INTERVIEW: Futurama Producer David X. Cohen Reveals His Favourite Celebrity Cameo

The producer of Futurama has shared his favourite celebrity guest star on the long-running animated comedy.

David X. Cohen, executive producer/head writer since the show’s premiere in 1999, spoke exclusively to Men’s Journal about Futurama ’s incredible history. Now in its 12th season, new episodes of Futurama are currently airing on Hulu.

There was a hiatus in 2003 when Fox cancelled the show, followed by another in 2013, but now, for the first time in years, the beloved sitcom is experiencing an unprecedented period of stability. In November 2023, Hulu greenlit two more seasons of Futurama, which will air throughout 2026.

Read below to find out which celebrity Cohen most loved working with (“she surprised us at the end of the recording session by asking if we had any use for her owl impression,”) which season of Futurama he found the toughest, and whether we can expect any new episodes in the future.

David X. Cohen Futurama interview

Men’s Journal: Futurama premiered 26 years ago. How have you changed as a creator in that time?

David X. Cohen: The hardest season to make is always season 1... but especially on an animated show. You don't even get to see a finished episode until after you've finished writing the whole season. That makes it a very slow feedback loop. But over the years, you learn what works and what doesn't, what rolls the actors really get into, and what types of stories the audience responds to.

On Futurama , we weren't sure at first how emotional we could make the show, or how seriously we could take the sci-fi angle. But our fans guided us in the right direction and we have found again and again that the comedy still works... in facts works much better... the more we invest in the sci-fi angle, and the more we focus on the human emotions of our characters. Even if they're not technically human.

Men’s Journal: How does your experience making season 12 differ from previous seasons?

David X. Cohen: The writing process has evolved quite a bit, despite the fact that a bunch of our original writers still remain on the writing staff after 26 years! The most visible change is that we now work almost entirely on Zoom.

This started during the pandemic, as you might expect, but then several writers moved out of the Los Angeles area and the only way to keep that core of people involved was to stay on Zoom. Luckily our brilliant cast and superb animators at Rough Draft Studios have remained rock-solid constants over the years. I still get to work with them in person and it's been a blast, even if we occasionally give each other Covid.

Men’s Journal: What’s your fondest memory from making season 12? Do you have any behind-the-scenes anecdotes?

David X. Cohen: The highlight for me was probably the guest appearance by Cara Delevingne in our Attack of the Clothes episode. She was hilarious, a pleasure to work with, and, most unexpectedly, surprised us at the end of the recording session by asking if we had any use for her owl impression. It was quite good. And we did! So she also makes mysterious guest appearances in several other episodes. Keep an ear open for owl hoots.

Men’s Journal: What was the hardest part about making it?

David X. Cohen: The thing that gets more and more difficult is coming up with subject matter we haven't previously covered. It's harder than it sounds, because the show moves at a face pace and grinds up vast heaps of ideas per episode. Luckily we get cancelled once in a while, which allows real-life technology to catch up and move into the future, inevitably causing horrible problems for the world and giving us new funny storylines.

Men’s Journal: When can we expect another season of Futurama ?

David X. Cohen: You are in luck! Assuming you like Futurama . We have two more seasons in the works currently, making this a rare period of stability in the show's roller-coaster history. We expect to have all-new seasons on in 2025 and 2026. At the very least.

Related: The 10 Best Futurama Episodes of All Time

Men’s Journal: Would you like to see the show continue indefinitely or is there a set end in mind?

David X. Cohen: At this point, all of our Futurama characters are very real to me. I feel comforted believing they will carry on with their adventures whether or not we are writing them. I definitely don't have a set ending in mind. The happy ending for me is knowing that life goes on for Fry and Leela and all their friends and enemies and joys and problems... that the world still exists. I don't want to know otherwise.