Here is a concise summary of the text:
**Title:** Voice Actor Tom Kenny's Approach to Animation Voice Acting
**Summary:**
* Tom Kenny, renowned voice actor (SpongeBob, Adventure Time, etc.), demonstrates his process for creating voices on the spot for unseen cartoon characters.
* He shares his thought process for each character, considering traits, accents, and personalities to bring them to life.
* Kenny also reflects on his experience voicing SpongeBob, highlighting:
+ Instant connection with the character
+ Collaborative process with creator Stephen Hillenburg, who had a clear vision
+ Inspiration from "man-child" characters (e.g., Pee-wee Herman, Laurel & Hardy)
+ Development of SpongeBob's distinctive laugh, inspired by iconic animated characters
* Kenny emphasizes the key to successful voice acting: inhabiting the character to create a genuine, lively performance, often relying on the creator's clear vision to guide the process.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text, without opinions, with each fact numbered and in short sentences:
**Tom Kenny's Background**
1. Tom Kenny is a voice actor in animation.
2. He is known for voicing SpongeBob SquarePants, Gary the snail, and other characters.
**Projects and Roles**
3. Tom Kenny has worked on numerous projects, including:
* SpongeBob SquarePants
* Adventure Time
* Rocko's Modern Life
* The Powerpuff Girls
* Tap Dog (Nickelodeon cartoon, voiced a half-cat, half-dog character)
**Voice Acting Process**
4. In animation voice acting, the goal is to inhabit the character and deliver a performance that feels authentic.
5. The audition process often starts with a picture of the character and a breakdown of their personality.
6. Voice actors may be given freedom to interpret characters or may be directed to a specific sound/vision.
**Specific Project: SpongeBob SquarePants**
7. Stephen Hillenburg, the creator, had a clear vision for SpongeBob's character and sound.
8. SpongeBob's character is described as "half a child and half an adult".
9. Inspirations for SpongeBob's personality included:
* Pee-wee Herman
* Stan Laurel (Laurel & Hardy)
* The Three Stooges
* Jerry Lewis
* Munchkins from The Wizard of Oz
10. The iconic SpongeBob laugh was inspired by distinctive laughs in other animated characters (e.g., Popeye, Woody Woodpecker).
11. The laugh was intended to be semi-dolphin-like, reflecting SpongeBob's underwater habitat.