Can You Guess the Actors Behind These Iconic '90s and '00s Cartoon Characters?

From SpongeBob and Patrick to Tommy and Chuckie: see the actors who gave voice to some of the most famous cartoon characters on TV

Voice Actors Behind Iconic Characters Voice Actors Behind Iconic Characters
Spongebob, Tommy and Fred Flintstone. Photo:

Nickelodeon; Nickelodeon Movies/Kobal/Shutterstock; Courtesy of Everett

These iconic characters would not be the same without the talented actors who voiced them.

Whether its nailing SpongeBob SquarePants' famous laugh or finding the perfect tone for the pint-sized tots on Rugrats, these actors' abilities to shift their voices is one impressive feat.

From Tom Kenny's decades-long run as the guy "who lives in a pineapple under the sea" to Christine Cavanaugh's turn as several of the iconic characters of the 1990s, learn more about 17 actors who brought some of your favorite TV characters come to life.

01 of 20

SpongeBob on 'SpongeBob SquarePants'

Spongebob Squarepants — Tom Kenny Spongebob Squarepants — Tom Kenny
Tom Kenny.

Nickelodeon; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

Tom Kenny has voiced the guy "who lives in a pineapple under the sea" since SpongeBob SquarePants premiered in 1999. Beyond his work as the lovable sponge, Kenny, 61, is also the voice of Gary the Snail on the series and has lent his voice to several other projects including The Powerpuff GirlsAdventure Time and Rocko's Modern Life.

02 of 20

Patrick on 'SpongeBob SquarePants'

Patrick Starr — Bill Fagerbakke Patrick Starr — Bill Fagerbakke
Bill Fagerbakke.

Nickelodeon; Irvin Rivera/Getty Images for IMDb

SpongeBob's best friend Patrick has been voiced by Bill Fagerbakke since the show's start. Fagerbakke told PEOPLE that when the show first premiered, his daughters — who were 4 and 6 at the time — "loved it."

"And I went, 'Yes, this is going to be fun.' I figured for a few months and then something else comes along, you hope. But 25 years later," he said.

In addition to extensive voice work, the 66-year-old has appeared on Young Sheldon and How I Met Your Mother.

03 of 20

Bubbles on 'The Powerpuff Girls'

Bubbles — Tara Strong Bubbles — Tara Strong
Tara Strong.

Cartoon Network/Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock; Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for IMDb

Tara Strong's voice can be heard on numerous television shows including The Fairly OddParents as Timmy Turner, Rugrats as Dil Pickles and the My Little Pony franchise as Twilight Sparkle. But from 1998 to 2004, the 51-year-old was the voice behind Bubbles on The Powerpuff Girls.

04 of 20

Buttercup on 'The Powerpuff Girls'

Buttercup — E.G. Daily Buttercup — E.G. Daily
E.G. Daily.

In addition to her work as Buttercup on The Powerpuff Girls, E.G. Daily's voice can also be heard on shows like Rugrats as Tommy Pickles and Curious George as Steve. Early in her career, the 61-year-old appeared on Laverne & Shirley and CHiPs.

05 of 20

Blossom on 'The Powerpuff Girls'

Blossom — Catherine Cavadini Blossom — Catherine Cavadini
Catherine Cavadini.

Cartoon Network/Courtesy of Everett; Eric Charbonneau/Berliner Studio/BEImages

Before stepping into the role of Blossom on The Powerpuff Girls, Catherine Cavadini, 62, lent her voice to the 1980s series Kidd Video and Jem.

06 of 20

Mojo Jojo on 'Powerpuff Girls'

Roger JacksonMojo Jojo — Roger JacksonMojo Jojo —
Roger Jackson.

Moviestore/Shutterstock; Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

As well as voicing Mojo Jojo on The Powerpuff Girls, older audiences might recognize Roger Jackson's voice from the Scream films, as the 65-year-old is the voice that comes through the phone when Ghostface calls.

07 of 20

Dexter on 'Dexter's Laboratory'

Dexter — Christine Cavanaugh Dexter — Christine Cavanaugh
Christine Cavanaugh.

Cartoon Network/Courtesy of Everett; KMazur/WireImage

Before her death in 2014, Christine Cavanaugh gave voice to numerous iconic characters including Babe in the 1995 film of the same name, Chuckie Finster on Rugrats and Dexter on Dexter's Laboratory.

08 of 20

Chuckie Finster on 'Rugrats'

Chuckie — Christine Cavanaugh/NANCY CARTWRIGHT Chuckie — Christine Cavanaugh/NANCY CARTWRIGHT
Christine Cavanaugh, Nancy Carwright.

Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty; Klasky-Csupo/Courtesy of Everett; Frank Micelotta/Disney via Getty

And speaking of Chuckie Finster, while Cavanaugh voiced the red-headed tot for the majority of episodes during the original show's run from 1992 to 2003, Nancy Cartwright stepped in to voice Tommy's pal later on in the series.

Cartwright, 66, has also voiced Bart Simpson on The Simpsons since 1989.

09 of 20

Tommy Pickles on 'Rugrats'

Tommy — E.G. Daily Tommy — E.G. Daily
E.G. Daily.

Nickelodeon Movies/Kobal/Shutterstock; Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty

E.G. Daily has voiced Tommy Pickles for decades, starting back in 1991 when the original show first aired. Most recently she reprised the role on the Rugrats reboot that kicked off in 2021.

10 of 20

The Brain on 'Pinky and the Brain'

The Brain — Maurice LaMarche The Brain — Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche.

Warner Bros Animation/Amblin/Kobal/Shutterstock; Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for SCAD

During Pinky and the Brain's four-year run, Maurice LaMarche played the smaller of the two mice, The Brain. LaMarche, 66, has had a storied career in voice acting that included other roles on shows like Space Goofs, Transformers: Rescue Bots, Futurama, Rick and Morty and the film Zootopia.

11 of 20

Pinky on 'Pinky and the Brain'

Pinky — Rob Paulsen Pinky — Rob Paulsen
Rob Paulsen.

Warner Bros Animation/Amblin/Kobal/Shutterstock; Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for SCAD

The second half of the Pinky and the Brain duo was voiced by Rob Paulsen, 68, whose voice has also featured on shows like Animaniacs and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

12 of 20

Johnny Bravo on 'Johnny Bravo'

JOHNNY BRAVO — Jeff Bennett JOHNNY BRAVO — Jeff Bennett
Jeff Bennett.

Courtesy of Everett; David Buchan/Shutterstock

Jeff Bennett, 61, played the titular role on Johnny Bravo from 1997 to 2004. His voice can also be heard on Animaniacs, 101 Dalmatians: The Series, Pepper Ann, Dexter's Laboratory and as the Man in the Yellow Hat on Curious George.

13 of 20

Arnold in 'Hey Arnold!'

Arnold from Hey Arnold - Toran Caudell, Phillip Van Dyke, and Spencer Klein Arnold from Hey Arnold - Toran Caudell, Phillip Van Dyke, and Spencer Klein
Toran Caudell, Phillip Van Dyke and Spencer Klein.

Nickelodeon/Viacom/Kobal/Shutterstock; Showtime/Courtesy of Everett; Paramount Television/Courtesy of Everett; ABC/Courtesy of Everett

At least three different voice actors stepped in for the role of Arnold during Hey Arnold!'s five-season run on Nickelodeon, per IMDb, including Toran Caudell, Phillip Van Dyke and Spencer Klein.

14 of 20

Gerald Johanssen on 'Hey Arnold!'

Gerald from Hey Arnold - Jamil Walker Smith Gerald from Hey Arnold - Jamil Walker Smith
Jamil Walker Smith.

Nickelodeon/Viacom/Kobal/Shutterstock; Frazer Harrison/Getty

During Hey Arnold!'s time on Nickelodeon, Jamil Walker Smith voiced Arnold's best friend Gerald Johanssen. Since then, the 41-year-old has appeared on both seasons of Stargate Universe and most recently was on a few episodes of The Rookie in 2022.

15 of 20

Ms. Frizzle on 'The Magic School Bus'

Ms. Frizzle — Lily Tomlin Ms. Frizzle — Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin.

Nelvana / Courtesy of Everett; Ryan Emberley/Getty Images for RBC

Everyone's favorite teacher Ms. Frizzle was voiced by none other than Lily Tomlin for The Magic School Bus' four seasons. While we only hear her voice in the role, Tomlin, 84, has of course starred in numerous projects in front of the camera, including Nashville, 9 to 5 and Grace and Frankie.

16 of 20

Penny Proud on 'The Proud Family'

Penny Proud — Kyla Pratt Penny Proud — Kyla Pratt
Kyla Pratt.

The Disney Channel/Courtesy of Everett; Elyse Jankowski/Variety via Gett

From 2001 to 2005, Kyla Pratt voiced Penny Proud on Disney Channel's The Proud Family. The show returned with a reboot titled The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder in 2022, and Pratt, 37, reprised the role nearly 20 years later.

17 of 20

Suga Mama on 'The Proud Family'

Suga Mama from Proud Family - Jo Marie Payton Suga Mama from Proud Family - Jo Marie Payton
Jo Marie Payton.

Disney+/Courtesy Everett; Tommaso Boddi/Getty

Before stepping into the role of Suga Mama on The Proud Family beginning in 2001, Jo Marie Payton played Harriette Winslow on Family Matters from 1989-1997. More recently Payton, 73, reprised her Proud Family role on the show's 2021 reboot.

18 of 20

Kim Possible on 'Kim Possible'

Kim Possible — Christy Carlson Romano Kim Possible — Christy Carlson Romano
Christy Carlson Romano.

Disney Channel / Courtesy of Everett; Rick Kern/WireImage

Another Disney Channel cartoon favorite was Kim Possible, which aired from 2002 to 2007. Christy Carlson Romano, 40, voiced the titular character after landing her breakout role on Even Stevens.

19 of 20

Wilma Flintstone on 'The Flintstones'

Wilma Flintstone — Jean Vander Pyl Wilma Flintstone — Jean Vander Pyl
Jean Vander Pyl.

Courtesy of Everett; Archive Photos/Getty

Jean Vander Pyl voiced Wilma — and Pebbles! — Flintstone in the 1960s series The Flintstones. She would reprise the role on numerous occasions and also lent her voice to another popular cartoon of the time, The Jetsons. In 1994 she appeared in The Flintstones live action movie as Mrs. Feldspar.

20 of 20

Fred Flintstone on 'The Flintstones'

Fred Flintstone — Alan Reed Fred Flintstone — Alan Reed
Alan Reed.

Courtesy of Everett; ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Before Alan Reed voiced Fred Flintstone on the series, the actor lent his voice to Disney's Lady and the Tramp in 1955. In 1961, he also appeared in Breakfast at Tiffany's.