Tom Kenny
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Early Life and Education
Thomas James Kenny, professionally known as Tom Kenny, was born on July 13, 1962, in Syracuse, New York, USA, to parents Paul Austin Kenny and Theresa Bridget. As a child, he enjoyed drawing and collecting records—a hobby that reflected his early interest in music and visual arts. He attended Bishop Grimes High School, a Catholic secondary school in Syracuse, where he developed a friendship with fellow student and future comedian Bobcat Goldthwait. Their bond began when Goldthwait was reprimanded by a teacher and placed in the same classroom as Kenny. The two maintained their friendship into adulthood and later collaborated on films including Shakes the Clown and World's Greatest Dad.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 13 Jul, 1962
- Age
- 57 yrs
- Citizenship
- United States of America
Show all facts
- Birth Place
- East Syracuse
- residence
- Syracuse
- Education
- Bishop Grimes Junior/Senior High School
- Gender
- Male
- Description
- American actor
- Spouse
- Jill Talley [M. 1995]
- Net Worth 2021
- 16 million
People Mentioned in This Biography
Collaborations with Stephen Hillenburg and the Birth of SpongeBob SquarePants
While working on the animated series Rocko's Modern Life, Kenny met marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg, who served as the show's creative director during its later seasons. Before the series, Hillenburg had created a comic book titled The Intertidal Zone in 1989, which focused on ocean life and featured characters that would later inspire SpongeBob SquarePants. Encouraged to adapt the comic into an animated series, Hillenburg conceptualized SpongeBob after sketching a square-shaped sponge character he found amusing and unique.
Following the cancellation of Rocko's Modern Life in 1996, Hillenburg began developing what would become SpongeBob SquarePants, enlisting former colleagues from the Rocko team. He approached Kenny to voice the title character, drawing on Kenny's previous voice acting experience. The show premiered on Nickelodeon on May 1, 1999, and gained widespread success by its second season in 2000. Kenny became closely associated with the show, voicing multiple roles including SpongeBob SquarePants, Gary the Snail, the French Narrator (a parody of Jacques Cousteau), SpongeBob's father Harold SquarePants, and Patchy the Pirate in its live-action segments.
