Entertainment
You'll Be Shocked To See What These 11 Animated Characters Look Like In Real Life
Nickelodeon
For some people, cartoons play an important role in their lives. Even though you may be older and wiser since you watched the shows on Saturday morning, it's still easy to forget that there are real people behind the beautifully drawn characters. Their names might not be familiar at first glance, but the world would be different without their incredible range and trademark sound. In fact, you might even wonder what your favorite kids' show characters look like in real life. (Surprisingly, it's very different from their on-screen persona.)
Although many TV shows are mainly intended to entertain, some have characters who provided valuable life lessons. Dora taught viewers Spanish, Arthur encouraged positive relationships between family and friends, and even SpongeBob reminded everyone to find positivity in any situation. You might recognize these iconic characters and their voices in an instant, but ever wonder who’s the real person behind these characters? More specifically, what do they look like? Just as these characters have shaped many childhood experiences, so did the actors who voiced them. Prepare yourself with a wave of nostalgia, because here are some of your favorite animated characters and the talented voice actors who voiced them.
1. SpongeBob Squarepants from 'SpongeBob Squarepants'
He’s everyone’s favorite square-shaped yellow sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea. He might have an annoying laugh, but his cheery personality is a testament to the show’s appeal.
Tom Kenny
Before voicing hundreds of other characters you’re probably familiar with, including the Ice King in Adventure Time and the mayor in The Powerpuff Girls, Kenny got his start as a stand-up comedian. His talents led him to appearances on shows like Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Late Night with David Letterman, according to IMDb.
2. Tommy Pickles from 'Rugrats'
In the '90s, Nickelodeon introduced a slew of iconic characters, including the group of toddlers from Rugrats. Most notably, Tommy Pickles was considered the "leader" of the bunch, pulling out his famous screwdriver when needed.
E.G. Daily
All the characters on the show were voiced by female actors, and Tommy was no difference. You might recognize Daily from live-action films and TV shows, including her role as Dottie in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and Phoebe’s ex-singing partner in an episode of Friends, according to Daily's Homepage.
3. Chuckie Finster from 'Rugrats'
Tommy's best friend Chuckie might be the oldest one of the toddlers, but he's perhaps the most worrisome.
Christine Cavanaugh
Known for her raspy voice, Cavanaugh also voiced a well-known redhead: Dexter from Dexter's Labratory. In 2014, Cavanaugh passed away at the age of 51, according to BBC.
4. Blossom from 'The Powerpuff Girls'
Blossom, the self-proclaimed “captain” of the trio, leads the girls when fighting off crimes. With her signature red bow, she’s strong and determined, but is oftentimes the most bossy of the sisters.
Cathy Cavadini
Cavadini’s voice has been featured in hundreds of commercials, films, and even video games, according to IMDb. Proving her talents, she was honored with a White House Project Epic Award in 2003, which recognizes projects that promote women’s leadership, for her work in The Powerpuff Girls Movie.
5. Buttercup from 'The Powerpuff Girls'
Born with the ingredient of “spice,” Buttercup is the tough, tomboy of the group. Unlike Blossom, Buttercup dives right into the action without coming up with a plan.
E.G. Daily
Daily’s commendable career doesn’t just stop with her voice acting credits–she’s also made a living as a professional singer/songwriter. After producing four solo albums, she auditioned for the fifth season of The Voice and landed a spot on Team Blake, according to the aforementioned homepage.
6. Bubbles from 'The Powerpuff Girls'
Living up to her name, Bubbles is known as the sweet one out of the group. She may be cute and sensitive, but she’s still as tough as her superhero sisters.
Tara Strong
This Canadian actress actually started out her career doing stage performances in Yiddish, without being able to speak Yiddish, according to Famous Birthdays. Outside of The Powerpuff Girls, Strong is known for voicing young male characters, like Dil Pickles in Rugrats.
7. Ash Ketchum in 'Pokémon'
Based on the popular video games, this mega franchise follows Ash Ketchum and his loyal Pokémon Pikachu in hopes of becoming a Pokémon master.
Veronica Taylor
In addition to voicing Ash, Taylor voiced May and other characters in Pokémon until the end of the eighth season, according to IMDb. Taylor also has a knack for voicing characters in English adaptions of Japanese Anime, including her role as Sailor Pluto in Sailor Moon.
8. Scooby-Doo from 'Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'
The gang of Mystery, Inc. wouldn’t have been the same without this clumsy, talking great dane. Much like his best friend Shaggy, Scooby-Doo is easily scared and constantly hungry for Scooby snacks.
Don Messick
Messick originated Scooby’s famous “Scooby-dooby-doo!” catchphrase, and spent almost 30 years working on the character. Similar to the aforementioned voice actors, Messick also lent his voice to other famous cartoons, including Papa Smurf from The Smurfs and Astro from The Jetsons.
9. George from 'Curious George'
This sweet and mischievous monkey is always up to no good, but he always manages to get out trouble with the help of the Man with the Yellow Hat.
Frank Welker
Welker has been in the voice acting business for quite some time. As the voice of Fred Jones in the Scooby-Doo series, he’s the only original voice actor who’s still working with the franchise. And according to The Guardian, Jones even voiced Scooby-Doo at one point.
10. Dora from 'Dora the Explorer'
With her talking purple backpack and best friend Boots in tow, Dora is the young, bilingual girl with a love for adventures.
Kathleen Herles
Although three actresses voiced the heroine throughout the show’s eight seasons, Herles was the original and longest-running voice of Dora. During her five-year career as the titular character, Herles did radio commercials and voiced some of the background animals in the show, according to TV Guide.
11. Jake the Dog from 'Adventure Time'
Finn's best friend and adoptive brother isn't just any average dog-he can shape shift and transform any part of his body to almost any size. His relaxed nature made him a fan favorite of the series.
John DiMaggio
He's known for his gruff voice, but he's mostly famous for voicing Bender in Futurama. Aside from voice acting, DiMaggio can also beatbox, which can be heard on some episodes of Futurama, according to IMDb.
