Tom Kenny

Many lay claim to the title "voice of a generation," but voice actor Tom Kenny takes the phrase to a whole new level. A stand-up comedian with an ear for music, Kenny first gained notice with appearances on late-night talk shows and sketch comedy series such as "The Edge" (Fox, 1992-93) and "Mr. Show with Bob and David" (HBO, 1995-98). But as funny as his live performances were, it was Kenny's distinctively reedy, shape-shifting voice that turned out to be his greatest talent. Starting in the 1990s, Kenny became an in-demand voice actor, giving life to such characters as the nervous Heffer Wolfe in "Rocko's Modern Life" (Nickelodeon, 1993-96); the suave narrator and bumbling Mayor on "The Powerpuff Girls" (Cartoon Network, 1998-2005); and the eponymous, optimistic sea sponge in "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Nickelodeon, 1999- ). His affinity for fast-paced, slightly absurd comedy later found him work on cult shows such as "Futurama" (Fox/Comedy Central, 1999-2003, 2010-13) and "Adventure Time" (Cartoon Network, 2010- ). And with his expansion into video game series such as "Spyro the Dragon" (1999) as well as feature films including "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (2009) and "Frankenweenie" (2012), Tom Kenny's status as the hardest-working voice in show business was complete.