John Roberts

John Roberts was an actor and comedian who rose to prominence in the early 2010s as the voice of Linda Belcher on the animated sitcom "Bob's Burgers" (Fox, 2011-). Born in Brooklyn and raised in New Jersey, Roberts grew up making people laugh. After his parents divorced, Roberts spent a lot of time with his father and his various girlfriends. And since most of the women his father dated also had children, Roberts quickly learned that by being funny, he could make the strangers feel right at home. This early comedy boot-camp helped Roberts in his early 20s as he jumpstarted his career as a standup in New York City. After years of honing his craft on the live circuit, Roberts began landing regular guest spots on shows like "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (NBC, 2009-2014) and "Archer" (FX, 2009-). His over-the-top style of comedy eventually caught the attention of legendary "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975-) producer Lorne Michaels. Michaels brought Roberts in for an audition, but ultimately decided to go with a different performer. Undeterred, Roberts continued performing standup several nights a week in New York City, and even ventured into the wide-open world of Internet comedy. His YouTube comedy videos were a huge hit, earning millions of views while simultaneously raising the struggling young comic's profile. Then in 2011 Roberts scored a major break when he was cast as the voice of Linda Belcher on the Fox animated sitcom, "Bob's Burgers." Although initial reviews for the show were lukewarm, "Bob's Burgers" eventually earned a loyal following among young viewers. The show premiered its fifth season on October 5, 2014, with Roberts continuing his role as Linda.