CHARACTER ACTOR FRED STOLLER ON LIFE SPOTLIFE-ADJACENT
He might be the most famous person you never knew you knew.
The stand-up comedian/actor/author/voice artist has made guest appearances on every show that ‘90s and 00’s kids grew up watching. You have definitely seen his face or heard the Jewish New Yorker’s distinctive voice over the years. He has graced the screen as Gerard on Everybody Loves Raymond and Mr. Lowe in Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, and has made appearances in Friends, Hannah Montana, Drake & Josh, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and Corey in the House. He is also the man behind Rusty the monkey wrench on Handy Manny, Stanley in the Open Season series, and so much more.
In 2012, the quirky renaissance man wrote and published a successful e-book titled My Seinfeld Year about his experiences as a staff writer for the Emmy-winning show. This was followed by his books Maybe We’ll Have You Back: The Life of a Perennial TV Guest Star and Five Minutes to Kill: How the HBO Young Comedians Special Changed the Lives of 1989’s Funniest Comics. In the following Q&A, we catch up with Fred and discuss his voice acting work, how he got his start, and what he is doing today.
Did you always know what you wanted to do in entertainment? If not, when was the moment you realized?
Growing up in the ‘70s, I knew the real world wasn’t for me. I would see the character actors on TV, the weirdos, and I would be like “Hey, that guy reminds me of me!” I related to those quirky people. But I didn’t know how to get into acting. Then, when I was about seventeen, I went with my sister to a comedy club in Brooklyn. People were talking about how standup sets could lead to gigs on TV shows like The Tonight Show. So that was the root. I ended up hanging out at comedy clubs just waiting to get discovered.
You acted and also did some voice acting work– how did you find this transition?
Well, in one way voice acting is easier in that you don’t have to shave, you don’t have to memorize anything, you read it on the spot . . . I guess you have to be a little bit broader sometimes because they can’t see facial expressions, so it’s a bit more cartoony. Some voice jobs are subtle and low-key, but every syllable counts. You have to learn to be more deliberate with voice acting.
I recognize your voice from so many cartoons I watched as a kid. How did you get your foot in the door with voice acting?
I did stand-up comedy and was on this show Dr. Katz back in 1995, where comedians would “talk to a therapist,” and then they would animate it. Those folks did an animated show called Science Court. I was lucky that I got a voice-over agent, and so basically already had a role– I was Stenographer Fred on Science Court. What I did, and what I would recommend, is make a little demo. I made a sample for my first job and my agency put it on their reel. I just sort of plugged along and, like regular acting, people remember you.
What are some of the challenges you faced breaking into voice acting?
I am very specific. With my New York, Jewish voice, I don’t really fit into a lot of puzzles. My voice acting gigs are a lot like my regular acting gigs in that most people will already have me in mind for the part. It took about two years for me to start booking. We had radio shows back then, but things are different now. We didn’t have the internet, we didn’t have youtube and behind-the-scenes interviews, so I didn’t know how to be an actor– I thought your parents had to start you off as a kid on The Brandy Bunch. The downside of things today is that now everyone has their own little studios and with the internet, everyone is your competition.
You’ve had a variety of roles that target child audiences, as well as more adult audiences like Seinfeld and Friends. Do you have to act differently for these kinds of jobs? And if so, do you like one audience better than the other?
When I do shows for kids, it’s acting on such a basic level. Even when I play a teacher, my performance is slow and cartoony. To be honest, I didn’t like doing kids’ shows at first, but it’s really sweet when I meet people on TikTok Live who grew up with me and remember from Drake & Josh, or Hannah Montana. and it’s great to be a part of people’s childhood. I still have that foam finger from that episode of Drake & Josh, you know the one. Kids always get a kick out of that.
Your film Fred & Vinnie (2011) is semi-autobiographical. What is it like playing a character based on yourself?
In one way, it was weird because it was a true story; we were acting out things that really happened in my life, which was surreal. I didn’t have to put it on as much. I enjoyed that the character was more dimensional and not cartoony, all, “Claaaass, we have to study!”
What do you do between jobs to stay busy and keep the cobwebs off? (In a non-Covid scenario)
I try to stay creative..come up with things you can shoot yourself, write, cameos, directing podcasts…It’s like being a detective, you’re always considering what your next move will be, which can be exhausting and give you a headache.
What are you up to now? What projects are on your horizon?
Well, because of the pandemic, things are slower. I did a Rick and Morty, which was very exciting. Now I’m trying to put together a book of more stories, less about show business, and more about what it’s like being a misfit. As you get older, it’s liberating because you’re out of the cutthroat world of big business. I am focusing more on writing from my own point of view as opposed to trying to fit a character.
Check out Fred’s books here!
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