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Backstage - Interviews - Tom Kenny
 Hello,
Tom! James Harvey here! To get the ball rolling, let’s
start at the beginning, shall we? How did you get into
the profession of voice-acting?
I got into it through the weird back door of comedy and
sketch acting. I’ve been doing stand-up since the 80s in
clubs and occasionally even on TV, like Letterman and
Conan’s shows. In the back of my mind though, I had a
yearning that only cartoons could fill! It was a tough
nut to crack and it got to the point where it was just a
lot easier to make a living as a standup comedian than
trying to become a voice actor. Once I broke in though,
whenever I would do voice acting I would enjoy it
immensely. It seems to fit my personality better than
the night club circuit and doing stand-up shows.
SpongeBob SquarePants is arguably your
breakout role, one that resulted in you becoming a
household name. Did that series open up new
possibilities for you?
SpongeBob is absolutely a household name and Tom Kenny
isn’t! I bet you could go into any living room in
America and they know of or have seen SpongeBob! He’s
definitely one of the most popular shows in terms of
impact. It’s just one of those “once in a lifetime”
lottery scratchers that only the lucky people are
blessed with.
Now, before we get to Batman: The Brave and The
Bold, I just want to quickly touch upon a couple
other DC Animated-related roles. First up is The
Batman, and your role as the Penguin. Any thoughts
on that role, looking back? Please explain, if possible.
I’ve grown up reading comic books of all kinds and from
all of the publishers. I am definitely a fan of the DC
Universe and their iconic characters. One of the
toughest tasks of this job is convincing people that I
can do more than one character, and working on shows
that are so markedly different in tone and style. I love
doing a deadly serious anime project, then completely go
“off your nut crazy” with projects like SpongeBob and
Powerpuff Girls.
I was extremely excited when I auditioned for “The
Batman”. I auditioned for every villain in the Rogues
gallery! I always liked Penguin - he’s such a strong
second stringer. Look at him, he has a top hat and
umbrella and still thinks he can stand toe to toe with
Doomsday!
When I did that role, the producers didn’t want anything
that sounded like the Adam West Penguin, which is the
version I love! I ended up slipping some of that feel
back in under the radar. When something is so perfect,
you’re crazy not to pay tribute by stealing a little bit
of it! That Penguin was a great performance.
And now we bounce ahead quickly to Superman
Doomsday. After having a very expressive role in The
Batman, was it odd to play the robot in Superman
Doomsday? How so?
I’m a hyperactive high energy person so it’s hard for me
to pull back and play a very monotone and expressionless
robot. Often I don’t even realize how fast I’m talking
and must be told to slow down.
This is similar to the way some actors have trouble
going to an energized hyperkinetic place. This can be
especially challenging for on-camera actors in the
recording studio. It’s the exact opposite for me to back
down to flat-lined personality.
I’ve never done anything in the Superman universe, so it
was fun to be a male robot that nurses him back to
health after he’s nearly killed by the bad guy.
 And
now we jump ahead to Batman: The Brave and The Bold,
where you play the decidedly super-heroic Plastic Man!
What’s it like to play one of DC’s craziest heroes, one
that rarely, if at all, gets any screen time?
I love Plastic Man! I’ve been a fan of him since I read
reprints of his 1940s adventures when I was 13 or 14
years old. Those comics are drawn in a nutty screwball
style that is so different from the hyper-realistic
comics we know. In fact, a friend of mine produced a
seven-minute Plastic Man pilot a few years ago that
didn’t make it to series. I voiced Plastic Man then, and
it was really fun.
Another positive byproduct of doing that unsold pilot
was when it came to putting Plastic Man in this show, I
was handed the position and didn’t even have to
audition. That is extremely unusual these days in show
business!
Do you feel like you’re able to put your stamp on
this character?
I understand Plastic Man. He’s a bad guy that was almost
killed in a botched robbery attempt and has a change of
heart. The epiphany leads him to work with the good
guys.
His character is a little screwy but he’s got more going
on than a lot of superheroes. The way I justify his
zaniness is that he was at Death’s door and “bounced
back”. He decides to embrace life and as a result, he
has this joy at being alive. It’s something that the
grimmer superheroes simply lack.
Will you be playing any other roles on Batman: The
Brave and The Bold outside of Plastic Man?
I am playing a villain that’s come up a couple times
named “Baby Face”. He’s an adult man with the head of a
baby. I’m not sure how he got that way though…
Now, characters like SpongeBob, The Penguin, and even
Plastic Man, are considered to be kind-of goofy roles.
Do you worry about being typecast into those roles? Do
you find a sense of enjoyment from playing these
off-the-wall characters?
That is to presume that Plastic Man is goofier than a
man who dresses up like a bat, punches people and swings
on a rope! I personally don’t think he is any goofier
than even The Punisher or Spiderman. He’s definitely
more in touch with his inner Daffy Duck! In fact, I tend
to gravitate towards characters that have a comedic side
to them.
Like Plastic Man, I’m not a leading man type either.
SpongeBob and Plastic Man are similar in that they both
love life and are filled with this boundless enthusiasm.
They’re off the charts and that gets them in constant
trouble.
The Penguin is funny just because he desperately wants
to play with the big boys, but he’s really just a little
guy with an umbrella! What I like about “The Batman” is
that they gave him this back story where his family, the
Cobblepots, had once been the royalty of Gotham City.
They fiddled away all their money though and fell on
hard times. When the good-looking and rich Wayne family
supplants them and Bruce Wayne enters the picture, he
represents everything the Penguin is not- smooth with
the ladies, handsome, wise, agile…
Motivationally, that gave me a place to go while
creating the character of the Penguin. I know it’s
unusual to hear somebody who voices cartoons come up
with a motivation, but no matter how unrealistic the
story or character is, characters still need a reason
why they do what they do.
 Now,
outside of Batman: The Brave and The Bold, do you
have any upcoming projects you’d like to let us know
about?
SpongeBob is going into its 10th year so that’s really
exciting. I’m voicing Captain America and Iron Man in a
new show called “Superhero Squad” and next spring I’m on
a Fox prime time animated series called “Sit Down, Shut
Up” by the creators of Arrested Development with
Jason Bateman and Will Arnett. Occasionally I work on
“Handy Manny” for Disney and “WordGirl” for PBS. And as
in years past, I am hosting the Annie awards at the end
of January 2009.
So, any final thoughts on Batman: The Brave and
The Bold, and your role in the series, as we wrap
this up? Any surprises you can let fans in on?
I have two young kids, an 11 year old boy and a 5 year
old girl and they both love this show. It’s a much more
lighthearted approach to Batman than we’ve seen in
awhile. The great thing about Batman is that he’s a
strong character and can stand up to any number of
approaches. He can pretty much go anywhere, and there
are many incarnations to choose from!
I really like the 40s-era comic book that they’re going
back to as source material. There is less brooding
amidst the stone gargoyles and more Zorro-esque
swashbuckling . You know, the kind of adventure and hero
who stands with his hands on his hips. It’s great to see
this sense of fun resurrected.
Lastly, I just want everyone to bombard Warner Bros with
emails demanding more Plastic Man episodes! Watch
Cartoon Network on Friday nights at 8pm ET/PT!
Thanks for your time, Tom!
[ Back to Backstage ]
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