In a credit roll, from a galaxy far, far away, are two names are listed as “BB-8 Voice Consultants.”
Former Saturday Night Live star and comedian Bill Hader and comedian and actor Ben Schwartz (best known for his roles as Jean-Ralphio on Parks and Recreation and Clyde Oberholt on House of Lies) are the talents responsible for the voice of Star Wars’ BB-8 droid, according to credits, interviews, and social media posts by each actor.
One might assume that a voice of a droid, especially in the current age of technology and production, would be created through a computer or program. As JJ Abrams has promised from pre-production to the post, Star Wars: The Force Awakens was created using as many practical effects as possible, which apparently included droid voices.
“JJ was f-ing around with this sound effects app on his iPad that was attached to a talk box operated by me” Hader told HitFix at the premiere. “It looked ridiculous, but it made BB-8’s voice. At first I tried doing a voice, but we all agreed it sounded too human.”
So technically they aren’t the voices, but were an aspect of the creation for BB-8’s “beeps & boops.” Both actors are quite versatile in their performances and careers, from the hilarious characters Hader created on SNL to the wacky and inappropriate Jean-Ralphio Schwartz embodied in Parks and Rec, so why not add a droid “Voice Consultant” to the mix?
The BB-8 droid (like the rest of the film) has been marketed and promoted like crazy since he appeared in the trailers last year. The Bluetooth controlled remote toy is just the beginning as the little rolly-polly droid appears to be the new answer to the first 6 movies’ R2-D2. With the official release just hours away, the general public will get to see just what BB-8 is capable of and hear what Hader and Schwartz sound like through the edits of an iPad app.
Are you looking forward to…. nevermind, it’s Star Wars and you’re reading this article, of course you’re looking forward to the movie. Share your enthusiasm in the comments!
