Fanboy and Chum Chum

David Hornsby

Mr David Hornsby’s lengthy resume includes acting gigs in the feature films Flags of Our Fathers and Christmas with the Kranks. On TV, he’s appeared on Six Feet Under and The Joe Schmo Show (he was ’the Asshole’). He’s played Matthew Mara on Eric Robles’s favorite show, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, a project on which he’s also been story editor and supervising producer. While he’s been busy lately on the new FOX pilot Boldly Going Nowhere, David’s destined to be best remembered as the voice of America’s most-beloved cartoon character, Fanboy. Here, we tried his patience with this brief but wildly informative interview.

Frederator: What’s the David Hornsby Story, in 150 words or less?

David: I’m a Southerner. I grew up going to private school in Houston, Texas where, in high school, we’d wear what we call a ‘Texas Tux’ to proms. (Top half tux, cummerbund, bottom half jeans and boots.) At one point when I was younger I seriously contemplated being an animator, as I’ve always drawn, but ultimately ruled it out when I fell into acting. I ended up becoming a total theatre geek in high school. I went to drama school, moved to New York, then LA, yada, yada, yada. And finally, after being a temp, a nanny, a caterer, valet, food expeditor on the Sunset strip, a waiter and a telemarketer, I started to gain some momentum acting and writing and landed where I am today: A grown man playing a ten year old boy. I couldn’t be happier.

Frederator: What was your favorite cartoon growing up?

David Hornsby: Robotech. On Channel 39 in Houston, after school. I liked it because it was a cartoon of epic scope that covered three generations of galactic fighters. It was actually pretty dark stuff. It also had a motorcycle that wrapped around your body into a suit of armor. (Still waiting for that technology.) Also, when you’ve got a story editor as good as Carl Macek on a show, you know you’re in good hands… I just looked that up on the internet to sound smarter. (I think it totally worked.)

Frederator: Where do you get your creative inspiration?

David: Tough to say where creative inspiration comes from. Surrounding myself with talented, ambitious friends who make me laugh and raise my bar inspires me. Also everyday life. There are so many great interesting characters in the world. (Especially in my neighborhood.) I can definitely answer where I don’t get creative inspiration from: internet message boards. They can be brutal. I say avoid them.

David with Paul Giamatti and Billy Crudup in Pretty Bird

Frederator: Any words of showbiz advice?

David: Do it yourself and be persistent! Don’t just wait around for someone to hand it to you. There’s no right path so just create what you want… preferably in a form that can be viewed on a dvd player by someone important who’s probably gonna watch/listen/look at it at their convenience at two in the morning in their underwear.

Frederator: If you could meet any artist, living or not, who would it be?

David: Are we talking a time-travel situation? Cause if that’s the case I’d probably utilize that technology to win a lottery or invest a buncha money into the stock market. That seems much more beneficial. Then again, there’s the whole butterfly effect… this scenario you’ve proposed is a dangerous game.

Frederator: What excited you about working on Fanboy & Chum Chum?

David: The level of talent behind this show is extremely high. The scripts are very funny and character-driven, headed by Steve Tompkins and his small crew of writers who are working at breakneck speeds. Creator Eric Robles’ talent and enthusiasm could power Ventura County alone. Plus, the animation is at a level I’ve not seen on TV before. Nickelodeon’s first original creator driven CG show in HD.

Frederator: If you had any super power what would it be?

David: The power to make my 89-year-old grandfather vote Democratic.

Thanks for your time, David.

(And thanks to Angie Polk for the interview work.)

– Eric (Homan)