Featuring decades of excellence, Professional Voice Actor and Voice Director Richard Horvitz has touched countless lives across iconic properties like Angry Beavers, Invader Zim, and Helluva Boss.
We recently joined Richard Horvitz at FANEXPO San Francisco 2025 to learn more about his truly amazing legacy – learn more with our interview.
Richard Horvitz FANEXPO SF 2025 Interview – Iconic Voice Actor Talks Helluva Boss, Invader Zim, and More
Gamers Heroes
It’s a huge honor!
I actually just interviewed Kellen Goff a few weeks ago!
Richard Horvitz
I love Kellen!
Gamers Heroes
He had nothing but great things to say about you!
He said, and I quote,
“Richard got me out of certain vocal types he knew weren’t going to serve me, putting me on the straight and narrow toward acting.”
He kept singing your praises!
Richard Horvitz
He’s one of the great success stories of my former students!
Gamers Heroes
You’ve got so many great people that look up to you, that study under you.
You got Toby Fox for Homestuck as well, things like that.
What’s it been like guiding and inspiring this new generation of voice actors?
Richard Horvitz
You know, it’s an honor!
As I’ve turned to voice directing as of late, I use the same theories and techniques I use to teach my students when I direct, and I think it works.
It’s all story-based, that nothing’s more important than story.
Once we get rid of performance concerns, you realize it’s about getting out of the way to let the story come through.
Gamers Heroes
On that same note, what’s some wisdom you wish a mentor had passed on to you when you were first starting out?
Richard Horvitz
That it’s not all about me!
We have a tendency to think, because we have that audition that day, that we are the most important thing that’s going on at that moment.
But it’s not – it’s:
“Does my performance serve the story?”
Gamers Heroes
So I know we’re at FANEXPO SF right now – and it’s “for the fans!”
There are so many great fans, and I’ve seen a bunch of great cosplays – including a number from your different properties.
Still looking for a Dag though…
What are some of your favorite fan stories that have come from these types of events?
Richard Horvitz
It’s always an honor when people say that I was their childhood!
The reason it’s so amazing to me, is because there are different generations.
I’ve been fortunate to have characters that that resonated with three different generations, going back from Power Rangers, to Angry Beavers, to Invader Zim and Billy & Mandy…
All the way to today with Moxxie from Helluva Boss!
Gamers Heroes
On that same note, you got Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel – and the new season just came out! I loved how you killed it as the Voice Director.
One of the things that’s unique about both of those properties is that there are musical elements!
What’s been like working with the cast with this new angle, with all the different musical numbers?
Richard Horvitz
I would love to take credit for the musical states!
Gamers Heroes
Fair enough!
Richard Horvitz
Sam Haft and Andrew Underberg handled the music, but I am there during the recording sessions to make sure the actors still sound like their characters, even when they’re singing.
Gamers Heroes
It’s a dream team then!
Richard Horvitz
I mean, how can you direct Broadway superstars, which is what we are surrounded by?
Gamers Heroes
Absolutely – I get it!
So I saw you like Beavis & Butthead, Family Guy, and Jesus Christ Superstar – fantastic taste!
There are so many great like non-sequiturs and stuff like that in those properties.
Are there any newer forms of media that you are especially drawn to, whether something you’ve done, or maybe something you admire?
Richard Horvitz
You know, it’s nothing I’ve really done as much as I’m amazed at the stories that can be told in 30 seconds on a TikTok or Instagram post.
Brandon Rogers is the king of that! He’s so good at doing that, and I’m truly impressed.
Gamers Heroes
With so many different iconic characters across so many different properties, is there a specific line that especially stands out to you, like “destroy us all!”?
Richard Horvitz
“Gir, why was there bacon in the soap?!”
stands out!
Gamers Heroes
A fine choice!
Richard Horvitz
There’s also Moxxie…
“A human called me a possum, I am not a possum!”
Along with…
“I’m a Virgo!”
There’s also
“I am Zim!”
which always stands out.
I tend to say “I am” a lot in my characters, like “I am Zim,” “I am Kaos” – it’s part of what I teach!
The first step of what I teach is that I am the person in the story that’s happening to me right now.
Gamers Heroes
So talking Invader Zim, this is a silly question for my wife, but I have to ask it..
If you had your very own Gir, what orders would you give it?
Richard Horvitz
To not be stupid!
Gamers Heroes
That’s a tall order! We’ll see what we can do, right?
Richard Horvitz
I used to have a running joke with Jhonen Vasquez, where I would go
“Gir, Gir, Gir – America loves Gir.”
And Jhonen used to say,
“Well, every show needs a plushie.”
Ours is Gir!
Gamers Heroes
Richard Horvitz
I always call Hot Topic the store Gir built!
Gamers Heroes
That is very true – they’ve got plenty of my cash as it is.
So with Angry Beavers, you got the brother dynamic.
Did you bring any of the dynamics with your older brother into the show?
Richard Horvitz
It’s funny you tapped into that, because that was what we were focusing on when we’re doing the show.
At one point, the producers came to us and said,
“It’s great that you’re going kersplunking with a stump of wood, and that you’re hurtling towards the sun… but what is it that brings people back week after week to our show?”
And it was very important that it was the brother connection.
They’re brothers, and that’s why we always ended with:
“Big hug, big hug!”
Gamers Heroes
it’s truly timeless! And you’ve inspired so many people.
That leads me to my last question…
I’ve talked with a lot of people at press events, FANEXPO, things like that – they want to enter the voice acting space too.
I’ve asked this question to different voice actors, including Kellen…
What’s the best way for people to get started?
There’s not necessarily a wrong way, but I’m sure there are different avenues you can pursue…
Richard Horvitz
I think a lot of us pursued it in one or two ways…
A lot of people either started out in bands – they were singers.
Jess Harnell, Rob Paulsen, they were singers.
There are also those of us that started out in acting classes, on camera – a lot of us!
When anyone asks me like, they’ll say “Oh, I do a lot of different voices.”
I say:
“That’s great, but you need to follow the acting part of voice acting more than the voices.”
If you can do a bunch of voices, that’s great, but if you can’t act, it’s not going to get you anywhere.
I always suggest that people start in acting classes – sketch comedy and in particular, improv classes.
Improv is what we do a lot of, especially with people like Brandon Rogers.
Improv is the way I got into it, and it shows in Billy & Mandy – I improvised a storm!
That’s the way I would suggest you start.
Gamers Heroes
Thank you so much – it’s an absolute pleasure meeting you!
Feeling social? Be sure to follow Richard Horvitz via his official Instagram social media channel, and also check out his official website!
Thank you to FANEXPO PR for arranging this interview, and Richard Horvitz for his time!
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