Two of the iconic voice actors from Pixar’s “A Bug’s Life” reunited this weekend at Salt Lake City’s FanX.
Dave Foley and John Ratzenberger talked about their characters from the movie and characters they play in other movies and shows, their favorite pizza toppings and more during a panel at the pop culture and comic convention, held at the Salt Palace Convention Center.
Fans cheer as Dave Foley, the voice of Flik in the Pixar and Disney film “A Bug’s Life,” and John Ratzenberger, the voice of P.T. Flea in “A Bug’s Life,” pose on stage to take a photo with the audience at the end of a panel as part of the FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture and Comic Convention held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Dave Foley, right, the voice of Flik in the Pixar and Disney film “A Bug’s Life,” waves as he and John Ratzenberger, the voice of P.T. Flea in “A Bug’s Life,” bid farewell to the audience at the end of a panel as part of the FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture and Comic Convention held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Erika Siler and her son Lucky, 11, both of Wellsville, laugh during a panel featuring John Ratzenberger and Dave Foley, voice actors in the Pixar and Disney film “A Bug’s Life,” as part of the FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture and Comic Convention held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Dave Foley, right, the voice of Flik in the Pixar and Disney film “A Bug’s Life,” speaks as he’s joined by John Ratzenberger, the voice of P.T. Flea in “A Bug’s Life,” during a panel as part of the FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture and Comic Convention held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Zayn Collins, 8, of West Jordan, laughs as he’s given feedback while he asks a question during a panel featuring John Ratzenberger and Dave Foley, voice actors in the Pixar and Disney film “A Bug’s Life,” as part of the FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture and Comic Convention held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Behind the scenes of ‘A Bug’s Life’
Foley revealed that he was originally brought in to audition for the voice of Stick the Insect, but his time got bumped when Carol Burnett showed up. When he was rescheduled, the team had him audition for Flik instead, and he ended up landing the role of the main character.
Despite being what some may consider the forgotten Pixar movie, “A Bug’s Life” is a timeless story, and Foley recognized what viewers can learn from the movie.
“It’s a movie about the power of the collective and the strength of an individual sticking to their beliefs,” Foley said. “And also that people can get together and work together and they can overcome what might seem like an insurmountable obstacle.”
“A Bug’s Life” centers around Flik, an ant who wants to help his colony stop the grasshoppers from taking their food storage every year.
A commitment to quality on ‘A Bug’s Life’
The movie was the second Pixar film to be made, and Ratzenberger pointed out how committed the film production company was to creating quality content.
John Ratzenberger, the voice of P.T. Flea in “A Bug’s Life,” speaks during a panel as part of the FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture and Comic Convention held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
“Every Pixar movie, they tried to do something different with animation that had never been done before,” Ratzenberger said.
With “A Bug’s Life,” the focus for the animation team was on getting the plant matter right.
“‘A Bug’s Life,’ they were obsessed with getting the translucence of plant matter,” Foley said. “That was something they spent a lot of time working on.”
Foley revealed that a scene could already be voiced and animated, but if someone came up with a better joke or a way to make the scene better, Pixar would scrap the whole thing and start over.
“They were such perfectionists,” Foley said. “And when they had a new idea, that would make the scenes better, they would redo everything. They were obsessive.”
Dave Foley, the voice of Flik in the Pixar and Disney film “A Bug’s Life,” speaks during a panel as part of the FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture and Comic Convention held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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