SpongeBob SquarePants has been a staple in American cartoons for 20 years now, and it shows no signs of stopping. That has a lot to do with Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, who has put his all into voicing the character with the motivation to make sure, “The Jerks don’t Win.”
During San Diego Comic-Con 2019, I spoke with Mr. Kenny about being the same iconic character for two decades, and what that means to him on a personal level. He explained that there is a lot of ugliness in this world and our country, and to help erase that he uses his platform to combat all the people who bring hate into society. The late Stephen Hillenburg, Creator of SpongeBob SquarePants, handpicked Mr. Kenny to help bring his creation to life and he is accomplishing just that.
After his role as Heffer Wolfe in Rocko’s Modern Life, Mr. Kenny assumed his voice acting career was over. He was out of work for a year, until Hillenburg approached him with the opportunity to be someone who lives in a pineapple under the sea. Now SpongeBob is currently airing its 20th Anniversary Special, has a new movie coming out The SpongeBob Movie: It’s a Wonderful Sponge, and a new spin-off series Kamp Koral. To learn more about Tom Kenny and his journey as everyone’s favorite sponge, check out the full interview below.