SpongeBob Is Back! The Man Behind the Voice, Tom Kenny, on Returning for a Big Screen Adventure
If you have children (or are just a SpongeBob fan), chances are you’re already well aware that a brand new SpongeBob movie Sponge on the Run, is coming out in May 2020. (See the exclusive new poster, below!)
Tom Kenny, the man who has voiced the lovable cartoon sponge for over 20 years (and voices several other characters on the Nickelodeon show, including Gary the Snail) opens up about what we can expect from the newest adventure from SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward and the rest of the Bikini Bottom gang. (Which will include Keanu Reeves.)
What can you tell us about SpongeBob and Patrick’s latest adventure, if anything?
As a great poet once said: “There is no love like the love of a sponge for his snail”…..There’s a lot that I can’t talk about yet, but I CAN say that when SpongeBob‘s precious pet Gary goes missing, SpongeBob and his trusty pink pal Patrick hit the road on our wildest road trip yet to try and get him back.
Will there be amazing music like there was the last time?
Yes, some fun musical numbers and new SpongeSongs. I hope to write one or two of ‘em myself! Fingers crossed!
Do you ever get sick of people asking you to do the SpongeBob voice in real life?
I can honestly say I don’t get sick of it! Not once in 20 years! I love the character, and after two decades of frying impressionable young minds, SpongeBob has been very impactful in folks’ lives. It’s always fun for the cast to watch people’s reactions when we do the voices “live“, or when we insert a fan’s name into a famous line from the show.
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Will the movie honor the show’s creator Stephen Hillenburg?
We try to honor Stephen with everything we do. He was the captain of the ship, and everything that makes SpongeBob work came directly from his head and his hands. Steve is always in our consciousness as we carry on the legacy of his timeless characters. As long as SpongeBob is in the world, Stephen Hillenburg is in the world. That’s our mission, and we think of him every day.
Who’s your personal favorite character (other than yourself!) on the show?
I love all of the characters, (and the actors who portray ‘em!). They all have great moments, but Squidward never fails to fracture me. He is the diametric opposite of SpongeBob. The Sponge embodies wide-eyed optimism and being 100% comfortable with who you are. The Squid embodies suspicious cynicism and pretentious delusions of grandeur. It’s a great juxtaposition for us to play with.
The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run will be out in May 2020.
