Who Plays SpongeBob SqaurePants & Where Have You Seen Him In Live-Action?

"SpongeBob SquarePants" is one of the most iconic shows of all time, sporting one of the most memorable voice casts ever put on screen. 

The animated series debuted on Nickelodeon in 1999 to critical acclaim and quickly became one of the network's most beloved shows. Over two decades later, "SpongeBob SquarePants" is a cultural behemoth and has become one of the world's most widely recognized multimedia franchises. There's "SpongeBob" theme park rides, theatrical films, and even a critically-acclaimed Tony-winning Broadway musical. Wherever you go in the world, audiences of all ages know who SpongeBob SquarePants is. But who is the voice behind SpongeBob? 

The high-pitched, nasally voice behind everyone's favorite Krusty Krab employee is none other than Tom Kenny. The American voice actor continues to voice SpongeBob to this day, 20 years after he debuted as the character. Without Kenny's light-hearted, smile-inducing voice, it's hard to imagine "SpongeBob" being as popular and beloved as it currently is. Kenny has even played the character for SpongeBob's various cinematic outings. While speaking with Complex in 2021, Kenny opened up about how the franchise continues to stay relevant, and why he enjoys working on the yellow sponge so much. "[The show was] that rare harmonic convergence of a character that I loved immediately, a bunch of people that I loved working with, and it's stayed popular enough that we can keep on making new ones," Kenny said. 

If all goes well, Kenny will continue to play SpongeBob for years to come. While Kenny is synonymous with his Bikini Bottom character, it's unfair classify the actor as a one-trick pony, as he boasts several live-action appearances to his name. There's an extremely strong chance that fans of "SpongeBob SquarePants" have seen the beloved actor in several live-action projects. 

It's important to get Tom Kenny's live-action "SpongeBob SquarePants" role out of the way. After all, most fans of the Nickelodeon franchise don't know that Kenny is the iconic, scrappy, and always enthusiastic Patchy the Pirate. In the Nickelodeon show, Patchy the Pirate is the live-action host of the animated show. Yes, "SpongeBob SquarePants" is sort of a show within a show, and Patchy the Pirate is that show's biggest fan. In fact, he's the head of the "SpongeBob SquarePants" fan club and is absolutely obsessed with the yellow sponge's weekly shenanigans. 

Patchy the Pirate first debuted in the second season of "SpongeBob SquarePants" and has since become a key part of the franchise's lore. While Kenny has occupied the role of the live-action Patchy on the small screen for a number of years, the actor got the opportunity to play the actor in a unique way in 2019. After "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical" proved to be a bonafide success, Nickelodeon doubled down on the theatrical production by recording it and releasing it to the public. "The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage!" aired in 2019, allowing fans from across the world to see the musical from the comfort of their own homes. 

The recorded version of the musical notably featured Kenny playing Patchy the Pirate, making his debut as the character on stage. While speaking with On The Scene Adventures, Kenny opened up about making the jump from the small-screen to the stage. "For me, I'm not a stage actor, I never was," Kenny said, discussing how it was difficult to square up with Broadway experts. "Basically, I felt like I was stepping into something I didn't really totally know how to do," the actor added. 

There's more to Tom Kenny than "SpongeBob SquarePants." The American actor is a considerable comedic talent and fans of the sketch comedy scene may even recognize him from the "Mr. Show" series. The sketch comedy show, starring Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, debuted on HBO in 1995 and ran for three seasons. A fan favorite and Emmy-darling, "Mr. Show" was a subversive sketch series that featured several guest comedians and supporting players. While audiences frequently remember the likes of Jack Black and Scott Aukerman appearing on the series, it's easy to forget how Kenny was a staple in the series. 

Kenny appeared throughout the show in over a dozen sketches, going toe-to-toe with Odenkirk, Cross, and several other comedians. For those who managed to catch "Mr. Show" in the '90s, seeing Kenny on it was a treat, especially because of its foul-mouthed humor. In an age where Kenny is mostly known for his PG, children-focused projects, it can be amusing to see the voice actor shout out expletives and discuss controversial subjects. While speaking with Spin, Kenny opened up about how he's surprised by the sketch comedy show's cult-like following. "I was reading to kids in a school out by Seattle, and they were going nuts," Kenny remembered, saying he was speaking as SpongeBob. "And this teacher, a young guy, comes up to me and whispers, 'I loved you on 'Mr. Show” — almost like, 'If they ever found out I was watching a show about priests with bananas up their [expletive], I'd get fired from this teaching job.'" 

Kenny's relationship with "Mr. Show" continues to evolve. He popped up in the spin-off flick "Run Ronnie Run!" and appeared in "W/Bob & David," a spiritual successor to the original "Mr. Show." 

Tom Kenny has a number of live-action appearances under his belt. The "SpongeBob SquarePants" voice actor can be seen in "Scary Movie 3" and has even lent his talents to live-action Nickelodeon shows such as "True Jackson VP" and "Big Time Rush." But if you ask most of his Gen Z and millennial fans, chances are that they'll point to his "Sky High" cameo as his most memorable live-action appearance. In the Disney classic, Kenny appears as Mr. Timmerman in a brief but hilarious cameo. The actor stars alongside his wife, Jill Talley, an actress who he appeared on "Mr. Show" with. 

In "Sky High," the Timmermans are observing their brand-new suburban home. Their perfect moment is ruined when the super-powered Will (Michael Angarano) nearly destroys their home. This sight forces Kenny's character to faint. It's a small role but a major highlight in an already funny film. Since his live-action apperance in "Sky High," Kenny hasn't really done many live-action cinematic projects, though some might remember him from the criminally underrated Robin Williams comedy "World's Greatest Dad." It's not that Kenny doesn't get live-action roles — he's just not interested in them. 

While speaking with Metro, Kenny expressed how he prefers to work on animated projects. "I tend to not do on-camera stuff now," the actor admitted. "I do it when it comes up. If someone says, 'Would you like to be on this sitcom and play a fussy bank clerk' or whatever it is, I'll say yeah." Kenny continued by discussing how the process of auditioning and following up with callbacks isn't for him because of his busy animated schedule. "I love doing voiceover; I don't always love being on camera," Kenny explained.