Jacob Hopkins Describes’The Amazing World Of Gumball’ And Reveals His Upcoming Works

A voice-acting icon!

Jacob Hopkins quickly rose in the entertainment industry after voicing the lead character Gumball in the Cartoon Network series ‘The Amazing World Of Gumball’. Now, he currently voices the character Fushi in the popular series ‘To Your Eternity’.

We had the amazing honor of talking with Jacob about his role in ABC’s ‘The Goldbergs’, ‘Komi Can’t Communicate‘, and more!

What made you want to pursue a career as an actor?

J: “I sort of fell into it. My dad was an actor before me, and one day when I was five, we ran errands together. We stopped by his agent’s office and they asked if I was interested in acting. I immediately shot up and exclaimed, “Sure! What’s acting?” And from there, the rest is history.”

You voiced Gumball in the Cartoon Network’s The Amazing World of Gumball for three seasons! Can you tell us more about your character and the show for our readers who may not be familiar with it? 

J: “For all you out there who haven’t seen this zaniness we call a show, The Amazing World of Gumball is a fourth-wall-breaking cartoon about a talking blue preteen cat named Gumball Watterson (me!) who lives with his best friend and brother Darwin (a goldfish with legs). In each episode, they go on these ridiculous adventures (like discovering Gumball’s true name, only for him to develop a complete personality to fit it) that, in the end, bring Gumball closer to his friends and family and teach him to sit his hyperactive self still for just one minute and learn what it really means to appreciate the people around him… only for him to turn around and do the same things that get him in trouble all over again. Oh, and the school bully is a CGI T-Rex.”

You have made a name for yourself in the anime genre! What is the process for you in terms of doing an anime role?

J: “Anime is quite a different world than western animation! Of course, they’re both voice-acting jobs, but the real trick is in how the acting is done. One of the major differences is that anime is all ADR, meaning one must record to animation that has already been animated. You have to speak in time with the lip flaps of the character to fit the timing of the dialogue, whereas with western animation, voice actors are able to set their own pacing as the episodes haven’t been animated yet. Also, the vast majority of anime is based off of Japanese comics called “manga,” so there is a lot of source material to study from when recording for (or even auditioning for) a character!”

You currently voice the lead character Fushi in the hit series “To your Eternity.” The second season recently premiered on Crunchyroll and will soon stream on HBO Max! What can fans of the series expect from the new season?

J: “I’m still super excited about this! Yes, season 2 is finally out and I can’t wait for you all to see what we have in store! I don’t want to give too much away, but you can expect a lot more skips in time that show Fushi growing and expanding his world, surrounding himself with new friends… and new enemies. The war against the demonic creatures known as Nokkers continues, and we’re leading up to a grand, epic battle!”

Please tell us about the character you voice in “Prince of Tennis” and “Prince of Tennis II.” Why should people tune in to watch this anime series?

J: “Prince of Tennis is one of the longest-running sports anime in the game (pun intended), and if you’re a true sports shonen fan then you must have heard of it! Prince of Tennis teaches the important value of comradery, and if you’ve ever been a part of a team or closely knit group of friends, Prince of Tennis is the show for you to relieve those glorious days. I voice Oishi, vice-captain of the Seigaku Tennis Club. Second in command, he’s a lot more earnest and caring than Captain Tezuka. However, that’s not to say he doesn’t know when to be stern and commanding in situations that he deem necessary, and he most certainly knows how to coach his team and whip them into shape properly. Jokingly known as the “Mother of Seigaku,” he loves all of his teammates not only as friends, but as brothers. Oishi is the true definition of companionship and undying support, and will make sure his boys- uh, I mean his team, will win!”

One of your newest roles is in the anime “Komi Can’t Communicate.” What can you tell us about this project?

J: “Komi Can’t Communicate was an instant favorite of mine the minute the first season came out, and I’m so hyped to say that I’m a big part of the second season! I voice Makoto Katai, a high school boy who’s over six feet tall and weighs 200 pounds of pure muscle. He’s the very definition of intimidation as he prowls through school with his terrifying glare and insidious smile, but underneath that rough exterior is an innocent, anxious high schooler who just wants to make friends. He only looks that tough because he worked out a bunch over summer break and didn’t want anyone to tease him, ok?! But once our hero Tadano befriends him, his whole life changes for the better as he starts to become more social and approachable.”

You were cast as Vampire Authority member Alexander Drew in the hit series “ True Blood”. What was the audition process like to get the role?

J: “I remember being absolutely ecstatic about the role (given I was nine years old and the biggest fan of Creatures of the Night). Before the audition, I spent the whole day getting into the mindset of an authoritative, tyrannical vampire… at the age of nine. I walked into the audition and was met with a group of 10 people composed of the casting director, creator, producers, writers, and the showrunner himself, Alan Ball. I greeted them as the character would: pompously. Thankfully, they could tell that I was method-acting and were eating it up. I left the audition with high spirits and, as a nine-year-old with no self-awareness, loudly proclaimed, “Well, I booked that one!” And sure enough, two hours later I got the call.”

Soon after that, you started appearing on The Goldbergs in your long-running portrayal of Chad Kremp! What was it like playing Chad? What did you enjoy most about it and what was the most challenging?

J: “Playing Chad was sort of a way for me to live out my 80s fantasies! I’ve always been a huge fan of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Nintendo, Tron, Van Halen, etc., so pop culture was an absolute trip for me. I really didn’t have to change my personality that much to play him: he’s a good soul who’s passionate about 80s media and loves hanging out with his best buddy Adam, making home movies and doing ridiculous things that he knows he shouldn’t do, but does them anyway. I think the most challenging aspect of Chad was maturing the character as I got older in real-time. I had never done something like that with a character before, so as The Goldbergs were picked up with more and more seasons, everyone grew older and had to adapt to changes in their personalities that still stayed true to the hearts of their characters.”

What can we expect from you in the coming months?

J: “Aside from more Prince of Tennis and To Your Eternity episodes, I’ve actually been recording for a video game! I can’t say what it is quite yet, but it’s part of a long-running franchise that is a favorite of mine, so stay tuned! Also, new episodes of Boruto recently came out on Amazon Prime and I made my debut as the conniving, cold and calculating Code (be sure to keep a close eye on him!). There was also a recent announcement from DiscoTek Media that the dub of Fist of the North Star: Legend of Raoh – Chapter of Death and Love will be coming soon on DVD. I voice Shiva, a young boy who our hero Ken saves from evil clutches and returns the favor in a way that’s sure to tug on your heartstrings. I’ll also be at the Saint Pete Comic Con in Saint Petersburg, Florida, coming up on January 7th-8th, 2023; excited to see you all there!”

Photo Credit: Lindsey Ruth

See Jacob show off his talent in ‘Prince of Tennis‘ and ‘To Your Eternity’, available now on Crunchyroll!

Kylie Montigney-Music/Entertainment Editor– Kylie has been a Host/Producer for over a year with her Podcast Talk of Fame at only 14 years old. Kylie enjoys talking to all her guests that are in the Entertainment industry and learn more about their journey to where there are today and to inspire young girls & woman to feel represented in the media.