Paul Rugg

Paul Kevin Rugg is an American screenwriter, producer, voice actor, and puppeteer. He is best known for his starring roles in shows like Freakazoid!, Pig Goat Banana Cricket, and Earth to Ned.

Rugg has worked extensively in the field of animation. His list of credits include writing for, producing, and voice acting in several cartoons, first as the Jerry Lewis-esque Mr. Director in Animaniacs. Afterwards, he voiced the title character in Freakazoid! and Nostradamus in Histeria!, as well as the main recurring villain, Dark Lord Chuckles the Silly Piggy in the Disney series Dave the Barbarian. He also voiced Gweelok for Cartoon Network's Secret Mountain Fort Awesome.

Rugg also appeared live as the eccentric character Manny in the Manny the Uncanny short segments as part of Disney's One Saturday Morning for ABC.

Rugg created and directed The Sam Plenty Cavalcade of Action Show Plus Singing! with Mitch Schauer, on behalf of The Jim Henson Company. He also played the voice of Principal Rotwood in the Disney Channel series American Dragon Jake Long.

Alongside Adam Carolla and John P. McCann, Rugg was an improvisational actor at the ACME Comedy Theatre in Los Angeles, where he created the character Manny the Uncanny.

Rugg was recruited to the Warner Bros. Animation team led by Jean MacCurdy and Tom Ruegger, and was a key contributor to their various series in the 1990s. In 2008, Rugg attended the San Diego Comic-Con alongside Paul Dini, Jean MacCurdy, John P. McCann, and Andrea Romano.

Rugg later worked with Brian Henson when he took up puppeteer work for Puppet Up! and other projects of The Jim Henson Company under its "Henson Alternative" banner. He reunited with Henson as protagonist Ned in Earth to Ned.

Rugg has been nominated for several Emmy Awards, and has received three. He previously lived up the coast from Los Angeles with his wife Maria and daughter Jillian.[citation needed ] In July 2023, Jillian got married, after which Rugg moved to Virginia to live closer to her family.

Rugg has two dogs: Chihuahua Lucky (2006-2020), who was the subject of a viral video; and Lucky.