Although he had multiple scholarship offers for college football, including Pac-8 schools, Fagerbakke decided to stay in state and attended the University of Idaho in Moscow.[5] He was a defensive lineman for the Vandals and was ticketed to redshirt in 1976, but was called into action in the fourth game of his sophomore season.[6] The Vandals went 7–4 in 1976, their first winning season in five years, and were 5–2 in the seven games that Fagerbakke started.[7] Head coach Ed Troxel planned on moving him to the offensive line in 1977,[8] but a knee injury in spring drills ended Fagerbakke's athletic career, which turned his focus to theater.[7]
Fagerbakke has appeared on television in roles such as assistant coach "Dauber" Dybinski on Coach, and in films, including Funny Farm.[12] He had a role as the mentally disabled Tom Cullen in the 1994 mini-seriesStephen King's The Stand. From 1996 to 1999 he played Alan Parish in the Jumanji TV series. In 1999, he had a role in HBO's original series Oz as Officer Karl Metzger.
His character on Coach was based on a former assistant coach at Idaho, a graduate assistant nicknamed "Tuna."[13]
In 2007, he made a cameo appearance on the show Heroes as Steve Gustavson in the episodes "Run" and "Unexpected." In 2009, he had a role in the film Jennifer's Body. He also played the role of Marvin Eriksen Sr. in the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. In 2012, he made a cameo appearance in the TV show Weeds.
Since 2021, Fagerbakke has been the lead role in the SpongeBob SquarePants spinoff The Patrick Star Show.
In 2022, Fagerbakke guest-starred in the fifth season of Dynasty as Peter de Viblis. His daughter Carson portrays Peter's daughter Patty.
SpongeBob SquarePants
Since 1997, he has provided the voice of Patrick Star for the NicktoonSpongeBob SquarePants. His role as Patrick has become one of the most iconic in all of animation.[14] He has also been compared to the character's real-life counterpart as show writer Kent Osborne once said of Fagerbakke, "He is this big guy, and he plays Patrick so well. He's just this big guy, and he lumbers around."[15]
The television show celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2019. In celebration, a television special was aired, titled "SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout". One scene includes each of the show's main characters' voice actors portraying live-action versions of their characters.[16] While not the first SpongeBob SquarePants episode that blended animated sequences with live-action characters, this is the first time that the characters' voice actors have played a live-action scene all together.[17]
Super Bowl LVIII, which took place in 2024, was broadcast on CBS; the network's parent company Paramount also owns Nickelodeon, the network that airs SpongeBob SquarePants. As part of a plan to maximize the use of its broadcasting rights partnership with the National Football League (NFL), Paramount decided to air an "alternative" Super Bowl telecast on Nickelodeon that was aimed to be more family-friendly. The channel's website claimed that the broadcast was intended for "kids of all ages, from 2 to 102". The broadcast on Nickelodeon was hosted by Nate Burleson and Noah Eagle in live-action and accompanying them were SpongeBob and Patrick. Bill Fagerbakke and SpongeBobs voice actor Tom Kenny voiced the characters in real-time, improvising their own jokes in-character, and also utilized motion capture.[18]
Fagerbakke and Kenny also hosted the 2024 Kids Choice Awards as SpongeBob and Patrick. They voiced their characters while being filmed backstage via motion capture, marking the first time the ceremony has been hosted by animated characters.[19][20]
Personal life
In 1989, Fagerbakke married actress Catherine McClenahan, with whom he had two daughters, one of which is actress Carson Fagerbakke.[21][22][23] In September 2012, he filed for legal separation from McClenahan, citing irreconcilable differences.[24] He has lived in Los Angeles ever since filming the show Coach, however he visits Idaho often. He enjoys spending time with his grandchild.[25]
In 1997, Bill Fagerbakke returned to his alma mater—the University of Idaho to star in benefit performances of the play Love Letters, staged by the Idaho Repertory Theatre to support the university's theater program.[26]
Fagerbakke is good friends with his SpongeBob SquarePants co-star Tom Kenny.[14]
In 2009 Fagerbakke was nominated for at the 2009 for Best Burp at the Kids' Choice Awards (shared with Tom Kenny), for their performances as SpongeBob and Patrick. In 2014 Fagerbakke won Favorite Animated Animal Sidekick as Patrick Star on SpongeBob SquarePants.[38]
Behind the Voice Actors (BTVA) Awards
In 2013 Fargerbakke was nominated as a part of the Best Vocal Ensemble in a TV Series (Children's/Educational) in SpongeBob SquarePants, and in 2016 he was nominated as a part of Best Vocal Ensemble in a Feature Film for Sponge Out of Water.[38]
Other awards
In 2012 he was nominated at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards for Best Acting Ensemble in the film The Artist.[39]
In 2019 Fargerbakke received the Animation Hall of Fame Game-Changers Award for his work as Patrick Star at that year's World Animation & VFX Summit.[40]
12345678910111213141516171819202122"Bill Fagerbakke (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors (A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information). Retrieved January 3, 2019.
↑"True Bromance". All Hail King Julien. Season 2. Episode 12. October 16, 2015. Netflix.
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