2024 marks the 25th anniversary of Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants, the beloved animated series with a run at number one lasting over 22 years.
It’s hard to go anywhere on the internet without seeing some type of reference to Bikini Bottom’s cast of characters, and since its premiere on July 17, 1999, the show has generated a universe of beloved characters, pop culture memes, feature film releases, and even a Tony award-winning Broadway musical.
The show is one of the most widely distributed properties in Paramount International history, seen in more than 180 markets, translated into 30+ languages, and averaging more than 90 million total viewers every quarter.
Tom Kenny (voice of SpongeBob SquarePants) and Bill Fagerbakke (voice of Patrick Star) have voiced the characters since the very beginning. Speaking to Mediaweek, they revealed that their characters’ friendship, seen on the show for 25 years, doesn’t stray far from real life.
Tom Kenny
When asked if any characteristics or mannerisms of their respective characters have blended into themselves and their lives, Fagerbakke said he had a head start before even knowing Patrick.
“I’ve been doing this my whole life, and I’m constantly having moments where I go, ‘there’s a reason I play big dumb guys,'” he said.
“I recognise things [in my life] that are big themes of the show, such as friendship. Friendship is extremely important to me. It’s a way to pass the time we have on this orb and it makes everything more pleasurable to have friends.”
Kenny agreed, and added that Stephen Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants saw him in SpongeBob.
“I knew Steven [Hillenburg] years before SpongeBob was ever spoken about, he saw aspects of me in SpongeBob and aspects of SpongeBob in me,” he said.
“Not that SpongeBob was based on me at all, he’s a lot of Steve, and various other people that Steve knew are thrown into SpongeBob too.
“However, certain aspects of SpongeBob – like he works hard, he’s upbeat, he’s positive, has a lot of energy – Steve saw that in me and cast me before he had even pitched the show to Nickelodeon.”
Bill Fagerbakke
Kenny explains that Hillenburg had an instinct about casting his characters, and revealed that most of the main characters’ personalities weren’t completely made up for the show.
“Most of the characteristics he put into SpongeBob characters were from people throughout his life. He had a best friend who was a lot like Patrick when he was a kid; he had a boss at a food service job who was like Mr Crabs, and so on.
“I don’t know if he ever knew a small person who wanted to take over the world though.”
According to Fagerbakke, SpongeBob SquarePants’ cultural relevance 25 years later is a testament to its creator, Steven Hillenburg.
“I’ve thought about this a lot, and I’ve brought it down to the point that Steve had this incredible gift to do something very difficult, which is to create a style of content that is and always endeavours to be both clever and innocent,” he said,
Kenny added: “It takes place in a non-time frame specific world, it doesn’t touch or say anything topical, it’s its own world. It’s stayed relevant because while the world inside the show is foreign or odd, it’s so familiar at the same time.
“It ages very well, well really, it doesn’t age at all.”