Why Was Jeff Bergman Initially Replaced In His Looney Tunes Roles

[SweetShop209]

When Mel Blanc died, Jeff Bergman took on many of his Looney Tunes roles, most notably Bugs and Daffy among others. However, some time during the 1990s, Joe Alaskey took over for the characters until The Looney Tunes Show, where Jeff returned to most of his roles. I mean no disrespect t to the actors since they do great jobs with them, but why do you think Jeff was initially replaced? Feel free to comment.

 

[jaylop97]

I think that they were still frictional towards finding the right voice, which could have been the reason why they tried using other voices for Bugs and Daffy mainly. Until The Looney Tunes Show, Joe Alaskey was mainly voicing Daffy and at times Sylvester and Tweety but around that time his voice acting career was diminishing and after many switches for Bugs voice, I think they just decided to let Bergman take the role because one person was more manageable then.

 

[wiley207]

I heard that at one point in 1991-1992, Jeff Bergman boasted he was the "new Mel Blanc," and Warner Bros. was offended by that and fired him over it (as a sign of respect to Blanc.) But then starting in the late 90s, Bergman started voicing the Looney Tunes for Cartoon Network promos, and eventually by the time "The Looney Tunes Show" was going into production, Warner decided to rehire Jeff Bergman.

 

[Classic Speedy]

No offense, Wiley, but I've heard that "new Mel Blanc" rumor for well over a decade now. While it certainly sounds like a valid theory, I've never seen it back up with a source. Can anyone verify this story? Or is this one of many urban legends in the animation industry that's passed around for so long that it's accepted as fact?

 

[Orange Mo]

I heard that at one point in 1991-1992, Jeff Bergman boasted he was the "new Mel Blanc," and Warner Bros. was offended by that and fired him over it (as a sign of respect to Blanc.) But then starting in the late 90s, Bergman started voicing the Looney Tunes for Cartoon Network promos, and eventually by the time "The Looney Tunes Show" was going into production, Warner decided to rehire Jeff Bergman.

Yeah that's why. But they didn't fire him they just added other people to act his roles and Billy west does a horrible bugs voice. Worst than bergman

 

[wiley207]

I find Jeff Bergman's Bugs voice in the early 90s to be pretty good. Unlike in "Wabbit," where Bugs sounds a bit more feminine than usual (just listen to how Bugs keeps asking "Is dis it?" in "Getaway Driver", or when he's talking to the cops in the same episode.) No wonder Bigfoot calls Bugs "lady!"

 

[Daffyfan2002]

I agree. Even on The Looney Tunes Show I've noticed Bergman's Bugs was nowhere near as good as Jeff's Bugs from the early 90s. I'm glad to hear that the theory about Warner Bros. firing Bergman was just a rumor though. I was wondering about that for quite some time.

 

[Orange Mo]

I agree. Even on The Looney Tunes Show I've noticed Bergman's Bugs was nowhere near as good as Jeff's Bugs from the early 90s. I'm glad to hear that the theory about Warner Bros. firing Bergman was just a rumor though. I was wondering about that for quite some time.

His 90s sound good, but he is getting older. hes around 50-60 now.

 

[Daffyfan2002]

Yeah. We were having a similar discussion on the Muppet Central forums about how the Muppeteers characters change as they get older, so it seems like it's pretty much the same with cartoon VAs as well.

 

[Vuxovich]

Why do you think Jeff was initially replaced?

As far as I know, he lived in New York City, where he worked on projects such as The Secret of Mulan. How about that?