BoJack Horseman (character)

BoJack Horseman
BoJack Horseman character
First Episode Appearance	"BoJack Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Story, Chapter One" (2014)
Created by	Raphael Bob-Waksberg
Character played by	Will Arnett
In-universe information
Full name	BoJack F. Horseman
Species	Horse
Occupation	Actor
Family	Beatrice Horseman (mother) Butterscotch Horseman (father) Hollyhock Manheim-Mannheim-Guerrero-Robinson-Zilberschlag-Hsung-Fonzarelli-McQuack (half-sister)
Significant other	Princess Carolyn (ex-girlfriend) Wanda Pierce (ex-girlfriend) Sarah Lynn (ex-lover) Ana Spanakopita (ex-lover) Gina Cazador (ex-girlfriend)
Relatives	Joseph Sugarman (maternal grandfather; deceased) Honey Sugarman (maternal grandmother; deceased) Crackerjack Sugarman (maternal uncle; deceased)

BoJack F. Horseman is the fictional title character of the Netflix animated television series BoJack Horseman. He is voiced by Will Arnett and was created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg.

Prior to the series start, BoJack had starred in a hit 1990s sitcom called Horsin' Around. After the show concluded, BoJack struggled to find acting work, instead living off residual checks from Horsin' Around's syndication.

BoJack, a self-loathing anthropomorphic alcoholic horse, suffers from depression, and often engages in self-destructive tendencies. He frequently drinks and takes drugs to excess and has difficulty socializing with those in his life.

Fictional biography

BoJack Horseman was born on January 2, 1964 in San Francisco, California. His acting career peaked when he starred in a successful family sitcom called Horsin' Around in the late 1980s and later The BoJack Horseman Show, an edgier, less successful sitcom which was cancelled in 2007 after just one season. Though he began as a young bright-eyed actor, he has since grown bitter, deeply depressed, and jaded towards Hollywoo and whom he has become post-fame. BoJack has been shown to be caring and insightful, but his insecurities, loneliness, and desperate need for approval often result in self-destructive actions that devastate those around him. Many of his issues stem from drug abuse, alcohol abuse, horrible decisions he's made throughout his career, and issues with his unhappy parents during childhood, which the audience is shown through flashbacks.

During the series, BoJack makes a comeback attempt, trying to act once again. In season 1, he receives an advance to write a memoir, but after difficulties starting, his publisher hires Diane Nguyen as his ghostwriter. Despite difficulty during the writing process, the book receives positive reviews, and brings BoJack back into the spotlight. In season 2, he lands the role of Secretariat in a biopic of the famous horse. However, he struggles with the role and with the production in jeopardy, Secretariat's director is fired. BoJack takes a brief vacation and when he returns, discovers the new director finished shooting and used a CGI version of BoJack instead. The movie is a critical and commercial hit upon its release, even earning BoJack an Oscar nomination in season 3—though it is later revealed to be a mistake. Subsequently, he and his roommate, Todd Chavez, have a falling out. BoJack then copes by going on a drug-induced bender with his friend and former co-star in Horsin' Around, Sarah Lynn, which results in her death. Despite being hired again to do a sequel show to Horsin' Around, BoJack runs away and nearly attempts suicide.

In season 4, he comes to terms with Sarah Lynn's death after months of avoiding the public eye and meets with Hollyhock, a young horse who at first believes BoJack to be her biological father, but is later revealed to be his half-sister as a result of an affair between BoJack's father and his maid. He also deals with his mother suffering from dementia. BoJack lands the title role on Philbert, an original detective web-series that streams on WhatTimeIsItRightNow.com. During season 5, while working on Philbert, BoJack begins dating co-star Gina Cazador. During the show's production, he develops an addiction to prescription painkillers. The first season of Philbert becomes a huge success, and production of season 2 begins almost immediately; during this time, however, Bojack's drug problem worsens until one day on set, while heavily under the influence of painkillers, he chokes Gina. Gina doesn't press charges and will continue to work with him, but vows never to speak to BoJack again. Season 5 ends with BoJack checking himself into rehab with encouragement from Diane. In season 6, he is seen as having been healed significantly as a result of rehab. In the season six episode "The Face of Depression", it is revealed he's been dying his hair black for the last twenty years; the real color of his hair is grey.

Behind the scenes

Actor Will Arnett, who voices BoJack, stated in an interview with Vanity Fair that he was drawn to playing the character due to his deep character flaws, namely his emotional scarring, and that he believes BoJack is both lovable and unlovable at the same time. Arnett has received praise for his portrayal of BoJack and ability to balance comedy with emotion, especially in the fifth season episode "Free Churro", which consists mostly of an eulogy that BoJack delivers for his mother at her funeral.

See also

• List of BoJack Horseman characters
• List of fictional horses

External links

• BoJack Horseman (character) on Twitter

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