You may not not Tom Kenny’s name or his face, but you’ve definitely heard his voice. Tom has been the a voice of the world famous cartoon character Spongebob Square Pants since the show’s debut in 1999. In addition to voicing Bikini Bottom’s most famous resident, Tom has also done voice work on a number of other popular shows including The Powerpuff Girls and BoJack Horseman. His ability to animate his voice in unique ways has made him one of the most successful voice actors of his generation and he has lots more where that came from. He will be reprising his role as Spongebob in the upcoming animated series The Patrick Star Show. He also has a couple of film projects in the works. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about Tom Kenny.
1. He’s A New York Native
Tom was born and raised in Syracuse, NY. During elementary school, he met actor/director Bobcat Goldthwait and the two have been friends ever since. It was in Syracuse where Tom initially found his love for performing, however, he knew that in order to build a successful career he needed to move to a bigger city. Tom currently lives in Studio City, California.
2. He Auditioned For Saturday Night Live
In the mid 70s, Tom auditioned for the popular sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live. Not being invited to join the cast was probably a huge bummer at the time, but it looks like things worked out just fine for Tom in the long run. Had he done SNL he may never have gotten the opportunity to be Spongebob.
3. He Was A Stand-Up Comedian
It may seem like Tom has been voicing Spongebob all of his life, but that isn’t the case. He actually did quite a few things before the show came along. One of those things was a stint as a stand-up comedian. He performed at venues around the country for almost 10 years before giving it up.
4. He’s A Husband And Father
For the most part, Tom has stayed fairly private throughout his career. We do know, however, that he has been married to fellow voice actor Jill Talley, since 1995. She has voiced characters on several well-known shows including Rocko’s Modern Life and The Boondocks. The couple has two children together.
5. He Always Loved Cartoons
Becoming a voice actor was truly a dream come true for Tom because he’d always loved cartoon and admired voice actors. He told Esquire, “I was a kid who grew up loving cartoons and thinking the people that did the voices of them all the time. Other guys would fantasize about meeting whatever sports stars or whatever, and I would fantasize about hanging out with Mel Blanc, you know? What if I met Mel Blanc on the street, that’d be awesome.”
6. He’s A Musician
Bringing life to animated characters isn’t the only way Tom likes to use his voice. He is the lead singer of a band called Tom Kenny & The Hi-Seas. The group’s style is a combination of rock and soul. He and the band even got the chance to perform at a Super Bowl Halftime show after fans signed a petition requesting it.
7. He Has Over 500 Acting Credits
Tom’s acting resume is the kind of thing that will make you do a double take. He has had more acting jobs than most people would even imagine. Since starting his career a little over 30 years ago, he has managed to earn more than 500 acting credits. At the rate he’s going, it wouldn’t be surprising if he breaks 600.
8. He’s An Award Winner
In addition to having gotten a lot of job opportunities over the years, Tom has also gotten a lot of recognition for his work. He has won several awards over the years. Most recently, he won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for his work as Spongebob.
9. He Hasn’t Only Done Voice Acting
Voice acting is what Tom has done the most of, but he’s also done some live action work as well. He’s appeared in shows such as True Jackson, VP and That 70s Show. Tom has been exclusively focused on voice work for the last several years and it’s unclear whether he has plans to return to the screen.
10. He Was The Voice Of Spyro The Dragon
If you grew up during the era of the original Playstation then you probably remember the video game Spyro the Dragon. What you may not have known is that Tom was the voice of the character for three games. He also reprised the role for the 2019 game Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled.
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