Kim Possible’s Christy Carlson Romano And Will Friedle On How They 'Can't Get Away' From Disney Hit's Impact Decades Later
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Over the years, Disney Channel has released a number of excellent TV shows that are considered to be classics today, and that includes Kim Possible. Created by Buzz Lightyear of Star Command’s Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle, the animated show centered on the titular teen heroine as she attempted to balance her heroics with her personal life. Plenty of talented people made the series what it became, but a lot of credit should go to Christy Carlson Romano, who voiced Kim. The same is true for her co-star, Will Friedle, who helped bring the hilarious (and sometimes hapless) Ron Stoppable to life. Like their fans, the pitch-perfect actors have a lot of love for their show today and recently opened up about how they “can’t get away” from the show’s impact decades later.
It’s honestly hard to believe that it’s been over 15 years since Kim and Ron rode, I mean, flew off into the night in the series finale. Despite how much time has passed, the affection for the series– which ran for four seasons from 2002 to 2007 – appears stronger than ever. As you’d expect, the series’ stars are not oblivious to the hype. I spoke with both Christy Carlson Romano and Will Friedle in celebration of their voice acting-centric podcast, I Hear Voices. I asked the pair for their thoughts on the show’s legacy, and Romano proceeded to explain just how she’s seen its influence in her own life over the years:
Well, I think that the legacy continues. I think the legacy is very present. Right? … I think when we think of legacy, we think of something that's past, but this is so… People are literally still dressing like Kim Possible, referencing Kim Possible, and you can't get away from it. Like trust me, I've tried, I can't get away from it. [Laughs]
I’m sure plenty of folks have been to fan conventions within the past several years and run into at least one or two cosplayers who are dressed as Kim or Ron. Some might even go the extra mile by donning a plush doll of Ron’s scene-stealing naked mole rat, Rufus. The program clearly struck a nerve, to the point that Will Friedle even joked that it “invented’ the concept of carrying a communicator everywhere one goes. The legendary Boy Meets World cast member went on to weigh in on how streaming and the COVID-19 pandemic have factored into its visibility in recent years:
One of the things with streaming is, you know, there's just been this strange combination of, with the pandemic, with everything going on in the world, people got a little bit scared. And by a little scared, I mean, a lot of us got a lot afraid. … So the combination of streaming and that kind of fear brought people back to what they were comfortable with – their comfort zone. They wanted that nostalgia, they wanted that warm blanket of when, at least in their minds, times were easier. And it brought them back to things like Kim Possible, Even Stevens [and] Boy Meets World. You know, it brought them back to a time, and it's different for everybody. … So I think people have that [comfort, when] you hear the ‘doot doot doot doot,’ and some people, it brings them right back to childhood.
Christy Carlson Romano agreed with the sentiment, saying that fans’ eyes “light up” any time the tune plays and that it’s really “sweet” to see that. The two actors get to experience such a sight quite often, as both have and continue to attend conventions. Will Friedle spoke in further detail about what it’s like to have those cool fan encounters:
So we love conventions. I'm a huge nerd, and walking the floors of conventions is one of my favorite things to do and looking at the artists and talking to the authors and all that stuff. And invariably, at least once – usually multiple times – you will hear somebody's ringtone go off, and it's the Kim Possible communicator. So it's just not going anywhere. We love that it's not going anywhere, and we're incredibly happy.
I certainly agree with the notion that the franchise will be around for a while. Just back in 2019, Disney Channel produced a live-action movie based on the show, which saw Christy Carlson Romano appear in a supporting role. She and Will Friedle are clearly aware not just of its impact on pop culture but of its seminal place within the animation sphere. And as Friedle mentioned during our chat, they hope to find “the next Kim,” by way of The Super Awesome Contest To Become The Next Big Voice Actor. The competition seeks to give an amateur performer a chance at entering the profession and, who knows, maybe it will help produce the next big voice-acting staple.
In the meantime though, we can say with utter confidence that fans will continue to think about Kim Possible for years to come. Some are also likely to keep asking for a reboot, which Christy Carlson Romano is down for. We can only speculate as to whether that will happen someday but, right now, I’m just pleased that so many are still enjoying the show as is.
If you’d like to revisit Kim Possible or have yet to check it out for yourself, it’s currently available to stream using a Disney+ subscription. And be sure to check out its two leads on their podcast, I Hear Voices, when new episodes drop Mondays on IHeartRadio and Apple Podcasts.
