Rodger Bumpass, the man who gave life to Squidward Tentacles on Nickelodeon’s Spongebob Squarepants, is currently facing career-threatening legal charges.
TMZ reported that Rodger Bumpass, the voice actor who voiced the popular cartoon character, has been arrested for DUI last Friday night.
According to officials, Bumpass’ blue PT Cruiser made a stop before 11PM with the actor leaning against the car. When approached by the cops, Bumpass allegedly walked away. They claim he walked unsteadily and “nearly fell”.
Sources told the gossip site that Bumpass admitted to driving before being approached by the police where he was arrested after failing the sobriety test. His blood alcohol level was detected to be more than twice the legal limit.
In a follow-up report, TMZ learned that Bumpass claim that the cops lied about his recent DUI charge. However, his accusation could lead to other legal problems.
The actor admitted that he had been drinking at a bar in Burbank then got in his car to drive home. When he noticed cops were tailing him, they pulled him over. He confessed to drinking that night and failed the test for sobriety.
But the problem is, according to the publication, is that cops never saw Bumpass behind the wheel.
“By claiming cops first spotted him while he was driving blows that defense out of the water,” the publication cited.
The actor said that he’s communicated with several people at Nickelodeon, unfortunately his career remains at risk.
Should the network actually fires Bumpass, this won’t lead to Spongebob losing their own Squidward. According to Cinemablend, Nickelodeon “will likely keep the character” and just cast another voice actor to fill-in for the void left by Bumpass.
Spongebob Squarepants has been a fan-favorite cartoon since 1999. Bumpass’ take on the role of Squidward allowed the show to create a great dynamic among Spongebob and other characters.
