The Cast of SpongeBob SquarePants Agrees That These Two Stars' Cameos Were Their 'Favorite'

In the 25 years since SpongeBob SquarePants first graced screens, the cast of voice actors has collected plenty of memories together. But the casting of legendary comedic actors Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway was a collective favorite.

“I gotta say, when I walked in the studio and there was Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway to do Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy, I felt like I was 7 years old,” Bill Fagerbakke, a.k.a. the voice of Patrick Star, recounted during the show's 25th anniversary celebration panel at New York Comic Con on Oct. 18. “I was giddy. That was an incredible moment.”

Mermaid Man (Borgnine) and Barnacle Boy (Conway) were the show’s retired superheroes, who SpongeBob and Patrick convince to come out of retirement early in the first season. From 1999 up until Borgnine died in 2012, the pair gave voice to the geriatric heroes across 15 episodes. 

After Borgnine’s death, Conway also retired his animated character, with archive recordings used in later episodes featuring Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. Conway died in 2019.

“My favorite ones were when Tom Conway and Ernest Borgnine were there," Carolyn Lawrence, the voice of Sandy Cheeks, said too. "What was interesting about them to me is – much like how we [the cast] have become family – they were hilarious together. Like their history together … it was so fun to watch them be friends and play.”

Conway was best known for his various appearances on The Carol Burnett Show during its run, as well as voice acting roles across SpongeBob spinoffs and the DreamWorks’ Dragon franchise. Borgnine had similar credits, with his most notable role being the titular character in the 1955 Best Picture-winning film Marty, for which he also won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

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Conway and Borgnine costarred in the 1964 sitcom McHale’s Navy, which followed a group of sailors using a naval PT boat as a betting parlor. The show was adapted into a film in 1997, though Borgnine was the only member of the original cast to join the production.

“They had not really worked together much since then, but they had remained friends,” Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob, noted at the panel. 

“It was kind of cool to fast forward with all those years … they loved the show and they loved us,” Kenny continued. “They had kids and grandkids, and it kinda gave them new relevance with youngins."

Kenny, Fagerbakke, and Lawrence were joined on the panel by voice actors Rodger Bumpass (Squidward) and Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs), as well as writer Mr. Lawrence and executive producers Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller.