John William DiMaggio is an American voice, film and television actor. His voice features as Bender on Futurama, Jake the Dog on Adventure Time, Marcus Fenix in the Gears of War series, Dr. Drakken on Kim Possible, Scotsman on Samurai Jack, Brother Blood on Teen Titans, Shnitzel on Chowder, Hammerhead and Sandman on The Spectacular Spider-Man, Aquaman on Batman: The Brave and the Bold, King Zøg on Disenchantment, Wakka and Kimahri in Final Fantasy X, and Rath and Aggregor on Ben 10.
Early life[]
Born and raised in North Plainfield, New Jersey, DiMaggio graduated from North Plainfield High School. He is of Italian parentage, and was raised in the Catholic faith. He attended Rutgers University.
Career[]
DiMaggio is known for his roles as Bender on Futurama, Marcus Fenix in the Gears of War franchise, Dr. Drakken on Kim Possible, Jake the Dog on Adventure Time, Wakka and Kimahri in Final Fantasy X, and Niblet on Pound Puppies. He is a former comedian, appearing on stage as part of a comic duo named "Red Johnny and the Round Guy" and has several on-screen credits, such as Steve Ballmer in Pirates of Silicon Valley (the docudrama about the history of Apple Computer and Microsoft) and as Dr. Sean Underhill, a recurring character on Chicago Hope.
In 2013, he was the executive producer and narrator of I Know That Voice, a documentary on voice acting, along with producer Tommy Reid and director Lawrence Shapiro.
In 2022, upon news that Futurama would be revived for a second time through Disney and Hulu, DiMaggio ran into conflict during negotiations while demanding more money to reprise the role of Bender, which he dubbed "#BenderGate". Fans supported DiMaggio's hold out for better pay, while DiMaggio stated that he felt the entire cast deserved better pay and that it reflected a corporate attempt to take advantage of voice actors. The effort also received support from DiMaggio's colleagues, including veteran voice actors Tara Strong, Kari Wahlgren, and Mark Hamill, while James Adomian noted that a casting call for a sound-alike of DiMaggio had been sent out by the studio. While it was initially reported that DiMaggio would not be returning to the role, he later announced his decision to return. He revealed that though he did not succeed in negotiating a pay increase, he felt the attention to the issue of proper compensation in the voice acting industry was worthwhile.
Personal life[]
DiMaggio lives in Los Angeles and New York City. He has been married to actress Kate Miller since 2014.