| Backstage – Interviews – Tom Kenny 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 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 Now, before we get to Batman: The Brave and The I’ve grown up reading comic books of all kinds and from all of the publishers. I am definitely a fan of the DC I was extremely excited when I auditioned for “The 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 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.
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 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 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 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. 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 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. 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 So, any final thoughts on Batman: The Brave and 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 Thanks for your time, Tom! |
