‘Big Mouth’ Creator Nick Kroll In Conversation With Cartoon Brew
Cartoon Brew and Netflix collaborated recently to host an FYC discussion in Burbank for the hit animated comedy Big Mouth.
At the event, series co-creator, executive producer, writer. and voice artist Nick Kroll sat down with Cartoon Brew publisher Amid Amidi to discuss the show’s seventh and penultimate season, which is currently streaming worldwide on Netflix. The Q&A is available below to readers:
On September 29, 2017, Big Mouth debuted on Netflix and, along with earlier hit Bojack Horseman, helped usher in the streamer’s adult animation era. Since then, Big Mouth has won four Primetime Emmy Awards and an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production. A critical and audience hit throughout its run, Big Mouth remains an outrageous comedy dedicated to exposing and exploring the humiliation, ridiculousness, and vulnerability that comes with our human hormones exploding during puberty.
Inspired by the particularly awkward adolescences of co-creators and childhood friends, Andrew Goldberg and Nick Kroll, Big Mouth has used its eight seasons to evolve their characters from sixth graders into high schoolers. Per Kroll, their show’s unique and purposeful intention to evolve their characters in age and (slight) maturity over the course of the series is a point of pride.
“Not many animated shows have progressed characters over time,” he explained. “From season one, the whole show is about change so it would be a disservice to its themes to not progress. We open up in season seven in high school. Just as a writer, it’s so much more gratifying to watch the evolution of the kids and acknowledge that it will end.”
However, Kroll was quick to add that if Netflix asked for a Big Mouth special somewhere down the line after the series finale in 2025, they’d be open to the prospect. “We’ll see what happens,” he said with a wink.
During the panel, Kroll covered the original conception of the series with Goldberg bringing him the pitch, and it being “one of those ideas that immediately hits you” earning an easy “yes” from the comedian.
Aside from writing, Kroll spoke about finding the original voices of many of the characters in the series, including his younger self, Nick. Asked how Nick’s aging up to high school would be reflected, Kroll said that the character would mature visually but not in voice. “It’s already this buttery, sandy, sensual one you hear before you,” he joked.
Of his wide array of voices provided for Big Mouth — tallied at 79 primary and support characters that Kroll hedged is perhaps uncorroborated — he said, “The [most] fun thing about the show is they’re all voices that are fun to be with. Every time you come back to them you fall in love. And it’s been fun watching a character like Lola become a standout and fan favorite. I knew what she could be and now I enjoy people enjoying her.”
They also discussed the season seven standout episode, “The International Show.” Written by Victor Quinaz, Jess Dweck, and Brandon Kyle Goodman, it travels around the globe to showcase how puberty is just as awkwardly handled by kids all around the world.
“It was a labor of love by Mark Levin and Victor Quinaz who spearheaded the idea,” Kroll said of the “form breaker” episode that was an international collaboration partially inspired by all of the voice talent who dub episodes in the native languages of 17 different regions served by Netflix.
Kroll also confirmed that season eight of Big Mouth is already in the can, just waiting to be unleashed in 2025. “It’s the perfect gig and now it’s over,” he said with some mock ennui. “They go to high school. It’s crazy. I really think we nailed the landing. We did a live table read of the final episode and everyone was there from the cast. The evolution of the show kids starting at the end of 6th grade and now getting them through high school…I loved making the show.”