- Born
- Birth nameCharles William Mumy Jr.
- Height5′ 7″ (1.70 m)
- Along with his most impressive list of television/film credits, Bill is also a very talented well-known musician, songwriter, recording artist, as well as writer. He plays guitar, bass, keyboards, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, percussion and sings. He has released three solo CDs, 1997's "Dying To Be Heard", 1999's "In The Current" and the 2000 release of his third solo album, "Pandora's Box". All three released on Renaissance Records. In 1978, Bill and his partner, Robert Haimer, officially formed the infamous "quirky-rock duo" Barnes and Barnes. They are known worldwide, and have recorded 9 albums on Rhino and CBS Record labels. They also released a feature length home video titled "Zabagabee" featuring a Collaboration of Barnes and Barnes short films. Their infamous "Fish Heads" song placed #57 in Rolling Stones Top 100 Videos of All Time. In 2000, Ogio Records released the 24 song "Yeah: The Essential Barnes & Barnes" CD. Bill was nominated for an Emmy in 1991/1992 for his original song composition for Adventures in Wonderland for Disney which he wrote 105 songs for 100 episodes. He also scored three episodes of the award winning PBS series The Universe and I and contributed songs and themes to Santa Barbara, TV Guide Looks At, Hard to Hold (1984), Plain Clothes (1988), Archie, Sunshine (1975), Bless the Beasts & Children (1971), The Simpsons (1989), and many other film and television projects. Bill and Miguel Ferrer are in a rock and roll band called the Jenerators. Their first CD and cassette titled the "Jenerators" was released in 1994 on Asil Records. Their second CD produced by Frank Wolf titled "Hitting The Silk" was released in November of 1998 on Wildcat Records. They perform in the Los Angeles area when possible. If that is not enough, Bill has also worked on various children albums as well. "The Yogi Bear Environmental Album: This Land Is Our Land" a 1993 release on Rhino Records/Hanna Barbera, "The Dinosaur Album" also a 1993 release on Rhino Records, and his album "Kiss My Boo Boo" which has been released on the Infinite Visions label.
In addition to his many other talents, Bill co-created the popular children television series, Space Cases (1996) with Peter David which he also co-wrote, produced, composed music for, and guest starred in as well. It was nominated for the 1996 Ace Award for "Outstanding Children's Series." The series has run globally in over sixty countries. Peter and Bill have written the screenplay to the feature film, "Overload" which Bill is also starring in. Bill has written as well as co-created many comic books, stories, and television series. He has written for Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics and Pocket Books. The stories he co-wrote include well-known titles as "Spider-Man", "The Hulk", and "Clive Barker's Hellraiser." He co-wrote a Star Trek trilogy "Return of the Worthy", and was a creative consultant and writer to the Lost In Space Innovation monthly comic. He also has written for DC comics, "Aquaman", "The Spectre" and "Star Trek". His writing projects include the feature film, _Overload_ and a fantasy novel co-written with Angela Cartwright, "Realms Of Majik: The Pocket in Reality". His short stories, "The Black '59" and "The Undeadliest Game" appeared in Pocket Books "Shock Rock" Volumes 1 and 2. Both have been printed globally in many languages. He has also written for animation, most recently an episode of the sci fi series, "Roswell Conspiracies". He has also written episodics for NBC's series, "Sunshine", USA network's Swamp Thing, as well as scripting an unfilmed episode of Babylon 5 (1993). He co-created and wrote the Marvel Comics series' "The Comet Man", "The Dreamwalker" graphic novel, and Dark Horse Comics' "Trypto, The Acid Dog" with Miguel Ferrer.
Included in his various multi-talent accomplishments, he is also a prolific voice over actor and can be heard narrating several of the prestigious "A&E: Biographies" as well as many other documentaries and specials. Some of his commercial work in that arena includes McDonalds, Mattel, Bud Ice, Amtrak, Blockbuster, Ford, KFC, Wal Mart, and Nickelodeon - just to name a few. He is presently doing all the television and radio spots for Farmers Insurance. His voice over work in animation includes The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991), Batman: The Animated Series (1992), Animaniacs (1993), Little Wizard Adventures, and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000).- IMDb Mini Biography By: vlivius@hotmail.com
- SpouseEileen Mumy(October 9, 1986 - present) (2 children)
- Children
- ParentsCharles William Mumy Sr.Muriel Gertrude Mumy
- Boyish and child-like earnestness and affibility
- Red Hair and Blue Eyes
- Often plays supernatural and science-fiction characters
- Was the original choice to play "Eddie Munster," in the cult 1960s TV series The Munsters (1964). However, his parents did not approve of the makeup young Bill would have to wear for the role; they turned it down. Butch Patrick ended up playing the part. Today, Patrick and Mumy are very good friends and sometimes collaborate on music.
- Wrote a screenplay back in the late 1970s in which the Lost in Space (1965) family would have found their way back to Earth. 20th Century Fox was committed to the project, but series creator Irwin Allen wasn't interested in reviving the series. The plan dissolved completely after the death of space patriarch Guy Williams in 1989.
- Acted in a recent episode of the newly-revived The Twilight Zone (2002) TV series with his actress-daughter Liliana Mumy. As a child, Mumy appeared in three of Rod Serling's classic The Twilight Zone (1959) episodes (Long Distance Call (1961), It's a Good Life (1961) and In Praise of Pip (1963)) during the 1960s.
- Was a lifelong friend of James Stewart, with whom he co-starred in the film Dear Brigitte (1965). The Stewart and Mumy families knew each other well off-screen, Stewart's wife Gloria having been Mumy's Sunday school teacher. He can still do a perfect imitation of Stewart's voice, one that frequently cracked Stewart up during his lifetime. They were all members of the Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church.
- On the Babylon 5 (1993) episode, Eyes (1994), he used his album title, "Zabagabee", as an alien word. Series producer J. Michael Straczynski was reportedly not amused, as he didn't feel it was appropriate to promote outside projects, and it ran counter to his mandate forbidding improvisation on the show.
- I had a great time doing Lost in Space (1965). With the exception of a couple of days, I don't have any unpleasant memories of the show. The only thing I'm bitter about in a sense is that the show runs constantly in syndication and none of the actors get paid. Nonetheless, I made a lot of money at the time, my family invested it well for me, and I have a lot of nice things. I can't complain.
- [asked about real-life sibling rivalry between his actor-children, Seth Mumy and Liliana Mumy] . . . If my kids could wish each other into the cornfield, as it were, they'd LIVE there. I mean, they'd be in that cornfield all the time.
- [Before Lost in Space (1965)] From the age of four I was a huge comic fan and still am. When "Lost in Space" came along it was like being in a huge comic, so we jumped at the chance of being part of that project and it proved to be a good choice.
- I'd been working quite prolifically for about five or six years before we started Lost in Space (1965). One week I'd be a scary mutant in The Twilight Zone (1959) and another I'd be a nice little kid in a Disney movie.
- [on being more than an actor] I'm very lucky to work in so many different arenas of the entertainment industry and I do enjoy them all, but making music--original music-in the studio or live onstage is definitely my favorite thing to do.
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