| Keith Ferguson | |
|---|---|
Voice-Over actor, Keith Ferguson. |
|
| Born | Keith James Ferguson February 26, 1972 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Keith Fergusen, Kieth Ferguson, Keith James Ferguson |
| Occupation | Voice actor |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Website | |
| http://www.whoiskeithferguson.com | |
Keith James Ferguson (born February 26, 1972) is an American voice actor, well known as the voice of Blooregard Q. Kazoo (or "Bloo" for short) on the Cartoon Network animated series Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. He also provides a number of "sound-alike" portrayals in the VO industry including Harrison Ford's Han Solo and Indiana Jones in Robot Chicken and the voice of Lightning McQueen in Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales, filling in for Owen Wilson (while Wilson continues his portrayal of McQueen for the big screen in Cars 2).
Contents |
Ferguson was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.
After studying theatrical performance and creative writing at the University of the Pacific and University of Southern California, Ferguson worked behind the scenes in daytime television production while occasionally finding time to perform in local theatre productions and improvisation groups. Towards the end of his production career, he actively began his pursuit of a career in voice-over. In 1999, while working on what would turn out to be his last full-time position in TV production, a voice-over agent named Pat Brady, after discovering Ferguson the week prior in a voice-over workshop in Toluca Lake, California, and before even officially signing with him for representation, sent him out on what would be his first professional voice-over audition (a sound-alike for Keanu Reeves in a 60 second radio spot satirizing The Matrix for the former Hollywood Video movie-rental franchise). He ended up booking the role from this first VO audition, after which he officially signed with Pat Brady who, through two talent agencies, would continue to represent him to this day.
In 2000, Ferguson gained his first experience in animation voice-over alongside VO actors Rob Paulsen and David Sobolov having booked the role of "Ray" on a former, somewhat obscure CG animated web-series entitled Li'l Green Men featured on Warner Bros. former website "Entertaindom." After the next 3 years while building up his voice-over repertoire with various roles in commercial spots, video games, animation, and sound-alike voice-matching for various films, he would be cast in one of the first of his more notable roles being that of Blooregard Q. Kazoo, a.k.a "Bloo" in Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends created and produced at Cartoon Network Studios and Boulder Media[1] by animator Craig McCracken, creator of The Powerpuff Girls. This was accompanied by other notable performances such as General 'Thunderbolt' Ross in the animated series The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Friend Owl in the feature Bambi II, as well as his recurring portrayal of Harrison Ford as Han Solo and Indiana Jones in Robot Chicken, the regular series along with its growing franchise of Star Wars parodies.
Amidst further various vocal appearances in animation, a few of which include credits on Family Guy, Adventure Time, Phineas and Ferb, Codename: Kids Next Door, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Legion of Super Heroes, and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Ferguson also found a role in Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales subbing as Lightning McQueen while Owen Wilson continues to portray Lightning McQueen for the big screen, such as in the 2011 movie sequel, Cars 2.[2]
Ferguson was also vocally featured as two differently styled race-announcers in two TV commercials for the sports beverage, Vitamin Water; one featuring race-car driver Carl Edwards with Ralph Macchio paying homage to his role in The Karate Kid, and the other a Super Bowl ad featuring Shaquille O'Neal as an unlikely victorious horse-race jockey.
Ferguson's mother is a retired probate estate specialist, whilst his father was a well-known pianist who was one of Southern California's popular piano men until his death in 1999.