July 30, 1998
Source: UltimateTV

Hank Azaria Voices "Stressed Eric"

Emmy Award nominee Hank Azaria (NBC's "Mad About You," "The Simpsons") will provide the voice of the title character, Eric Feeble, on NBC's new animated series "Stressed Eric," premiering Wednesday, August 12 (9:30-10 p.m. ET).

The six-episode series originally aired on BBC2 earlier this year and was Britain's first half-hour animated sitcom. The series, called "brilliantly observed and hilarious" by the London Mail, was named Best International Co-Production and Best Scenario at the British Animation Awards in March 1998.

As Eric Feeble, the most stressed man in the world, Azaria will re-dub the original dialogue voiced by English actor Mark Heap. Eric, a divorced middle-aged, middle-class worker, will become an American living in London, trying to cope with the pressures of raising his two young children and working in a dead-end job. All of the other characters, including Eric's backwards son, Brian, and allergy-ridden daughter, Claire; his domineering boss, P.P., his annoyingly successful neighbors, the Perfects; and his irritating ex-wife, Liz, will retain their original voices.

Azaria, who recently played an over-zealous photographer in the summer blockbuster "Godzilla," also provides the voices of numerous memorable characters on the animated comedy "The Simpsons" and has been nominated for an Emmy Award for his recurring role as Nat the dogwalker on "Mad About You." His other feature-film credits include "Great Expectations," "Anastasia," "Grosse Point Blank," "The Birdcage" and "Quiz Show."

"Stressed Eric" is a co-production of Absolutely Productions, the BBC and the Emmy Award-winning U.S. animation studio Klasky Csupo. Executive producers for the NBC version are Miles Bullough for Absolutely Productions, series creator/writer Carl Gorham and Howard Klein for 3 Arts Entertainment. Animation is by the Los Angeles-based firm Klasky Csupo ("The Simpsons," "Rugrats," "Duckman"), which has won five Emmys and two CableACE awards for its animation.