# H. Jon Benjamin
**H. Jon Benjamin** (born 1966) is an American actor, voice actor, and comedian from [Worcester, Massachusetts](https://www.edgepedia.org/worcester-massachusetts), best known as the voice of [Sterling Archer](https://www.edgepedia.org/sterling-archer) on the FX spy comedy *[Archer](https://www.edgepedia.org/archer-2009-tv-series)* and Bob Belcher on the Fox animated sitcom *Bob's Burgers*, lead roles he has held simultaneously since 2011.[1](https://www.fandango.com/people/h-jon-benjamin-49716/biography) • [2](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/h-jon-benjamin-lends-voice-archer-bobs-burgers-52769/) His voice, a deep baritone with deadpan delivery, is also known from *Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist*, *Home Movies*, and the talking can of vegetables in *Wet Hot American Summer* (2001).[1](https://www.fandango.com/people/h-jon-benjamin-49716/biography)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1966, Worcester, Massachusetts[1](https://www.fandango.com/people/h-jon-benjamin-49716/biography) |
| Signature roles | Sterling Archer in *Archer* (FX, 2009– ) and Bob Belcher in *Bob's Burgers* (Fox, 2011– )[1](https://www.fandango.com/people/h-jon-benjamin-49716/biography) |
| Early break | Ben, the lazy son on Comedy Central's *Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist* (1995–1999)[3](https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/archer/h-jon-benjamin-sterling-archer) |
| Emmy recognition | 2010 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for *Archer*[3](https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/archer/h-jon-benjamin-sterling-archer) |
| Other work | Co-created *Freak Show* with David Cross (2006); starred in *Jon Benjamin Has a Van* (Comedy Central, 2011)[3](https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/archer/h-jon-benjamin-sterling-archer) • [1](https://www.fandango.com/people/h-jon-benjamin-49716/biography) |
| Bob's Burgers range | Close to 30 voice credits on the show, including Jimmy Pesto Jr. and Ms. LaBonz[4](https://www.gq.com/story/h-jon-benjamin-profile) |
## Name and early life
Sources differ slightly on his full name: IMDb and the Bob's Burgers Wiki give **Harry Jon Benjamin**, while Fandango and TV Insider give Henry Jon Benjamin; a 2019 GQ profile states that the "H" stands for Harry.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0071304/bio/) • [4](https://www.gq.com/story/h-jon-benjamin-profile) • [6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/h-jon-benjamin/) He goes by Jon professionally. He graduated from Worcester Academy in 1984 and from [Connecticut College](https://www.edgepedia.org/connecticut-college) in 1988.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0071304/bio/)
In 1990 he moved to Boston, where his roommate [Sam Seder](https://www.edgepedia.org/sam-seder) was doing stand-up, and the two formed a duo act. Benjamin then joined Cross Comedy, the sketch group led by [David Cross](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-cross), which performed in Boston and New York and drew attention from scouts for *Saturday Night Live* and the networks.[1](https://www.fandango.com/people/h-jon-benjamin-49716/biography) • [2](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/h-jon-benjamin-lends-voice-archer-bobs-burgers-52769/) He has said he stumbled into both comedy and voice work rather than planning them; he was in graduate school in Chicago studying history before dropping out and joining Seder in Boston.[2](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/h-jon-benjamin-lends-voice-archer-bobs-burgers-52769/)
## Dr. Katz and the Bouchard shows
Benjamin's television break came in 1995, when Jonathan Katz, a Boston comedian who had performed with Cross Comedy, asked him to read for *Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist*, the [Comedy Central](https://www.edgepedia.org/comedy-central) animated series co-created by Katz and [Tom Snyder](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-snyder). At the audition, held in Snyder's pantry with a microphone set up there, Benjamin first tried an old-man voice for the role of Katz's father and was instead cast as Ben, the doctor's childish 24-year-old son.[2](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/h-jon-benjamin-lends-voice-archer-bobs-burgers-52769/)
The show's method shaped his style. Each episode was "retroscripted": Katz and Benjamin improvised on tape, and the best moments were selected and animated in Snyder's lo-fi "Squigglevision" format. Benjamin has described the first two or three seasons as having essentially no scripts, with performers in the booth for two or three hours at a time.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/h-jon-benjamin/) • [2](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/h-jon-benjamin-lends-voice-archer-bobs-burgers-52769/) The same production company later hired him for *Home Movies* and *Lucy: The Daughter of the Devil*.[2](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/h-jon-benjamin-lends-voice-archer-bobs-burgers-52769/)
*Home Movies*, created by [Loren Bouchard](https://www.edgepedia.org/loren-bouchard) and [Brendon Small](https://www.edgepedia.org/brendon-small), debuted on UPN in 1999 and moved to [Adult Swim](https://www.edgepedia.org/adult-swim) in 2001. Benjamin voiced both Jason, the best friend of the eight-year-old filmmaker Brendon, and John McGuirk, Brendon's temperamental soccer coach.[1](https://www.fandango.com/people/h-jon-benjamin-49716/biography) Bouchard, who had been an editor on *Dr. Katz*, has called Benjamin his muse and has cast him in every show he has made.[4](https://www.gq.com/story/h-jon-benjamin-profile)
## Archer and Bob's Burgers
In 2009 Benjamin was cast in his first starring role, the suave and hedonistic secret agent Sterling Archer in the FX spy parody *Archer*, created by [Adam Reed](https://www.edgepedia.org/adam-reed). Benjamin says Reed offered him the part and he accepted without having read the script, recording the pilot in an hour; the series was picked up eight months later. The role earned him a 2010 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance.[3](https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/archer/h-jon-benjamin-sterling-archer) • [1](https://www.fandango.com/people/h-jon-benjamin-49716/biography) • [2](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/h-jon-benjamin-lends-voice-archer-bobs-burgers-52769/)
*Bob's Burgers* took a different path. Bouchard spent close to a year developing the show, and Benjamin recalls one scene being redone more than 20 times. Since 2011 he has voiced Bob Belcher, the easily exasperated owner of a struggling hamburger restaurant, in what Fandango describes as his most high-profile role as the series moved from cult favorite to mainstream success.[1](https://www.fandango.com/people/h-jon-benjamin-49716/biography) • [2](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/h-jon-benjamin-lends-voice-archer-bobs-burgers-52769/)
Because both lead roles use his natural baritone, critics and viewers have often compared the two characters. Bouchard acknowledged the risk before *Bob's Burgers* premiered, saying he did not want audiences distracted by the voice sounding like another cartoon, but trusted viewers to move past it. Benjamin distinguishes the two by temperament: Bob's voice closely resembles his own speaking voice and only requires sounding put-upon, while Archer is aggressive, with brief moments of vulnerability that are quickly dismissed.[4](https://www.gq.com/story/h-jon-benjamin-profile) The comparison has even been written into other shows: on *Family Guy*, the character Carl, also voiced by Benjamin, does stand-up impressions of both Bob Belcher and Sterling Archer.[7](https://bobs-burgers.fandom.com/wiki/H._Jon_Benjamin)
On *Bob's Burgers* itself, Benjamin's range is wider than the lead role suggests. GQ counted close to 30 voice credits on the show, and Benjamin estimated that about half use essentially the same voice; he has said he most enjoys voicing Ms. LaBonz, a jaded teacher modeled on former NPR host [Diane Rehm](https://www.edgepedia.org/diane-rehm). He also co-wrote the episodes "The Land Ship" and "Secret Admiral-irer" with Holly Schlesinger, and co-wrote the story for "Cheer Up, Sleepy Gene."[4](https://www.gq.com/story/h-jon-benjamin-profile) • [7](https://bobs-burgers.fandom.com/wiki/H._Jon_Benjamin) The season 4 premiere of *Archer* included a crossover with *Bob's Burgers*, and he voiced Bob Belcher, Jimmy Jr., and several other roles in *The Bob's Burgers Movie* (2022).[7](https://bobs-burgers.fandom.com/wiki/H._Jon_Benjamin) • [8](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-25181/filmographie/)
## Other work
Benjamin's film roles include a small part in the Boston-set indie romantic comedy *Next Stop Wonderland* (1997), his feature debut, and the voice of a talking can of vegetables in the cult comedy *Wet Hot American Summer* (2001), which he reprised in the Netflix prequel series *Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp* (2015).[1](https://www.fandango.com/people/h-jon-benjamin-49716/biography) On television he co-created the Comedy Central animated series *Freak Show* with David Cross in 2006, voicing Tuck, and in 2009 worked as a writer and co-producer on the sketch show *Important Things with Demetri Martin*, in which he also appeared.[3](https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/archer/h-jon-benjamin-sterling-archer) His own sketch series, *Jon Benjamin Has a Van*, ran on Comedy Central in 2011 and was canceled after one season.[1](https://www.fandango.com/people/h-jon-benjamin-49716/biography) • [2](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/h-jon-benjamin-lends-voice-archer-bobs-burgers-52769/)
His voice appears outside animation as well. He has been heard in Arby's commercials, voiced the Radio Voice across numerous *Destiny 2* releases, and provided the inner monologue of the title character in the 2024 action film *Boy Kills World*.[4](https://www.gq.com/story/h-jon-benjamin-profile) • [9](https://www.metacritic.com/person/h-jon-benjamin/) • [10](https://roadsideattractionspublicity.com/strapi/uploads/BOY_KILLS_WORLD_Final_040824_1c53a37d20.pdf) In 2025 he appeared in the drama *[Familiar Touch](https://www.edgepedia.org/familiar-touch)*, a dramatic turn away from his usual comedy roles.[11](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621225647)
## References
1. [H. Jon Benjamin Biography, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/people/h-jon-benjamin-49716/biography)
2. [H. Jon Benjamin Lends His Voice to 'Archer' and 'Bob's Burgers', Backstage](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/h-jon-benjamin-lends-voice-archer-bobs-burgers-52769/)
3. [H. Jon Benjamin as Sterling Archer, FX Networks](https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/archer/h-jon-benjamin-sterling-archer)
4. [Bob's Burgers Star H. Jon Benjamin Is Always There for You, GQ](https://www.gq.com/story/h-jon-benjamin-profile)
5. [H. Jon Benjamin Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0071304/bio/)
6. [H. Jon Benjamin, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/h-jon-benjamin/)
7. [H. Jon Benjamin, Bob's Burgers Wiki](https://bobs-burgers.fandom.com/wiki/H._Jon_Benjamin)
8. [H. Jon Benjamin filmography, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-25181/filmographie/)
9. [H. Jon Benjamin, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/h-jon-benjamin/)
10. [Boy Kills World press notes, Fox Network/Roadside Attractions](https://roadsideattractionspublicity.com/strapi/uploads/BOY_KILLS_WORLD_Final_040824_1c53a37d20.pdf)
11. [H. Jon Benjamin, Apple TV Snapshot](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621225647)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Voice performers › American voice performers › Animation and cartoon voice actors › Contemporary animation voice actors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license