Josh Robert Thompson (born March 11, 1975) is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He is best known for his work on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, providing the voice of robot skeleton and Craig Ferguson's sidekick Geoff Peterson along with numerous characters and impersonations, as well as his celebrity impersonations on Family Guy and The Howard Stern Show.
Josh Robert Thompson | |
|---|---|
 Thompson in 2021 | |
| Born | March 11, 1975 |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Known for | The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson The Howard Stern Show |
| Website | www |
Thompson performs voice impressions of Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Matthew McConaughey, George Lucas, and Donald Trump. In The Kelly Clarkson Show, he currently serves as game announcer "God", using his Morgan Freeman impression. He has also performed as a stand-up comedian, often touring alongside Ferguson. His live-action projects include a lead role in the romantic comedy Nowhere Girl (2014), as well as a crowdfunded pilot episode called The Josh Robert Thompson Show.
Early life
editThompson was born on March 11, 1975.[1] He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, "raised by classic television". He would watch as actors became different characters and began to mimic them. At age eight, his grandmother bought him a Fisher-Price tape recorder that he used to create radio-style "shows", voicing the host and the guests. The following year, he performed on stage in Peter Pan at the Cleveland Play House.[2]
During his junior year at Padua Franciscan High School, Thompson delivered one line for the school's production of Oklahoma! and walked off to laughter and applause: "Then someone backstage said, 'They're clapping for you. They love you.' After that, I was hooked."[citation needed] Thompson and some of his classmates got a video camera and began making feature-length and short films, and television-style shows. He graduated from Padua in 1993.[2]
Thompson moved to Los Angeles a few years later and performed on local television and as a stand-up comic while working toward his degree in TV, Radio, and Film Production at California State University, Fullerton. He uses his middle name professionally because a "Josh Thompson" was already registered with the Screen Actors Guild.[2]
Career
editRadio appearances
editThompson's Arnold Schwarzenegger impression first gained national attention during the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election. Posing as Schwarzenegger, Thompson phoned in to Fox News Channel's morning program, Fox & Friends, fooling the hosts into believing (at least for a short while) that he was, in fact, Schwarzenegger.[3]
Thompson's Fox News prank caught the attention of The Howard Stern Show, and the impression—dubbed "Fake Arnold" by the show's producers—soon became a mainstay on the program.[3] At around the same time, Thompson also made a number of appearances on the Conway and Steckler and Conway and Whitman radio shows in Los Angeles (KLSX), and 96fm's Breakfast show in Perth, Western Australia, where he voiced a number of characters, including Fake Arnold, Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Jackson, and Bill Cosby.[3]
The Howard Stern Show
editThis section's factual accuracy is disputed. (October 2023) |
In April 2005, Thompson's "Fake Arnold" character proposed a fictitious plan to "blow up the moon".[3] Fake Arnold's phony agenda managed to dupe MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, who appeared soon after on his television program, publicly lambasting the Governor for his alleged plan.[4] Ten days later, after learning that the entire moon destruction scenario was a hoax, Scarborough apologized on-air for his erroneous comments.[4]
On January 10, 2006, one day after Stern's show debuted on Sirius Satellite Radio, Thompson fooled Star Trek actor George Takei into believing he was actually speaking with Governor Schwarzenegger. Several minutes after the phone call with Fake Arnold ended, Takei was finally let in on the joke. One year later, the Takei prank was ranked sixth out of the Top 10 best moments from the show in 2006; it was also named as a top moment in the ten-year satellite tenure of the program.[citation needed]
Thompson has made several uncredited appearances in the show doing voice impressions like "Fake Arnold". His last appearance was in 2011. More recent impressions on Stern's show are done by another impersonator who also does many of the same voices as Josh.[citation needed]
Television work
editThe Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
editIn February 2007, Thompson made his first on-camera television appearance as Governor Schwarzenegger on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on CBS. He became a regular performer on the show, making appearances as Robert De Niro, "Frat Guy", Brian Deese, and Levi Johnston, as well as the voice of Morgan Freeman.[citation needed]
Starting on April 20, 2010, Thompson voiced Ferguson's robot skeleton sidekick Geoff Peterson, originally using pre-recorded clips of various reactions to the host's cues. Thompson tweeted his "recipe" for Geoff's voice in September: "1 part Snagglepuss. 1 part Vincent Price. 2 parts George Takei."[5] On May 16, 2011, Thompson performed Geoff as a show guest; in a later skit spoofing the show's opening broadcast, Thompson portrayed Peterson as a living sidekick who suggested that Ferguson could reanimate his skeleton should something befall him while skydiving. Beginning June 29, 2011,[6] Thompson voiced and performed Geoff live for nearly every episode, both in-studio and in such locations as Paris, France.[7]
Once Thompson began voicing Geoff Peterson live, he incorporated several of his own impressions into the character's repertoire. He has performed his Morgan Freeman impression for Freeman during the actor's appearances. In June 2011, Geoff asked Freeman: "Would you like to hear my Morgan Freeman voice?" and: "What would you like to say to yourself?" Freeman gave the impression a thumbs-up and called it "outstanding".[8]
In 2014, Thompson took over as the voice and operator of Sandra Peterson, the remote-controlled rhinoceros head that hangs over the fireplace.[9] The character was originated by actress Dana DeLorenzo.[10]
Craig Ferguson told Larry King Now in 2014 that he and Thompson would continue to work together after leaving The Late Late Show in December. In the interview, Ferguson called Thompson a "comedic genius".[11]
Following the end of the program in 2014, Thompson returned to the show a year later, in March 2015, where he made his television stand-up debut, in the episode where fellow Ohio native Drew Carey served as guest host.[citation needed]
The Josh Robert Thompson Show
editUsing his online presence in August 2015, Thompson created an Indiegogo campaign that would help fund the post production costs of his pilot episode. In three days, Thompson's online following helped successfully fund the post production costs raising $51,613 (US) passing its original $25,000 goal.[12]
During post production, the audio mixing was completed at Skywalker Ranch, where Ben Burtt overlooked some of the process and found Thompson's George Lucas sketch funny. Ben Burtt later complimented Thompson saying that Lucas himself would love his show and his characters.[citation needed]
On April 9, 2018, Thompson uploaded his pilot to various social media platforms to help gain traction, including Twitter, Instagram, and Periscope.[13]
Voice acting
editSince 2011, Thompson has voiced various characters on Family Guy, American Dad!, and Skylanders Academy. While voicing a few sketches on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Thompson also appeared on The Cleveland Show from 2011 until its cancellation in 2013. He has been the announcer of the Writers Guild of America Awards since 2017.[14]
Since 2019, Thompson has been voicing "God" with his Morgan Freeman impression on The Kelly Clarkson Show during the program's game segments.[15]
On-screen projects
editThompson began working on his first television series while still on The Late Late Show. The first installment, dubbed WJRT Television, starred Thompson alongside Dana DeLorenzo in a television news show parody. While some episodes were uploaded to Funny or Die, the series was not sold to a network.[16]
In 2014, Thompson announced plans for an upcoming variety show, The Josh Robert Thompson Show. Its pilot episode was completed in 2015 through a crowdfunding campaign via Indiegogo.[17]
Podcast
editThompson has also embarked on various podcasts throughout his career including Darren Carter's "Pocket Party" and Brody Stevens' "Festival of Friendship". The most recent installment of his Joshin' Around podcast was picked up by iTunes in 2016, consisting of Thompson alone improvising all material.[18]
Film
editThompson has starred as narrator in Yogi Bear (2010) and Scary Movie 5 (2013), with on-camera appearances as lead character in the film Nowhere Girl (2014),[19] and a supporting role as a priest in the film Revelator (2017). He was also featured in The Angry Birds Movie (2016), voicing two characters, and voiced a Construction Foreman in the film The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature (2017).[citation needed]
Other work
editIn 2010, Thompson appeared in advertisements for More Than insurance, doing his Morgan Freeman impression. In the advertisement, Thompson's character is named More Than Freeman.[20]
Web series
editIn 2018, Thompson starred in a new web series called "F#cking 40", a series about the Middle Ages. Thompson stars alongside writer and director Bill Caco, Jeff Pride, and Justin Johnson. F#cking 40 won "Best Web Series" at the FirstGlance Film Festival in Philadelphia.[citation needed]
Original characters
editThompson's original creations include: televangelist the Rev. Apostle BG; Gay Cabaret singer Robin Sooper; Gary the Ogre; and Snorky Lopez, a Mexican raccoon.[citation needed]
Filmography
editTelevision
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | Himself | 1 episode |
| 2003–11 | The Howard Stern Show / Howard TV | "Fake" Arnold Schwarzenegger (voice) | |
| 2005 | The Princes of Malibu | Himself/Arnold Schwarzenegger (voice) | 1 episode |
| 2006 | The Emperor's New School | Friendly Joe (voice) | Episode: "The Good, the Bad and the Kronk/Mud" |
| 2007 | Let's Paint TV | Robert De Niro | Episode: "Let's Exercise, Cook Pasta, and Paint Robert De Niro!" |
| 2007–14 | The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson | Geoff Peterson, additional characters; himself | 478 episodes |
| 2009 | True Beauty | Clothing Store Clerk | Episode: "Million Dollar Look" |
| 2009 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Alex Trebek (voice) | 1 episode |
| 2010 | Glenn Martin, DDS | LeBron James, Tom Brady, Arnold Schwarzenegger (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2011–13 | The Cleveland Show | David Schwimmer (voice) | Episode: "Hot Cocoa Bang Bang" |
| 2011–present | American Dad! | Wayne Gretzky, Jerry Seinfeld, Gilbert Gottfried, Robert Stack, Daniel Stern, Paul Rudd, Morgan Freeman, Various (voice) | Recurring role |
| 2011–present | Family Guy | Himself, Stanley Tucci, Kevin James, Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Joe Biden, Aziz Ansari, Christoph Waltz, Mark Ruffalo, Craig Kilborn, Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau, Alan Thicke, Dennis Franz, John Mayer, Danny McBride, Joey Lawrence, Michael McDonald, Willie Nelson, Don Imus, Patrick Swayze, Dennis Quaid, Tommy Lee Jones, Sean Hannity, James Taylor, Andrew Cuomo, Aaron Sorkin, Tom Selleck, Various (voice) | Recurring role |
| 2013 | WJRT Television | Himself; various | |
| 2013 | The Birthday Boys | Morgman Freemont | Episode: "All Your Favorites Are Back" |
| 2015 | Robot Chicken | Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, Cisco Ramon (voices) | Episode: "Ants on a Hamburger" |
| 2016 | Man Seeking Woman | Condom (voice) | Episode: "Feather" |
| 2016 | Angel from Hell | Morgan Freeman Impersonator | Episode: "The Flask" |
| 2016–18 | Skylanders Academy | Skull, Various (voice) | Recurring role |
| 2018 | Motown Magic | Various (voice) | Netflix Original Series |
| 2019–present | The Kelly Clarkson Show | God (voice) | |
| 2020 | Robot Chicken | Steve Harrington (voice) | Episode: "Grace Purgatory in: That's How You Get Hemorrhoids" |
| 2021 | Robot Chicken | Larry David, Jeff Greene (voices) | Episode: "May Cause Light Cannibalism" |
| 2021–22 | Inside Job | Al Gore, Bradley Cooper, Canadian Scarface, Gil, JFK, JFK Clones, Jeff Bezos, Jimmy Fallon, Ken Burns, MI6 Agent, Matt, Politician, Rafe Masters, Squoo, Steve, The Pope, Tobey Maguire, Various (voice) | Recurring role |
| 2022 | The Final Straw | Fred (voice) | Recurring role |
Film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Bigger, Stronger, Faster* | Himself/Arnold Schwarzenegger | |
| 2010 | Yogi Bear | Narrator (voice) | |
| 2013 | Scary Movie 5 | Morgan Freeman (voice) | |
| 2014 | The Bag Man | Various (voice) | |
| Nowhere Girl | Tyler | ||
| 2016 | The Angry Birds Movie | Brad Bird, Dane the Saxophone Bird (voice) | |
| Revelator | Father Levi | ||
| 2017 | The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature | Construction Foreman, Additional Voices (voice) | |
| 2021 | Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar | Morgan Freemond | |
| PAW Patrol: The Movie | Technician (voice) | ||
| 2023 | Once Upon a Studio | Grumpy (voice) | Short film |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Disney's Chicken Little: Ace in Action | Sleazel Weazel (voice) | |
| 2006 | Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War | Alexander the Great, Emperor Octavian (voice) | |
| 2008 | Elements of Destruction | Dr. Edgar Herbert (voice) | |
| 2008 | Call of Duty: World at War | U.S. Soldier (voice) | |
| 2008 | WALL-E | Human Male (voice) | |
| 2008 | Bolt | (voice) | |
| 2009 | Free Realms | Goblin, Yeti, Dog, Additional characters (voice) | |
| 2009 | Up | Various dogs (voice) | |
| 2009 | Brütal Legend | Healer, Additional characters (voice) | |
| 2009 | James Cameron's Avatar: The Game | Various characters (voice) | |
| 2009 | G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra | General Hawk (voice) | |
| 2010 | Dead to Rights: Retribution | Operator, Medic, Union, Security Guards (voice) | [21] |
| 2010 | Final Fantasy XIII | Rygdea (voice) | [22] |
| 2010 | Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep | Prince Phillip (voice) | |
| 2011 | NCIS: The Video Game | Leroy Jethro Gibbs (voice) | |
| 2013 | Lego City Undercover | Blue Whittaker, Albert Spindlerouter (voice) | |
| 2014 | The Lego Movie Videogame | Vitruvius (voice) | |
| 2020 | Fallout 76: Wastelanders | Batter, Frankie Beckett, Sage, Raiders, Settlers, Flight Recorder (voice) |
Music
edit- Austrian Death Machine - Arnold Schwarzenegger (voice) on 2009 album Double Brutal
Web
edit- Movie Fights - Himself (Episode 108 - What Iconic Horror Villains Should Face Off in Their Own Movie?)
References
edit- ^ Stallsmith, Shelly (March 11, 2013). "Good Morning, Central PA: DDB Has Been Serving ... (Today's birthdays)". The Patriot-News. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
- ^ a b c "The Paduan (Summer 2011)" (PDF). paduafranciscan.com. pp. 4–8. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 31, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Can I Have Your Autograph Please? - Fake Arnold". Dean's Planet. Archived from the original on February 4, 2010. via Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "Host Gets Fooled By Arnold Impersonator". The Radio Equalizer.
- ^ "Josh Robert Thompson on Twitter". Twitter (official). September 1, 2010. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ^ "Josh Robert Thompson on Twitter". Twitter (official). June 29, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ^ Wick, Krista (August 1, 2011). "Craig Ferguson and Kristen Bell Tape The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson In Paris". Archived from the original on August 18, 2011.
- ^ Best Morgan Freeman Impression EVER. YouTube (Josh Robert Thompson official channel). June 10, 2011. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ^ "Yes, I'm voicing Sandra the rhino. No, I don't like the voice, either". Facebook (jrtcomedy official). January 23, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
- ^ "Share photos and videos on Twitter". Twitpic. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
- ^ I'm Not Retiring. YouTube (Larry King Now official channel). July 23, 2014. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ^ "Indiegogo Fund Raiser". Indiegogo. April 28, 2018.
- ^ "JRT Pilot". April 9, 2018.
- ^ Josh Robert Thompson [@joshrthompson] (March 20, 2022). "Back for my sixth year of live announcing and voiceover on THE BIGGEST AWARDS SHOW OF ALL TIME…EVER! The @WGAWest @WGAEast awards!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Josh Robert Thompson [@joshrthompson] (March 9, 2022). ""Voice of God" is in da house" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "WJRT Television". Funny or Die. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "The Josh Robert Thompson Show". Indiegogo. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "Joshin' Around with Josh Robert Thompson". iTunes. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- ^ Rigney, Jed (October 13, 2015), Nowhere Girl, Josh Robert Thompson, Jennifer Aspen, Ilana Guralnik, retrieved September 21, 2017
- ^ Sharp, Rob (February 10, 2011). "Insurance salesman who's created more than an advert". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- ^ Volatile Games. Dead to Rights: Retribution. Namco Bandai Games. Scene: Ending credits, 2:44 and 2:55 in, Voice Over Cast.
- ^ "Josh Robert Thompson (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
Bibliography
edit- VoyageLA; Thompson, Josh Robert (April 4, 2022). "Check Out Josh Robert Thompson's Story". Voyage LA Magazine. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022.
External links
edit