The voice of Barney the dinosaur for nearly 15 years, Bob West is known for entertaining millions of children and for his work as a graphic designer.
West first broke into the world of voice acting in 1986, when he started to voice characters at the Chuck E Cheese animatronic stage show. He voiced the characters for 12 years, during which time he also became the voice of Barney the dinosaur. His first role as the lovable children’s TV character was on Barney and the Backyard Gang, a series of videos released in 1988. West then went on to work on Barney and Friends, the long running show on PBS, and this career defining role led him to appear on a radio show, numerous albums and records, live tours around the world and even specials on primetime television. He also starred in the 1998 film Barney’s Great Adventure, and his voice has been used for several toys and interactive games. The role led West to appear on mainstream television as a guest on The Today Show, Oprah and The Donahue Show.
Since leaving the role of Barney in 2000, West has gone on to star as a voice actor in numerous adverts, including for major brands like Pepsi, Coors Light and Texas Lottery. He currently works as a graphic designer for films and television, and will go down in history as the voice of the dinosaur which so many children loved and learned from.