SpongeBob SquarePants’ musical episode “Atlantis SquarePantis” had a very special guest star lending his voice to Lord Royal Highness, emperor of Atlantis: David Bowie. But how did Nickelodeon get the Thin White Duke to voice a character in SpongeBob’s universe? Created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg, SpongeBob SquarePants debuted on Nickelodeon in 1999 and is currently enjoying its 12th season, making it one of the longest-running American animated series.
SpongeBob SquarePants follows the daily adventures of the title character – a sea sponge that looks more like a kitchen sponge – and his best friends Patrick Star and Sandy Cheeks, along with his neighbor Squidward Tentacles and his boss Mr. Krabs. Over the course of 12 seasons, SpongeBob and friends have been involved in all types of adventures and have met a lot of colorful characters, including gods and kings, such as King Neptune and Lord Royal Highness. Behind the scenes, Bikini Bottom has had the pleasure of counting with the voices of many artists, among those David Bowie.
The iconic artist lent his voice to Lord Royal Highness in the musical episode “Atlantis SquarePantis”, and while SpongeBob and Bowie might seem like an odd combination, Bowie had good reasons to take the role.
David Bowie Was A Big SpongeBob SquarePants Fan
“Atlantis SquarePants” is a special musical episode from season five of SpongeBob SquarePants and the series’ first TV movie, followed by Truth or Square and SpongeBob’ Big Birthday Blowout. In it, SpongeBob and Patrick discover a half of an ancient medallion that takes them (along with Sandy, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs) to the lost city of Atlantis. Once there, they meet Lord Royal Highness, a blue, alienish Atlantean who shows them around and who makes the huge mistake of leaving SpongeBob and Patrick alone with their most beloved, ancient, and fragile relic: the world’s oldest bubble. Although the episode had a bunch of songs, Bowie didn’t sing, but his character did share one particularity with him: one blue eye.
Bowie himself shared the news on his blog, where he showed that he was a fan of the series, saying he had at last “hit the Holy Grail of animation gigs”, with Tom Kenny (Patchy the Pirate and SpongeBob's voice) later adding that the fact that he wanted to be in something his kids like is "what gets the ball rolling". Sadly, Bowie’s work wasn’t enough for the episode to win the approval of critics, who called it boring, flat, and unimaginative. However, this didn’t stop Bowie’s love for the series, and a modified version of his 1995 song “No Control” was used in the SpongeBob SquarePants Broadway musical. The episode didn’t have the pleasure of counting with Bowie’s singing voice, but it did provide what’s, perhaps, the wisest line ever spoken in SpongeBob Squarepants: “art is what happens when you learn to dream”. David Bowie was truly a man of many talents, and even if Stephen Hillenburg was never on board with having celebrity guest stars, Bowie’s cameo is a very special one.