Rodger Bumpass (born November 20, 1951) is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is known for his long-running role as Squidward Tentacles on the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. He voices several other characters on the show as well, including the purple doctor fish and various anchovies. He also voiced The Chief in the animated series Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?, Professor Membrane from Invader Zim and Mr. Besser, the school principal in the animated series The Kids from Room 402. Bumpass has many other credits in animated films, animated television series, and video games. Early life Rodger Bumpass was born on November 20, 1951, in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to Carroll C. (1924–2009) and Virginia Cathey Bumpass (1921–2004). He had two siblings, one of whom died early. He attended Little Rock Central High School, where he received his first training in theater. He then majored in radio–TV and minored in theater at Arkansas State University. He worked at the campus radio station and also at Jonesboro's Gray Television owned ABC/NBC/CW+ affiliated television station, KAIT-TV, where he had multiple duties as announcer, film processor, cameraman, audio technician, and technical director. While at KAIT, he also wrote, produced, and performed in a late-night comedy program called Mid-Century Nonsense Festival Featuring Kumquat Theater. He graduated from A-State in 1976, and when encouraged by an A-State professor to consider professional theater, he moved to New York in June 1977. Career In 1977, he won a role in the National Lampoon's music and comedy road show That's Not Funny, That's Sick and toured with them until 1978. That same year, he appeared in the TV special Disco Beaver from Outer Space for HBO. In 1979, Bumpass was cast as the leading role in a National Lampoon film to be called Jaws 3, People 0 in which he would have a love scene with Bo Derek. However, the film was canceled due to objections by the creators of the movie Jaws. In 1980, Bumpass created the character of 'Fartman' to appear on the National Lampoon LP The White Album, which later inspired the Howard Stern character by the same name. Bumpass is best known to present-day viewers as the voice of Squidward Tentacles and various incidental characters on the Nickelodeon animated comedy series SpongeBob SquarePants. In 2012, Bumpass received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for his role as Squidward. He is also known