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Interview with Larry Kenney
January 5, 2006
by Tim Nydell
I see you've done some work since Thundercats, but not much...
why is that?
Since the mid-80's, there hasn't been much animation work done in New York.... I think
the production companies find it more economical to work elsewhere; Los Angeles, Toronto, etc. But I have stayed busy in the
commercial voice-over field, providing the voices of Count Chocula, Sonny the Coco Puffs bird, etc. And, after 33 years, I'm
still seen and heard 2 or times a week on "Imus in the Morning" heard on over 100 radio stations nationwide and seen on MS/NBC
TV.
Were you offered any other roles that you turned down and
now regret?
I honestly can't recall a role that I regret turning down. A working actor rarely says
"no" to a job offer.
I am a big Thundercats fan - what are some memories you have of the show?
My fondest memories of THUNDERCATS are the great times we had at
EVERY recording session. The voice cast was made up of some of the greatest actors (and nicest people) in the business. We
had a ball every time we went into the studio.
Do you know if they ever plan on making
a movie based on it?
Every few years, another rumor pops up about a new THUNDERCATS movie. There's one circulating now, but who knows?
Ok, let's start from the beginning - how did you get involved in Thundercats?
The
usual route ... an audition. Rankin-Bass auditioned more than 200 actors for show. Like everyone else, I reported to the studio
at my appointed time, studied the scripts, and was given about 15 minutes to show them what I thought the
characters should
sound like. I got lucky ... they liked me!
What inspiration did you use to create
the voices of Lion-O and Jackalman?
Great question; I've never really
thought about it before. Although LION-O was "Lord of the Thundercats," I felt he should be gentle, thoughtful, and kind ....
even a little vulnerable. After all, he became the 'CATS leader as a young boy and had to grow into the role. Looking back,
I guess I may have been thinking of SUPERMAN as an inspiration for the voice.
And JACKALMAN.... well, my inspiration
was "sleazy, slimy, scummy EVIL."
Do you keep in touch with anyone from Thundercats?
I
see Lynn Lipton, Peter Newman, and Gerrianne Raphael occasionally at auditions and recording sessions in New York. Of course,
Bob McFadden and Earl Hammond have passed away.
Back in those days did you have any
interaction with the other cast members while recording - or is it like
now when you do your parts alone in a small room and don't see
anyone?
We always worked as an ensemble .... the whole cast in the room at the same time,
which was fantastic. It took nearly three years to record all 130 episodes, so we had hundreds of hours together and loved
every minute of it.
What do you think of the "Thundercats Bloopers" on the internet? Are they actually real?
You have to remember
that back in the mid-1980's, there was no Internet, and no way for us to know that someday anyone in the world would be able
to listen to
our little fluffs, jokes, and mistakes. My only worry is that young kids might come across the "out-takes"
and have his or her fondness for the THUNDERCATS
tarnished. And yes, they're real.
Are
there any plans to release Silverhawks on DVD? That was another favorite
of mine.
I haven't heard any, but it would be great.
Why
is it that you're always lending your voice but never your face for these
roles?
Early in my career, I acted in a few soap operas and movies and hosted a TV game show, "Bowling
for Dollars." It was fun, but I HATED the "down time..."
hours and hours of waiting around while the sets were moved around,
the lighting adjusted, etc. I prefer spending a half hour in an audio booth and moving on to another job.
On behalf of everybody who had the honor and pleasure of being a part of THUNDERCATS, I'd like to thank you, Tim
... and everyone who reads this .... for being such FANTASTIC fans. And thanks for keeping the CODE OF THUNDERA alive!
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