When you talk to Patrick Warburton, it's hard not to think of the multitude of characters he's played over the years. It's not so much his larger than life persona, it's his unmistakable voice. The funny thing is when you speak with him, he sounds exactly like the characters he's played, from David Puddy on Seinfeld to Brock Samson on The Venture Brothers. Not that we were expecting Patrick Warburton to sound like anyone else - after all, that's his natural voice.

After taking a brief but forced hiatus from his latest gig as Jeff on CBS' Monday night series Rules of Engagement (9:30pm) when the writers' strike hit a few months ago, Patrick Warburton and cast returned to Rules to show fans how relationship comedies can help couples inject humor into their own lives... at least for a half-hour a week.

It's not often you get to talk to a guy like Patrick Warburton and The Deadbolt jumped at the chance pick the brains of one of the funniest guys on the planet about his latest role on Rules of Engagement and beyond.

THE DEADBOLT: How would you describe your character, Jeff, on Rules of Engagement? Would you say he's a lot like you before you had kids?

PATRICK WARBURTON: Well, I don’t know. I mean, they’re 13-14 years in the marriage and no kids and we had kids immediately. So I don’t know 14 years in a relationship with no kids - it's completely different.

THE DEADBOLT: In the episode "A Visit From Fay," Jeff and Audrey had a bit of TV withdrawal. Are you like that in real life, or do you even get a chance to watch TV?

WARBURTON: [laughs] No, I love it. I actually have The Masters on pause right now. You know, I love going to a game and watching sports so I do have that in common with Jeff.

THE DEADBOLT: I know it must be fun working alongside David Spade, but is it hard to keep a straight face?

WARBURTON: Yeah, at times. David is a very funny man. So yeah, I do enjoy working with him. He’s a crack-up.

THEDEADBOLT: What did you think of the "Time Share" episode?

WARBURTON: It’s fun. I think our writing is getting even sharper and I think our episodes are getting better. But it’s kind of tough to talk about a sitcom and make it funny. I don’t know what to say about it. What’s funny is what goes on between these five people and the way they relate to each other, you know. I think these are good episodes.

THEDEADBOLT: How did the time share factor into the mix?

WARBURTON: They end up going and getting the whole time share presentation and pressured, too. Almost everybody can relate to that. Everybody’s made that mistake, "Lets go!" You think it’s fun and it’s just a pain in the ass once you get the hard sell.

THE DEADBOLT: Does it bother you to be doing Rules of Engagement yet still have people refer to you as David Puddy, Elaine’s boyfriend from Seinfeld?

WARBURTON: No, because that’s something everybody will remember, because Seinfeld had that big kind of an impact. So it doesn’t bother me if people bring that up.

THE DEADBOLT: Since you have such a distinct voice, do you still have to audition for animated jobs or do projects come to you?

WARBURTON: It’s usually offers.

THE DEADBOLT: I loved when you voiced Brock Samson and Joe Swanson. Do you have a favorite animated character?

WARBURTON: [laughs] I like Brock. I like the wolf in Hoodwinked and we just did Hoodwinked 2. And I like Kronk. Kronk is one of my all time favorites.

THE DEADBOLT: Do you know what's going on with the third season Venture Brothers?

WARBURTON: The third season hasn’t come out yet? Yeah, there will be a third season. I know we at least recorded it.

THE DEADBOLT: I was on your Myspace page and noticed you’re a big Pearl Jam fan. Are you planning on seeing Eddie Vedder on his solo tour?

WARBURTON: Yeah. Yeah went to see Vedder on Saturday night. It’s something I was really looking forward to and I wished I could have brought my 15-year-old son, because he’s a Pearl Jam fan now and he’s got his iPod full of Vedder. But I only have two tickets, so the wife is going. The next time Pearl Jam is in town I HAVE to take my son.

THE DEADBOLT: Was it weird returning to Rules of Engagement after the writer’s strike?

WARBURTON: No. I think the strike was a good thing - not a good thing, but there were positive aspects of the strike. And one was that we could look at what we were doing and maybe steer ourselves in a different direction with the show, which I like. I like the direction we’re going in now.