'Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie' star says we need more characters that show girls can do 'whatever they want to do'

Beloved SpongeBob SquarePants character Sandy Cheeks has gotten her own movie, Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie on Netflix, after the TV show first premiered in 1999. Carolyn Lawrence, the voice of Sandy Cheeks, spoke to Yahoo Canada's Elisabetta Bianchini about continuing to learn more about her character, even 25 years later, and being able to craft an animated character that empowers girls follow their love of STEM and science, and not be afraid.

Video Transcript

I'm one of those people where I remember exactly where I was when I was a kid when spongebob premiered 25 years ago.

So it's crazy to, to talk to you now.

Um But you know, one of the things I really loved about this film is really getting a chance to see your character's family and all these other really great characters.

What was it like to be able to kind of tap into some of that stuff?

25 years into the kind of process?

Yeah, it was really fun for me because 25 years in there's things that I still didn't know.

Right.

So, it's kind of amazing that I'm still learning, even though when you think about it, it just dawned on me.

So, in life, no matter how old you get, you're still like, huh?

Like you, you discover things about yourself all the time, right?

So it's the same.

But, but it's fun for me that I got to learn more about her family and learn more about her background and, and figure out why she is, who she is and, and some of the questions I always had, you know, it started to get answered and it's really fun that I get to share it now with all the fans and we're all kind of learning at the same time.

I don't know how often that happens creatively that like, I'm getting to expand within this universe after 25 years and the fans are at the same time.

That's pretty amazing.

Sandy connects with a lot of fans in a way that I think particularly 25 years ago, we didn't have women animated characters that were so smart and strong and had the same interests that she did.

Um What's it like to be able to take a character that, you know, was really able to, I think, fill the gap for a lot of kids and probably even adults watching sometimes it's a little overwhelming.

I feel so responsible for.

Um it's important to me as a woman and I've had my struggles in my journey.

Right?

And so I um I wanna make sure that we're respectful of that situation and, and, and those relationships and um like yesterday at the premiere, there were a bunch of kids there and I can't tell you how much joy it brings me when they're excited and you're right because it's important, it's important for girls to know that they can go into science, they can be in the medical field, they can, they can do whatever they wanna do and they need to see more of it.

Right.

The more they see of it, the more they know that they can actually do it as well.

But it's also important for our boys to see that girls are capable.

They need to see more of the characters as well.

That can do everything and that they can, they can bond with.

You know, there, I like that.

There's boys out there.

They love Sandy too because she knows karate and she does all the things and she's not afraid.

And, um, I think that's amazing.