Fox’s hit animated comedy series Bob’s Burgers will return on September 25, 2016 for its seventh season. The popular series was well represented at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con by voice cast members H. Jon Benjamin (Bob Belcher), John Roberts (Linda Belcher), Kristen Schaal (Louise Belcher), Eugene Mirman (Gene Belcher), Dan Mintz (Tina Belcher), and Larry Murphy (Uncle Teddy). Sitting down for roundtable interviews, Schaal, Mintz, and Murphy discussed favorite episodes, what their characters might be doing in 20 years, and why the series has such a passionate following.
Kristen Schaal, Dan Mintz, and Larry Murphy Interview:
Did you have anything as a kid you held on tightly to and didn’t want to let go the way Louise sticks with her bunny ears?
Kristen Schaal: “I definitely had a blankie that I had for a while. I think that might have been my main thing. No particular stuffed animal or clothing that I can recall.”
If your characters could age, where would they be as adults 20 years from now?
Dan Mintz: “Tina would be 33 so probably starting to think people are having families, so maybe she’d start to think about that. I actually just met an adult who is exactly like Louise. I think she’s like a child sociopath but she turned out very well.”
Kristen Schaal: “I think no matter what Louise puts her mind to she’ll accomplish it no matter what. So, it just depends on what dream she lands on.”
Dan Mintz: “Politics?”
Kristen Schaal: “Yeah, sometimes I think politics but then I wonder if she’d have the patience for it. Maybe. Maybe she’d be like the new Frank Underwood.”
If you couldn’t play your character, who in Bob’s Burgers would you like to play?
Kristen Schaal: “It would be fun to be Linda. She has so much fun and she’s so loose and she loves her wine. She loves her family and she sings. I think I could fit into that one.”
Dan Mintz: “Well I don’t have much range in my voice so I don’t think I could play anyone else, but if I could do other voices I’d play Bob.”
Larry Murphy: “I certainly relate to Bob the most.”
Tina is a feminist icon. How does it feel to be a feminist icon as a male?
Dan Mintz: “Yeah, it is novel. But still to be that character…it’s not how I pictured my life turning out so it’s exciting. I always hear from women, ‘I was exactly like that as a kid so it’s so great to see someone like that.’ I think it’s funny because I don’t think she ever really talks about anything specifically, but it’s just like being the way that she is which is really cool.”
Will there be more singing?
Dan Mintz: “I mean that was kind of a pleasant surprise for me because I actually like singing on the show. I don’t like singing live but being recorded (is fine). I never thought that was something I’d ever want to do and it’s always really fun.”
Larry Murphy: “I think that Loren (Bouchard) has a musical background and loves music. I think that’s grown over the course of the seven seasons.”
Kristen Schaal: ”Yeah, we had no idea. I also like singing on the show too because there’s room for mistakes because Louise is a child. It’s okay if she’s off key, and I think they even prefer it which is good because I can’t hear notes apparently.”
Dan Mintz: “It’s great to play someone who’s not supposed to be a good singer.”
Larry Murphy: “And the song that Kristen and Jon did on the 100th episode I feel like it’s one of the best songs that they ever did.”
Kristen Schaal: “It’s a big hit among the Bob’s Burger staff.”
Do the scripts still surprise you? Are there any jokes in the scripts you don’t think will work out that actually do?
Kristen Schaal: “I think the visual jokes for the most part. I always reference it but it’s from a long time ago – there have been a couple this year – but the one where the animatronic shark comes to life in ‘The Deepening.’ Reading it, you can’t see how funny it is when it’s animated. I didn’t realize the impact it would have. It really tickled me to see that shark. There’s been a couple of jokes like that too where you can tell, ‘Oh, there’s a dance here,’ and you just have to sort of wait for it.”
Larry Murphy: “Or a montage sequence, that sort of thing where it kind of pays off and is funny.”
Do you any favorite recent episodes?
Kristen Schaal: “There’s an episode where Louise gets the flu. It’s called ‘Flu-ouise.’ She trips out on a fever and we get to follow her into this weird Louise world where her toys come to life. I’m excited about that one.”
Larry Murphy: “The next season there aren’t too many Teddy-focused episodes.”
Kristen Schaal: “That’s a shame, but there is one time.”
Larry Murphy: “Yeah, one time in ‘See Me Now’ where Teddy takes the Belcher family out on his newly refurbished boat. It gets pretty crazy.”
Kristen Schaal: “It gets pretty crazy and we get to learn about his past love.”
Why do think the audience is so passionate about this show?
Dan Mintz: “I think the voice of the show, it just sounds really different from what people are used to seeing. But, it also sounds really familiar in terms of how people really talk.”
Larry Murphy: “I think there’s a warmth to the show that doesn’t exist on a lot of programs, and certainly animated programs. It’s pretty impressive that people are able to connect with an animated show like that.”
Kristen Schaal: (Laughing) “It’s funny, too.”
