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United States Billy West is an American voice actor, musician, comedian, impressionist, and radio personality known for his versatile vocal performances across animation, radio, and commercials.
Billy West voices the character Red, the plain milk chocolate M&M, in commercials. This role began in 1996 and continues to the present day.
Billy West formerly voiced Buzz, the bee mascot for Honey Nut Cheerios, from 1990 to 2004.
Billy West voiced an alien character for Pentium 4 commercials.
Billy West voiced the character Popeye for Minute Maid commercials.
Billy West voiced Babe Ruth, Mickey Goldmill, and Bruce Lee for Brisk Iced Tea commercials.
Billy West voiced Marfalump, a mascot for Pepsi, from 1999 to 2000, created as part of a tie-in with the release of 'Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'.
Billy West voiced the Speed Racer character in a late 1990s advertisement for Volkswagen.
William Richard Werstine, known professionally as Billy West, was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1952. He spent his early years growing up in both New Jersey and Boston, graduating from Roslindale High School. After attending Berklee College of Music for a semester, West pursued music, performing in various bands and working at a guitar shop. His career trajectory shifted towards radio when he joined WBCN in Boston in 1980, where he performed daily comedic routines on “The Big Mattress” show. In 1988, he moved to New York City and became a regular cast member on “The Howard Stern Show” until 1995, where he gained recognition for his impressions of figures such as Larry Fine and Marge Schott. This radio experience laid the groundwork for his extensive voice acting career.
West transitioned into television roles, beginning with the short-lived revival of “Beany and Cecil” in 1988. He rose to prominence with major roles on two of Nickelodeon’s inaugural Nicktoons, “Doug” and “The Ren & Stimpy Show.” On “The Ren & Stimpy Show,” West initially voiced Stimpy from 1991 to 1996 and later took over the voice of Ren from 1993 to 1996. He has demonstrated a remarkable ability to voice a wide range of characters, often performing multiple roles within the same production. His work on “Futurama” (1999–2025) exemplifies this, where he voiced main characters such as Philip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg, and Zapp Brannigan. His contributions to animation also include iconic characters like Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd in “Space Jam” (1996) and “Looney Tunes: Back in Action” (2003), and Shaggy Rogers in “Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island” (1998).
Beyond animation, West has also contributed his voice to numerous commercials, serving as the voice of the Red M&M since 1996, and formerly Buzz for Honey Nut Cheerios from 1990 to 2004. He participated in several video games, voicing characters in “Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2” (2023), “Crash Nitro Kart” (2003), and “Minecraft: Story Mode” (2015). West has also maintained a music career, releasing an album with his band, Billy West and The Grief Counselors, and touring as a guitarist for musicians such as Roy Orbison and Brian Wilson. His career is marked by a deep involvement in voice acting, radio, and music, showcasing his diverse talents and enduring presence in popular culture.
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