritter in 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. She may now be best known for playing powerful matriarch Gemma Teller in Sons of Anarchy. She can currently be seen on another hit sitcom, The Conners.
John DiMaggio As Bender
John DiMaggio returns to the Futurama cast for season 11 as Bender. There was a time when it looked as if DiMaggio would not be returning for Futurama's revival due to a breakdown of salary negotiations — referred to at the time as "Bendergate" — but that was all worked out behind the scenes. Bender is a fan-favorite character of the series as an industrial robot who is more interested in drinking beer and breaking the law than doing actual work. He is the anti-hero of the show, but he forms a quick bond with Fry thanks to their shared childish behavior.
DiMaggio is another successful voice actor with a long list of titles to his name. Outside the world of Futurama, he is likely best known as the voice of Jake in Adventure Time and has voiced The Joker in several DC animated movies. He recently was part of the voice cast of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. DiMaggio also has had a number of live-action television roles in Interview with a Vampire, Perry Mason, and Better Call Saul.
Phil LaMarr As Hermes Conrad
Phil LaMarr stars as Hermes Conrad in the Futurama cast. Hermes is Planet Express' accountant and a workaholic who seems to have a great deal of disdain for his coworkers and their lack of work ethic. Though he doesn't seem to be overly concerned with the safety of the crew and is often looking for ways to fire them to be more cost-effective, he has shown himself to have a big heart at times as well.
LaMarr is a popular voice actor, but he has also built a strong live-action acting career as well, and he's still active outside of returning to play Hermes for Futurama season 11. He is likely best known for his brief but memorable role as Marvin in Pulp Fiction who is at the center of one of the movie's most darkly comedic moments. He was also one of the original cast members on the sketch show Mad TV. As a voice actor, he is a frequent part of the cast of Family Guy and voices the title character in Samurai Jack.
Lauren Tom As Amy Wong
Lauren Tom's Futurama cast character is Amy Wong. Amy is a somewhat klutzy and naive intern working at Planet Express. She is responsible for a lot of great slapstick humor in the show as she finds herself in dangerous situations while being totally oblivious to them. She comes from a rich family and can have the tendency to be spoiled, but she also wants the chance to defy her overbearing parents.
Tom's earlier live-action roles are very notable as she was part of the ensemble of the acclaimed movie The Joy Luck Club and played one of Ross' earliest love interests on Friends as Julie. Her standout voice acting roles include playing Jinx and Gizmo in Teen Titans and Connie Souphanousinphone in King of the Hill.
Maurice LaMarche As Kif Kroker And Calculon
Maurice LaMarche stars as Kif Kroker in the Futurama cast. Kif is the second in command to the dim-witted and dangerously arrogant Zapp Brannigan. Kif is the smarter and more capable military mind between the two but his calls for rational action go unheeded by Brannigan who often put Kif in danger and blames him when things go wrong. He also returns to voice Calculon, a robot actor who stars in the soap opera All My Circuits. Calculon appears in a season 11 episode in which his show gets a revival with plenty of meta-jokes about Futurama's return.
Kif later begins a romance with Amy Wong though he is nervous and self-conscious being around her. While not a core member of the Planet Express crew, Maurice LaMarche provides one of the most iconic voices in the Futurama cast thanks to Kif, as his relationship with Amy is one of the most hilarious arcs on the show. Outside of Futurama, Maurice LaMarche is best known for playing Brain in Pinky and the Brain as well as the title character in Inspector Gadget.
David Herman As Scruffy
David Herman's Futurama character is Scuffy. Though not as the other characters, Scruffy is a member of the Planet Express crew and the facilities' janitor. He is a man of few words who is often seen leaning against the wall and commenting on the situation at hand in a monotone and largely uninterested voice. Season 11 even reveals that Scruffy's DNA is partially a part of Kif's children which is news that is neither particularly surprising or interesting to Scruffy. Herman found his big break as part of the original cast of Mad TV followed by his role as Michael "Mike" Bolton in Office Space. He has also appeared in Idiocracy, Dude, Where's My Car? and Kick & Screaming.
Feodor Chin as Leo Wong
Feodor Chin joins the Futurama season 11 cast as Leo Wong. The father of Amy Wong, Leo is one of the most unlikable characters in the show's history. He is a rancher on Mars whose successful business is his main concern, no matter the damage he might cause while running it. He is also a cruel father, often insulting Amy and generally speaking in a harshly blunt way to everyone. Leo was originally voiced by Billy West, but season 11 sees a casting change with Feodor Chin recast as Leo Wong in Futurama. Chin has appeared on shows like Pam & Tommy, Welcome to Chippendales, and Big Little Lies while he has also done voice work for a number of video games like Overwatch and Diablo IV.
Frank Welker As Nibbler
Frank Welker stars in Futurama as Nibbler. An adorable yet ferocious critter, Nibbler is seen as a pet for the Planet Express crew. However, despite his big appetite, season 11 confirms that Nibbler is a very intelligent creature, capable of sophisticated conversations and an appreciation for fine art. Welker voices Nibbler as his intelligent self while also providing the animalistic noises of Nibbler which is a specialty for Welker. Along with voicing iconic characters like Klaw in Inspector Gadget, Megatron in Transformers, and Scooby-Doo in various Scooby-Doo shows, Welker also provides animal noises for characters like Abu in Aladdin, Stripe in Gremlins, and even the titular snake in Anaconda.
Dan Castellaneta as Robot Devil
Dan Castellaneta's Futurama character is Robot Devil. One of the recurring villains on Futurama, Robot Devil oversees Robot Hell and makes various deals while punishing the sinner robots. Robot Devil returns briefly in Futurama season 11 when he agrees to release Calculon from Robot Hell so he can star in the revival of All My Circuits. Castellaneta is an icon of the animated comedy world as the man who voices Homer Simpson. He also takes on several main characters in The Simpsons, including Krusty the Clown, Mr. Burns, and Barney Gumble. Outside of the animated world, Castellaneta has appeared in movies like The Fantastic Four and Super 8 as well as shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Arrested Development.
Futurama Season 11 Guest Stars
- Cara Delevingne as Makeup Robot: Delevingne has a cameo in the Futurama season 11 episode "The Impossible Stream" as a robot in the makeup department. Delevingne is a model-turned-actor who is best known for Paper Towns, Suicide Squad, and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. She also appeared in season 2 of Only Murders in the Building.
- Brad Norman as PC: Norman provides the voice of PC in the Futurama season 11 episode "The Impossible Stream." Norman is a voice actor best known for playing Bullwinkle in The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.
- Patric M. Verrone as Patric M. Verrone: In the meta episode "The Impossible Stream" which pokes fun at the many Futurama revivals, Patric M. Verrone cameos as himself, playing on his real-life role as a producer of the series.
- Dee Bradley Baker as Rusty the donkey: In the Futurama season 11 episode "How the West Was 1010001," Baker plays Bender's donkey Rusty. Baker is a voice actor known for playing Daffy Duck in Space Jam and Klaus in American Dad. He also provides animal sounds for live-action projects, voicing Eagly in Peacemaker and Morris in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, among others.
- Kyle MacLachlan as dung beetle: The Futurama season 11 episode "Parasite Regained" takes place in Nibbler's litter box and is a parody of Dune. The cameo by Kyle MacLachlan is especially fun as he starred as Paul Atreides in David Lynch's Dune. MacLachlan has also starred in Lynch's Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet.
- Ego Nwodim as dung beetle shaman: The Dune parody episode of Futurama also includes a dung beetle shaman who explains the complex religion of their land which bears more than a resemblance to the Fremen in Frank Herbert's work. Nwodim is a standout cast member on Saturday Night Live, joining the show in 2018.