"Bob's Burgers" fans, get ready for a real treat. You're about to take an exclusive inside look at how three members of the kooky cast were handpicked to voice the burger-loving Belcher family.
In this behind-the-scenes peek at a sit-down with the actors -- "Beers With Bob's: The Chosen Ones" -- creator Loren Bouchard talks openly with Dan Mintz (Tina Belcher), Kristen Schaal (Louise Belcher), and John Roberts (Linda Belcher) about how and why they were selected for their animated roles.
Comedian Dan Mintz, famous for his deadpan delivery, impressed famous voice actor H. Jon Benjamin (Bob Belcher) on another project so much that Benjamin suggested Bouchard bring him in on "Bob's Burgers."
"I'm working with this really funny guy," Benjamin told Bouchard. "Everybody in the writers' room makes him say stuff just so they can hear his voice." Bouchard had already cast the son's role (Eugene Mirman, who plays Gene Belcher), so he decided to add another boy (back when Tina was a boy), and that's how Mintz got the job. The character was created just for him.
[Related: Fox to Launch Late-Night 'Animation Domination High-Def' Block in July]
The casting story was less complicated for comedian Kristen Schaal, whom Bouchard had in mind from the get-go. "Louise, there was never anybody else," Bouchard told Schaal. He loves her voice so much that he even went back through every female role he'd ever cast and put Schaal's voice in. He had initially seen her do standup after "Bob's Burgers" writer Holly Schlesinger encouraged him to check her out. The rest is history.
"How was I born?" asked John Roberts. The answer was not as warm and fuzzy for him as the others. Bouchard pushed for the comedian to be involved, despite some backlash. "Everyone said, 'No, don't use him. Use someone else.' But I said, 'I'm sticking with John,'" Bouchard confessed. From the looks of it, this was the first time Roberts had heard this unfortunate news. "Why? Why would they say that? … This is terrible," Roberts said, half-joking. Oh, well -- he can take comfort in the series's success.
A new episode of "Bob's Burgers" airs Sunday, 3/10 at 9:30 PM on Fox.
