{{short description|American animator and producer (born 1972)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Use American English|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox person | image = Eric Stough (cropped).png | caption = Stough in 2013 | birth_place = Evergreen, Colorado, U.S. | other_names = Butters | education = Evergreen High School | alma_mater = University of Colorado at Boulder (BFA) | occupation = {{flat list| * Television producer * animation director }} | years_active = 1995–present }}
'''Eric "Butters" Stough'''<ref>{{Citation|last=Every Matt and Trey Video|title=The Making of South Park Documentary|date=2016-05-20|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjYAZKYen8U |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109043959/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjYAZKYen8U |archive-date=2020-11-09 |url-status=dead|accessdate=2016-10-17}}</ref> ({{IPAc-en|'|s|t|au}}, rhymes with 'cow')<ref>{{cite AV media |people = |last = |first = |date = 2014 |title = Eric Stough commencement speech at the University of Colorado 2014 |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttwNCsYCUfk |type = Videotape |time=0:13 |language = English |via=YouTube |location = University of Colorado |publisher =BuffsTV |access-date = 24 September 2025 }}</ref> is an American animator and producer. He is best known as the animation director and a producer on the television series ''South Park''. Born in Evergreen, Colorado, Stough attended the University of Colorado at Boulder and graduated in 1995 with a degree in film. A longtime friend of Trey Parker, he has worked with him and Matt Stone on most of their projects, including ''South Park'', ''South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut'', ''Orgazmo'', ''Team America: World Police'' and the Broadway musical ''The Book of Mormon''.
Stough has won five Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on ''South Park'', as well as a Peabody Award. He was the inspiration for the character of Butters Stotch on ''South Park''.
==Life and career== Stough was born in Evergreen, Colorado, and has characterized his upbringing as "well-rounded, sheltered and I did what I was told."<ref name="ca"/> He met Trey Parker at age 13; the two later acted in school musicals and made short films together at Evergreen High School.<ref name=dp>{{cite video |people = Best, Ahmed (Interviewer); Stough, Eric (Interviewee) |date =December 24, 2015 |title = Das Process: Episode 25: Eric Stough |url=http://7638998a8fa96a8a45fc-4bbbf75655accd5ce9c4b90bb2b29f52.r6.cf5.rackcdn.com/dp_ep025_20151221_eric_stough.mp3|format = mp3 |medium = Podcast|publisher =GeekNation|accessdate = March 5, 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305060604/http://7638998a8fa96a8a45fc-4bbbf75655accd5ce9c4b90bb2b29f52.r6.cf5.rackcdn.com/dp_ep025_20151221_eric_stough.mp3|archivedate=March 5, 2016}}</ref> Stough grew up interested in animation and aspired to be a "great Disney animator", but was not the best at drawing. He attended the University of Colorado at Boulder (UCB), where he initially studied in their art department. Parker convinced him to instead join their film department, as he would be able to make animated films rather than spend his time perfecting his drawing.<ref name="bw">{{cite news|title=Here's Butters: 'South Park' animator to speak in Boulder|date=April 11, 2013|url=http://www.boulderweekly.com/entertainment/screen/herersquos-butters-south-park-animator-to-speak-in-boulder/|author=David Accomazzo|work=Boulder Weekly|accessdate=March 5, 2016}}</ref> He had an internship with Jim Henson Productions in college.<ref name=dp/>
He graduated with a film degree in 1995,<ref>{{cite news|title='South Park' producer Eric Stough to speak at CU-Boulder spring commencement|date=March 3, 2014|url=http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_25262007/south-park-producer-eric-stough-speak-at-cu|author=Sarah Kuta|work=Daily Camera|accessdate=March 5, 2016}}</ref> and subsequently worked with Parker and Matt Stone on the short film ''The Spirit of Christmas'' (1995). The film grew popular and resulted in a television deal with Comedy Central to produce an animated series based on it, which became ''South Park''. Stough was the first crew member hired on ''South Park'',<ref name="bw"/> which premiered in 1997, and remains the show's producer and animation director to this day.{{when?|date=September 2025}}<ref name=dp/> He has also worked on various ''South Park''-related projects, including the show's theatrical film and the video game ''The Stick of Truth'', as well as ''Orgazmo'', ''Team America: World Police'' and the Broadway hit ''The Book of Mormon'', which he illustrated for.<ref name=dp/>
The character of Butters Stotch in ''South Park'' is based on Stough and his sheltered upbringing.<ref name="cu"/> He noted in his commencement address for UCB in 2014, "The nickname 'Butters' stems from little brother, little buddy and innocent wholesome person."<ref name="ca">{{cite news|title=Eric Stough 2014 Spring Commencement Address|date=May 9, 2014|url=http://www.colorado.edu/news/features/eric-stough-2014-spring-commencement-address|work=University of Colorado at Boulder|accessdate=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305145956/http://www.colorado.edu/news/features/eric-stough-2014-spring-commencement-address|archive-date=March 5, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Stough has also provided the un-muffled voice of Kenny McCormick in four episodes of the show, "The Jeffersons," "Lice Capades," "Mysterion Rises" and "Turd Burglars". He did not, however, provide the main voice of Kenny's alter-ego Mysterion.<ref>{{Citation|title = Mysterion Rises|url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1751797/|date = 2010-11-03|accessdate = 2015-09-08}}</ref>
==Awards== Stough has been nominated for 14 Emmy Awards and has won five for ''South Park'' in "Outstanding Animated Program" category,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.org/awards/nominations/award-search|title=Nominations Search – Television Academy|work=Television Academy|publisher=Emmys.org|accessdate=March 5, 2016|archive-date=March 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160318073150/http://emmys.org/awards/nominations/award-search|url-status=dead}}</ref> as well as a Peabody Award.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/south-park|title=The Peabody Awards – ''South Park''|publisher=Peabody Award|accessdate=March 5, 2016}}</ref> He also won awards for his short film ''Revenge of the Roadkill Rabbit'' at the 2000 Athens International Film and Video Festival.<ref name="cu">{{cite news| title=CU-Boulder Alum, 'South Park' Animation Director To Work With CU Film Students| publisher=University of Colorado at Boulder| date=April 21, 2008| url=http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2008/04/21/cu-boulder-alum-south-park-animation-director-work-cu-film-students| access-date=March 5, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305011750/http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2008/04/21/cu-boulder-alum-south-park-animation-director-work-cu-film-students| archive-date=March 5, 2016| url-status=dead}}</ref> At the 2014 National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers (NAVGTR) awards, Stough was credited (along with Bruce Howell and Adrien Beard) for the ''Game of the Year'' nomination.<ref>{{cite web|title=NAVGTR Awards (2014)|url=http://navgtr.org/archives/2445|website=National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers|access-date=2017-02-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322064850/http://navgtr.org/archives/2445/|archive-date=2017-03-22|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Filmography==
===Film=== {|class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1993 | ''Cannibal! The Musical'' | Production assistant | |- |1997 | ''Orgazmo'' | Arrestee | |- | 1999 | ''South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut'' | Animation director | |- | 1999 | ''Revenge of the Roadkill Rabbit'' | Director, executive producer |Short film |- | 2004 | ''Team America: World Police'' | Additional animation | |- | 2010 | ''The People vs. George Lucas'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | 2011 | ''6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park'' | Himself | TV documentary film |- | 2021 | ''South Park: Post Covid'' | Rowspan=7|Producer | Rowspan=7|TV film |- | 2021 | ''South Park: Post Covid: The Return of Covid'' |- | 2022 | ''South Park: The Streaming Wars'' |- |2022 | ''South Park: The Streaming Wars Part 2'' |- |2023 | ''South Park: Joining the Panderverse'' |- |2023 | ''South Park (Not Suitable for Children)'' |- |2024 | ''South Park: The End of Obesity'' |}
===Television=== {|class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1997–present | ''South Park'' | Producer, animation director | Also provides the "un-muffled" voice of Kenny McCormick. |}
===Video games=== {|class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |2017 |''South Park: The Fractured but Whole'' |Producer | |}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|0832833}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stough, Eric}} Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:American male voice actors Category:American animated film directors Category:American animated film producers Category:Animators from Colorado Category:American television producers Category:Peabody Award winners Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners Category:University of Colorado Boulder alumni