Voice Actor Tom Kenny Had a Great Response to a Fan Question About SpongeBob Being Autistic

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea and is highly relatable? SpongeBob SquarePants!

As one of the longest-running American animated series to date, SpongeBob SquarePants is beloved by millennials and pretty much everyone who came after. The titular character, SpongeBob SquarePants, is beloved for his upbeat, wacky, and sometimes ditzy personality, as well as his childlike enthusiasm, love for his job, and kind personality.

One thing that has been asked throughout the years is whether SpongeBob is autistic. The character shows some signs of being on the autism spectrum, such as hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, and obsession with the things he loves. However, there has never been a definite answer.

Until now, that is. SpongeBob SquarePants voice actor Tom Kenny recently set the record straight.

Is SpongeBob SquarePants autistic?

Back in May 2024, during the Motor City Comic Con, Tom Kenny spoke about the possibility of SpongeBob SquarePants being on the spectrum. Initially, he started off by already saying that as a character, “SpongeBob is on the spectrum.”

He revealed that during a previous convention he attended in South Texas, he was asked for the first time if SpongeBob was autistic by someone who was on the spectrum. Without missing a beat, Tom Kenny stated, “Yes, of course! Of course, he is!”

He added that being autistic is SpongeBob SquarePants’s superpower, and told the fan it’s “the same way it’s your superpower!”

Who is Tom Kenny?

Tom Kenny is a renowned American actor, voice actor, and comedian. He is widely recognized as the voice of the titular character in SpongeBob SquarePants and has been voicing the character since the show’s premiere in 1999. Besides being a voice actor for SpongeBob, he appears as Patchy the Pirate during live-action segments of the show and is even featured in the live recording of the Broadway musical SpongeBob SquarePants as the said character.

But Spongebob SquarePants is not the only famous character Tom Kenny has voiced. He is the voice of Dog from CatDog, and played several roles in The Powerpuff Girls, including the Mayor, the Narrator, Snake, and more. He has also voice acted in video games, voicing Spyro the Dragon from Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage! until Spyro: A Hero’s Tail.