If you grew up watching SpongeBob SquarePants, then you know just how much this series shaped our childhoods. The talented voice actors behind the show—like Mr. Lawrence and Jill Talley, the voices of Plankton and Karen—have been part of it since the very beginning. Now, they've shared what has made working on the show such a joy for 25 years.
In promotion for the upcoming Plankton: The Movie releasing on the 2025 Netflix schedule for those with a Netflix subscription, I had the opportunity to speak to the two long-time voice actors for Plankton and Karen and ask what they think is the greatest thing about working on this show for so long. After all, it’s approaching its 26th birthday. Jill Talley gave a sweet answer: that they love each other in real life. As she told me,
We all love each other in real life. To me, the greatest thing about SpongeBob, aside from everything else, is that for 25 years, we have all worked together, and we all like each other. There isn't a clunker in the bunch, honestly.
Mr. Lawrence agreed, joking that their lives have become an endless cycle of "bumping into each other" at events, like supporting L.A. firefighters. He even compared it to bumping into co-workers at the grocery store:
It's pretty crazy -- especially the firehouse thing. We're waiting for people to come in, and there's this little firehouse where we were there to thank the firefighters, you know, for the fires we had and meet their kids. And you're walking around, and there's these little rooms, and all of a sudden, I walk, turn the corner, and there's, you know, there's Rodger [Bumpass]. That's how it feels like. Our whole lives are bumping into each other on purpose because we're doing a job. It's almost like we're just running into each other at the supermarket and happy to see each other, you know?
For those who may not know, Bumpass is the voice behind Squidward and has been co-starring alongside Mr. Lawrence since the show began. The Plankton voice actor also reminisced that attending Comic-Con together as the whole cast is always excellent because there's this "electricity" in the air unlike any other:
There's something electric, too. Like when we're doing stuff, when we do Comic-Con and things like that, you could feel it. There's this great electricity from us all being there at once. I think that's so delightful and great when we're all there, you know what I mean?
As someone who grew up on the best SpongeBob SquarePants episodes and has steadily seen the series grow over the last couple of decades, I find it warm to hear Mr. Lawrence and Talley talk so warmly about their experiences. These were the voices of my childhood, and hearing them all get along in real life only warms my heart more.
The show itself is also still prevalent. Adults still watch SpongeBob SquarePants today, years after older episodes released. While some past episodes have been removed from streaming platforms (thanks to today's standard of TV), it's still a beloved show by many.
And it's clear of its social impact. Heck, even Robert Eggers, director of Nosferatu, thanked the iconic Nickelodeon show for introducing a whole new generation (my generation) to that of the classic vampire monster because of one of their famous episodes. It's incredible to think of how far this show has come over the years.
But with the knowledge that this cast truly loves each other in real life? That's the kind of information that will live on forever in my mind as a long-time SpongeBob fan – even when I'm old and grey.
While Plankton: The Movie, detailing Karen and Plankton's hilarious relationship in glorious fashion, releases on March 7, watching some of the best SpongeBob specials in the meantime just to feel this warmness all over again. It may be time for a Bikini Bottom marathon.
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