THE names and faces of Tom Kenny and Bill Fagebakke may not be instantly recognisable, but their iconic kids’ TV characters are.
Tom, 62, and Bill, 66, are best known for playing beloved Bikini Bottom residents SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star.
When the duo started voicing the iconic underwater characters back in 1999, they had no idea the cartoon was going to be such a big hit – in fact they were convinced it was going to be cancelled before it finished its fourth season.
Now, Nickelodeon is celebrating 25 years of SpongeBob SquarePants — but the voice actors say they very rarely get recognised for their roles, despite the show’s success.
Tom and Bill, who voice their characters alongside Rodger Bumpass, Clancy Brown and Mr Lawrence on SpongeBob SquarePants, spoke to Metro.co.uk about the enduring popularity of the cartoon.
If you really stop and think about it, it’s absurd,” Bill admitted, before adding that working on the show has been nothing short of “fantastic.”
He continued: “I’ve been lucky enough to have some really great jobs, and then there was this one. It’s just been fantastic. To do something also in the business and not get tired of it after a while…
“Patrick still makes me laugh. I’ll read a storyboard, and I giggle. I love it, I love doing Patrick. I love working with my castmates.”
The SpongeBob voice actor was in complete agreement, telling the outlet: “25 years is definitely a milestone and to still have it be enjoyable and fun – to have it be a milestone instead of a millstone around your neck – is a really unusual state of affairs.”
Despite their years of success on SpongeBob SquarePants and other voice acting gigs – Tom has lent his voice to Cartoon Network’s The Powerpuff Girls, the Spyro video game while Bill has voiced characters on cartoons like Kim Possible and American Dad! — the duo don’t consider themselves to be celebrities.
Bill has done more screen work than Tom, appearing on popular shows like “Young Sheldon,” Netflix’s rebooted drama “Dynasty” and “Black-ish.”
However, this hasn’t affected him getting recognised, something he and Tom say happens once in a blue moon.
Tom recalled the first time his son ever asked him about his job and categorically telling him he wasn’t “famous.”
He explained: “I remember my son was pretty young, and he said, ‘Hey dad, some kids at school say you’re famous. Are you famous?’
“I said, ‘First of all, we don’t use the ‘F’ word in this house. Tell them I’m not famous, but I do the voice of a drawing that’s famous.
“’The drawing that I do the voice for is famous. I’m not famous. SpongeBob is famous.’ That put the kids off the scent a little bit.”
But, while Tom and Bill don’t consider themselves famous and are able to live very normal lives, their jobs have affected their kids from time to time.
Tom revealed that when they were younger, they often had to be wary of new friends.
“It’s funny, both of my kids were always very instinctively suspicious of any kid that just wanted to be friends with them because they heard that dad was SpongeBob,” he recalled.
“My kids were always pretty close to the vest about who they would reveal that to.
“It’s weird being a kid and your dad is doing something that’s really popular with kids. That was a little hard for my kids.”
But as they grew up, they realised how incredible their dad’s career is.
Tom continued: “When they’re young adults, there’s more of a pride thing on their part, of like, ‘Wow, my dad is part of this thing that all the 20 somethings I hang out with think you know, was a formative part of their life, it was important to them.’ There’s a little bit of distance now.”
And, even after 25 years, it looks as though there’s no end in sight for the hit Nickelodeon cartoon. It seems like Tom and Bill actually enjoy their lack of “fame” and plan to keep flying under the radar and making as many episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants as they can.
Tom and Bill are best known for playing cartoon besties SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star -- but which other characters have their lent their voice to?
Tom Kenny
Bill Fagebakke
