Tom Kenny, voice of SpongeBob, shares insights with SU students

SpongeBob SquarePants star and Syracuse native Tom Kenny met with students Tuesday for an informal Q&A session in the Whitman School’s Flaum Grand Hall, where he shared insights from his career in the creative industry.

Co-sponsored by the Couri Hatchery Business Incubator, the event was open to the campus community and drew a large crowd. Some attendees lined the balcony above to catch a glimpse of the Nickelodeon star.

Kenny, who grew up in Eastwood and attended Bishop Grimes High School, knew he wanted to be a voice actor at a young age. Before becoming the voice of SpongeBob, he performed stand-up comedy and worked on various animated series, eventually building a prolific career in television.

Kenny was joined on stage by Oscar Arce, founder of Los Angeles-based Master Talent Agency, who moderated the discussion, and longtime friend Paul Kozlowski, a Wellsville native known for founding Hollywood’s FAKE Gallery and the AKE Gallery in Cortland, New York. The trio spoke about the entrepreneurial challenges of a creative career.

Kenny, whose voice credits include Adventure Time and Rick and Morty, emphasized the importance of surrounding oneself with the right people.

“The thing is, everybody thinks you need to be in Hollywood to make it,” Kenny said. “But the important thing is to find the people that will help you get there. The people that will actually encourage you, give you the confidence to not be afraid, to listen to yourself and obsess with it.” 

He also encouraged the audience to embrace a happy mindset, like that of SpongeBob, as it makes the world a more enjoyable place.

“You’ve got to find the thing that’s going to make you happy. For me, that’s working with creative people, making funny stuff, and talking to people that like that stuff.” 

Photo by Kelly Brown

Tom Kenny signs a student’s shirt during a Q&A session at the Whitman School of Management on Tuesday.

Between sharing advice, Kenny delighted fans by performing SpongeBob impressions, including his famous laugh and a take on what SpongeBob would think of Syracuse’s winter weather.

“He’d be frozen and begging for a blowdryer,” Kenny said with a laugh.

Recent graduate and Syracuse native Mariah Story was eagerly trying to get her SpongeBob hat signed. 

“It’s really, really cool to see someone who’s been such a big part of my childhood and to learn they also come from Syracuse,” Story said. 

Syracuse student Yoyo Sochazevski was in awe about the entire situation. She couldn’t believe she was seeing one of her childhood idols.

“We learned so much from him. He’s incredibly influential. It’s the best day ever, you know?” Sochazevski said. 

Kenny teased the release of the fourth SpongeBob movie this December. The previous three films grossed millions at the box office, so expectations are high for this latest installment.

“This is the funniest SpongeBob movie since the first one. You know, this is really good. It’s all just stupid, funny comedy,” Kenny said.