SpongeBob SquarePants star Tom Kenny revealed that his cartoon alter ego is autistic in a newly discovered video from his May 19 appearance at Motor City Comic Con in Novi, Michigan.
“SpongeBob is also on a spectrum as a character,” the 62-year-old voice actor said in the video. tweeted by user X @DominoDeerGirl on Tuesday.
‘At the last convention I did in McAllen, Texas, it was the first time I was asked this question. A person who was obviously on the spectrum came up to me and said, “I have a question for you, Tom Kenny. Is SpongeBob autistic?” (I said) “Of course!” And I said, “You know what? That’s his superpower, just like that’s your superpower.”
Tom’s announcement came 11 years after he said in WTF with Marc Maron’s podcast: ‘I don’t know what it is about that show that speaks to kids who are on the autism spectrum, but more than other cartoons… because SpongeBob as a character is a little bit autistic. He’s obsessed with his job, he’s a hard worker, he gets very, very involved in something.’
SpongeBob creator Stephen Hillenburg had previously indicated that the Krusty Krab’s chef was “romantic but almost asexual”, which was supported in the 2001 episode “Pressure”, in which he reproduces by budding like a real sea sponge.
SpongeBob SquarePants star Tom Kenny revealed that his cartoon alter ego is autistic in a newly discovered video from his May 19 appearance at Motor City Comic Con in Novi, Michigan.
The 62-year-old voice actor said in the video posted by X user @DominoDeerGirl on Tuesday: ‘SpongeBob is also on the autism spectrum as a character. At the last convention I did in McAllen, Texas, it was the first time I was ever asked this question. A person who was obviously on the spectrum came up to me and said, “I have a question for you, Tom Kenny. Is SpongeBob autistic?”
The marine biologist and entertainer tragically passed away at age 57 in 2018 after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
2024 marks SpongeBob’s 25th birthday, and Kenny, who also voices Gary the French narrator and Patchy the Pirate, frequently gets attention from fans to thank him for “their childhood.”
“It’s amazing. I mean, stuff like this happens all the time,” the two-time Daytime Emmy Award winner enthused. Sunday morning on CBS July 7th.
‘SpongeBob lets his weirdness flag fly. He is who he is, and it’s amazing that people who are now adults or even young children find that very empowering.’
Tom noted, “If SpongeBob was optimistic, it wouldn’t be a very good show. SpongeBob gets discouraged. SpongeBob gets sad, but he picks himself up and comes back. There’s always tomorrow!”
On July 13, Kenny and co-star Bill Fagerbakke (who voices SpongeBob’s best friend Patrick Star) co-hosted Nickelodeon’s 25th anniversary Kids’ Choice Awards virtually.
On Feb. 11, the New York native and Fagerbakke donned motion-capture gear to serve as real-time virtual correspondents on Paramount’s alternative, family-friendly broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII.
Last September, SpongeBob SquarePants was officially renewed for a 15th season, which will likely premiere in October or November on Nickelodeon.
Tom continued: ‘(I replied) ‘Of course!’ I said, ‘You know what? That’s his superpower, just like it’s your superpower.’
Kenny’s announcement came 11 years after he told the WTF with Marc Maron podcast: “I don’t know what it is about that show that speaks to kids who are on the autism spectrum, but more so than other cartoons… because SpongeBob as a character is a little bit autistic. He’s obsessed with his job, he’s a hard worker, he gets really, really involved in something” (photo from July 13).
SpongeBob creator Stephen Hillenburg had previously indicated that the Krusty Krab chef was “romantic but almost asexual”, which was supported in the 2001 episode “Pressure”, in which he reproduces by budding like a real sea sponge.
2024 marks SpongeBob’s 25th anniversary and the two-time Daytime Emmy Award winner, who also voices Gary the French Narrator and Patchy the Pirate, is frequently approached by fans thanking him for “their childhood.”
Tom gushed on CBS’ Sunday Morning show on July 7: “It’s amazing. I mean, stuff like this happens all the time… SpongeBob lets his weirdo flag fly. He is who he is, and it’s amazing that people who are now adults or even little kids find that very empowering.”
Kenny noted, “If SpongeBob was optimistic, it wouldn’t be a very good show. SpongeBob gets down. SpongeBob gets sad, but he picks himself up and comes back, you know, ‘Well, there’s always tomorrow! ‘”
On July 13, New York native and co-star Bill Fagerbakke (left), who voices SpongeBob’s best friend Patrick Star, virtually co-hosted Nickelodeon’s 25th anniversary Kids’ Choice Awards.
On February 11, Tom and Fagerbakke donned motion capture gear to act as real-time virtual correspondents for Paramount’s alternative, family-friendly broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII.
Kenny is scheduled to bring his 12-piece rock’n’soul band, Tom Kenny & The Hi-Seas, to The Bowery Electric in Manhattan’s East Village on August 4 (pictured April 16).
The meme-creating show spawned three feature films: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004), The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015), and Sponge on the Run (2020), as well as two spin-off series Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years and The Patrick Star Show.
Tom is scheduled to bring his 12-piece rock’n’soul band, Tom Kenny & The Hi-Seas, to The Bowery Electric in Manhattan’s East Village on August 4.
On a personal level, Kenny was the father of two children: a son, Mack, 27, and a daughter, Nora, almost 21, from his 29-year marriage to Jill Talley, with whom he co-starred on Mr. Show with Bob and David.
(tags to translate)dailymail