A chat with some of the TMNT legacy voice cast
(c) Paramount Home Entertainment
1. How did you first hear about the original TMNT animated series?
Barry Gordon: The usual way. It was just an audition like any other. My agent called me and said I had an appointment to read for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” I had never heard of the Eastman and Laird comic books, so I asked him what he was smoking. I probably should have asked what Eastman and Laird were smoking.
Townsend Coleman: In 1986 I was voicing the character of Gobo on the animated version of Fraggle Rock for NBC. Our voice director on that show came into one of our recording sessions and pulled a copy of a TMNT comic book out of his briefcase, saying he was going to be casting and directing a new cartoon based on the comic. I skinnied my eyes and said, “Yeah, well good luck with that!”
Cam Clarke: I got a call for an audition from my agent one of the many auditions I’d read for each week.. Some of the goofiest scripts can be hits, and some of the things you think are the smartest or really funny can flop, or only run for one season. You learn to place no bets.
Rob Paulsen: The way I heard about the original Ninja Turtles was myself and Townsend Coleman, who is Michelangelo, were working on an animated version of Fraggle Rock. At work one day, our director Stu Rosen came in with this script and said, “hey, I’m going to be casting this thing in the couple of weeks and I’d love you guys to come in and read.” It was called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I had heard of the comic book, because I have a lot of friends who were comic geeks. I am not, but I had heard of it and Townsend had not. He was like, “what the hell? Who’s been drinking the bottle of water at that pitch?” So, we went and read, I got a call back, and they had narrowed it down to all four of us. They decided Townsend Coleman, Cam Clark, Barry Gordon, and Rob Paulsen are going to be the Turtles. Pretty sure Rob’s going to be Raphael, because I’m kind of a smart ass, and we’re pretty sure Townsend is going to be Michelangelo. But they brought us in and we flipped back and forth, then they decided. Barry Gordon, God bless him sounds like Donny when he speaks, and it’s great. He’s kind of a nerdy little guy, and we love him for it. Cam, who we love too, was a little bit disconcerted because he felt the other Turtles had more personality. He’s the leader. I’ll never forget this. After a couple of run-throughs, we took a break and our director was speaking to him, saying “Cam, we really love your own voice and delivery. What is it you’re doing?” Cam said, “Oh, well I’m trying to bolster my character” and the director said, ‘Don’t.” It’s now 40 years old. I do lots of conventions. It’s the best to see how these sweet people have embraced all this work.
2. Why do you think it became such a big hit?
Barry: I think about that all the time. It’s a great concept with a great ensemble of characters —not just the four turtles but Splinter, Shredder, April, Krang—I could go on. And it was a morality play but with a lot of humor that made the “medicine”go down easier.
Townsend: Our original TMNT series came along at a time when boy’s cartoons/toys were big (Transformers, GI Joe, etc)… but I think it was the fact that there were only 4 Turtles, each with their own unique personalities, colors, and weapons that appealed to kids back then. These distinctive traits allowed young fans of the show to latch onto a particular Turtle with whom they could most readily identify. Additionally, I think the relationships between each of the brother Turtles, and other key characters like Splinter, April, and Shredder, coupled with engaging stories provided a great deal of entertainment for kids.
Cam: You got me. It resonated with the kids somehow. I honestly don’t know. They’re these silly guys that hang out in the sewer and eat pizza and fight crime. Honestly, I don’t know the secret to it. I’m just grateful that it happened. And it wasn’t until I started doing Comic-Cons that I realized what an impression it has left and I mean all these iterations of the Turtles. I didn’t know that it had this shelf life for us, for the OG team. So that’s been amazing.
Rob: First of all, it is a hit in every measurable way. Obviously, people like it. It is universal. I have been to Abu Dhabi. South Africa, Dubai, and the number of people I’ve met who don’t speak English but for Ninja Turtles. It is so heartwarming to see a thousand folks in the United Arab Emirates, dressed in their traditional clothing saying “Turtle Power” or “Cowabunga” –amazing. It’s pervasive in the most wonderful way. It also celebrates discipline, brotherhood, family, and it’s funny. There are so many iterations that appeal to so many different fans, which I think is also one it’s major strengths. There are very few franchises that make a lot of money, are universally adored, make people impossibly happy, inspire them to create, and teach them about respect, discipline, humor-all that in one show that is almost 40 years old and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. It’s unstoppable.
(c) Paramount Home Entertainment
3. What was it like working on an animated show with James Avery?
Barry: James was a teddy bear of a man. Huge body, huge heart. And huge feet. I mention that because at every session, he’d kick off his sandals and work barefoot. He left us way too soon.
Townsend: James Avery was an absolute delight to work with! A classically-trained actor, he was a big ol’ teddy bear and a joy to be around… he had a marvelous sense of humor and the best laugh on the planet! He auditioned for and got the role of Uncle Phil on Fresh Prince of Bel Air while doing our series and it was a real treat to watch his star rise and shine so brightly. He *loved* working on TMNT and we miss him dearly to this day.
Cam: He was a wonderful man-gentle giant -and would come in, kick his shoes off, and he’d be off to the races. But so sweet and gentle.
Rob: Talk about a big teddy bear. He would come to work, always, in sandals. He grew up in New York, and I think coming out here he loved the fact that he could wear sandals all day long. He’d come into work, take off his sandals, and always work barefoot. Of course, when he got Fresh Prince, everyone said “you gotta do it” and he couldn’t do both. Fortunately, we had Jim Cummings take over, and he did a marvelous job. Years later, we were all at a little get together. We were all so proud of him. I said, “we are so thrilled for your success, it’s not a surprise, but we sure miss you.” He said, “Rob, there is not one week of shooting Fresh Prince in which a guest star or extra comes up to me and says ‘are you really Shredder?’ and they freak out. It is the most precious thing.” That franchise followed him to his grave in the most wonderful way. As big as he was, his heart was bigger. Just a delightful fellow. You just wanted to hug him because it was authentic. It was a stretch for him to play evil, because he was such a sweet man.
4. What was the toughest episode for you to work on?
Barry: I can’t really answer that. None of it seemed tough. The series was a joy to work on, all ten seasons of it. I can’t recall any moment of struggle or difficulty. The writers did such great work and Sue Blu kept the ship running smoothly and happily.
Townsend: There isn’t a singular episode that I would think of as ‘tough’… however, the last couple seasons of the show tended to lose the spark for me. Generally referred to as the ‘Red Sky’ episodes, the flavor and feel of those seasons was a real departure in terms of characters and darker storylines from the preceding 6 or 7 seasons… this made them feel like a different show altogether.
Cam: None. They were all pretty straight forward and the kids grabbed onto it. But it was pretty much save the day, every week there’s a villain that you must defeat. Nonetheless, the scripts were cute and fun.
Rob: The last one, because I wasn’t going to do it anymore! I’m in the happy business. I, probably more than anyone is the happiest about it. The hard part about my job is getting the work. Once you get the gig, it’s nothing but pure joy. None of them were tough. It’s hard when it ends, because you just have a blast.
(c) Paramount Home Entertainment
5. Why do you think these characters are still popular today?
Barry: Maybe because they’ve been in people’s consciousnesses since 1984. And every new movie, series or video game brings new audiences and new generations into the fold. The turtles are fun and heroes at the same time —a pretty good combination.
Townsend: I think the beauty (and perhaps brilliance) of TMNT in all its iterations is that the core character traits and relationships between the various characters (certainly the Turtles themselves) remains relatively consistent from version to version, yet provides enough uniqueness in look, tone, and style to give each iteration its own personality. The way that’s turned out over the decades is that it’s provided each successive generation their ‘own’ version of the TMNT, while still remaining married to the original concept envisioned by creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.
Cam: Again, you got me. I find it interesting. When I was a kid, I couldn’t care less who the voices were to my favorite cartoons. I’d watch them, then I’d go out and play. Never gave it a second thought. As far as their popularity goes it’s nostalgia for us as the OG but the characters have been redeveloped for each new generation so that keeps them fresh.
Rob: In every iteration, the Turtles have their own personalities. One of the constant refrains I will hear is “you guys were all so different. I really related to Donatello because I was a nerd.” It resonated with people that each had their own distinct personality. And April, who played by Renae. It’s so wonderful to see the number of young women who speak to Renae. To be the primary female in what was ostensibly a boy’s action adventure. It was a big deal to have someone, as an animated character, who was a role model. Someone who had a real gig. When you’re able to work on something that had a profound effect on young people, and have people travel and pay money to stand in a line just to tell you that—that is a profound compliment that is difficult to get my head around. At that point, it is not about money, ratings, or my paycheck. It is about a deeply connective, joyful experience. People have said, essentially, “Ninja Turtles saved my life” and I don’t even know how to deal with that. Those individual characteristics resonated with people, and they celebrate it.
6. Why do you think people should pick up TMNT: The Complete Classic Collection?
Barry: To see how it all started. And hopefully, have some laughs along the way.
Townsend: For younger fans of later versions of TMNT who’ve not had a chance to see where it all began, there’s no better way to see what started this crazy-cool phenomenon. And for fans of the original who are now in their 40s with kids of their own, what could be more bodacious than watching together as a family and reliving those glorious days when they were kids during the ‘80s and ‘90s!!
Cam: As a collector-and I’m a collector myself-I collect mid-century toys from my childhood. I also collect early Halloween paraphernalia from the ‘20s and ‘30s. I know what it’s like to “collect the entire set.” I think this would appeal to collectors. Just the virtue that it is a new release, I could see fans wanting it just because of what it is. It is everything in one place.
Rob: It’s volume one. When you’re my age, there will still be new iterations of Ninja Turtles. These people who are now eight or nine years old are watching the most recent version on Nickelodeon, and they can watch the originals, and they can watch all the movies, and they can watch 2012. They will want to share all that with their kids, and when they have them, there will be another iteration of Turtles. If you’re a real Turtles fan, you’ll want this stuff. When you’re 75, you can sit back and have a week with your great grandkids on a Turtle binge. I’m now 68, if I watch something that I watched when I was a kid, it’s really powerful. Parents love to see their children watching the same stuff they did and seeing their reactions. Seeing your child laugh at the same joke you laughed at is such a thrill. I did it with my son.
7. Any last words for the fans?
Barry: You are the most loyal, dedicated people I’ve ever known. Only because we’ve now gotten to meet so many of you at comic cons, do we now understand how this little cartoon show affected so many lives in important ways. It is still difficult for us to believe but we are humbled by it and we love you. TURTLE POWER!
Townsend: The only last words that could possibly matter —“COWABUNGA, dudes and dudettes… TURTLE POWER!!!”;-)
Cam: Thank you for following us for almost forty years. At Comic-Cons, we sit there for three days while people come up and say “thank you for my childhood.” We get paid to sit there and receive praise and hear stories that are just awe inspiring. It’s like “I was a part of that? Really? Wow!” Thank you.
Rob: Cowabunga. Booyakasha. Turtle Power. Don’t forget to try a hot fudge, marshmallow, tuna fish, and Doritos pizza. And keep smiling!
TMNT: The Complete Classic Series Collection is available now on DVD.
Also, As part of a limited series event, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will make its linear debut beginning Monday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. The first six episodes of season one will premiere Monday through Thursday. All episodes of Season One are currently available to stream on Paramount+.
