American actor Tom Kenny, best known for voicing SpongeBob SquarePants and other characters on the show, shared during the latest Comic-Con convention that the beloved character is on the autism spectrum. "That’s his superpower," Kenny said.
During a Q&A session at a convention held in Detroit in May, Kenny recounted that a fan on the autism spectrum once approached him and asked if SpongeBob was also on the spectrum. In a video now circulating on social media, Kenny described how he responded: "Yes, of course he is! That’s his superpower, the same as your superpower."
This isn't the first time Kenny has talked about the topic. In 2012, he was interviewed on Marc Maron's WTF podcast and said: "I don't know what it is about this show that speaks so much to kids on the autism spectrum more than other cartoons. ... Maybe it's because SpongeBob is a little autistic too. He's obsessed with his job, very hard working and gets really deep into things."