For those of us who grew up in the 1980’s, the Thundercats stood aside the pantheon of the best cartoons to air every afternoon – a list that also included G.I. Joe, MASK, The Transformers, He-Man, Silverhawks, and a few others. The story of the cat-like warriors with the amazing theme music was a staple of the after-school routine.
The hero of the Thundercats was Lion-O, voiced by a talented actor named Larry Kenney. His battle cry of “Thunder! Thunder! Thundercats! HOOO!” is still known and remembered lovingly by audiences that grew up with it.
The Thundercats are returning on Friday, July 29, with a new animated series on the Cartoon Network. The ‘Cats have a new look and a slightly different story, but unlike recent disappointments like G.I. Joe Renegades, this one is actually very good.
Keeping with respect to the original series, that original voice of Lion-O, Larry Kenney, is back with the franchise, this time playing Lion-O’s father, Claudius. Mr. Kenney took some time to speak with KSiteTV and other media outlets on Friday, and here’s what he had to say. Questions are printed in bold, Mr. Kenney’s answers are not.
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We just heard you yelling “Thundercats Ho!” in the classic Lion-O voice. What is it like to come back to that?
It’s nice to be able to say it again, without people in the street looking at me like, “what is he doing? He doesn’t even sound like Lion-O!”
Did you ever think you’d be revisiting the Thundercats universe?
Who would have known? Who would have thought that. We did the show back in the mid-Eighties, it was wonderful, and it fortunately became a success, became a big show, and then other shows come along and people grow up.
Very few actors are lucky enough to be involved in something like that to begin with, that means so much to so many people. And then a chance to do it again was something that you never even hope for. So it’s exciting to be a part of it again. It’s a little harder for me now, because I’m older, and the days get longer, but this is great. It’s fantastic.
Did you have to practice, since your voice now sounds different?
I think that’s how I got the new part, because Lion-O’s voice in the original series was basically my voice. It was not a “character voice.” It was basically what I sound like now, except more dramatic. And now that I’m older, my voice is a little more gravely. Back in the 80’s I was saying “But father! I don’t know how to deal with Mumm-Ra! I’m afraid that the Mutants are–!” And now it’s the father saying “Lion-O, you must learn how to deal with him!” So it was approrpriate.
Are you allowed to tell us if anyone else that provided voices for the original series might be involved?
As far as I know, none of the other original cast members have been contacted. I hope they are.
There’s an entire new cast, with all of the characters, but maybe at some point Warner Bros. will use the other original actors as mutants or something. I hope they do.
Did you ever debate whether or not to return to the Thundercats franchise?
I was excited as soon as my agent called me and said they were making a new series. And then when they said “they’d like you to be a part of it,” I said “well, let’s check it out first. Let’s check the script and everything.” Because I think I can speak for all of the people involved in the original series – we’re all very dedicated to preserving what Thundercats meant to fans.
This may sound like trying to be noble or something, but over the years I’ve received so many e-mails from people telling me what the show meant to them, not just as entertainment, but I’ve received a lot of e-mails from people who, in so many words, have made me know that their childhoods were not too good, for various reasons that you can imagine, and that when times were really bad for them, whether illness or abuse, that they would go in their room and Thundercats helped them get through it.
Now, when you’re an actor and you’re involved in something like that and people tell you that… they’ve grown up now and they tell you that… you have a responsibility to protect that. The legacy. And I feel very strongly about it. So, again I’m not trying to sound noble or anything, but I said “I’ll be a part of it if they can show us that they are going to do a Thundercats series that is worthy of the original,” and they have. They stayed true to the code of Thundera, and you’ll recognize the characters, and so I’m happy to be a part of it. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here talking about it. I didn’t need to do it. I would have wished them well, but I would have said “I’d rather not be a part of it,” but once I saw what they were doing, I said “Yeah. I want to be a part of it.”
What do you think of Snarf not talking in this version of the story?
I didn’t know that until I saw the trailer that they showed at the WonderCon, and then I read that Snarf had been changed. I don’t really have strong feelings about it. I mean, Snarf always annoyed everybody, but that was part of his charm. And it gave the show a little extra something… when there was not much else going on, you could get mad at Snarf. So, I don’t really know. I wasn’t involved in the process of deciding to change Snarf. But I will be watching with interest to see what the new Snarf is like.
How did you get started doing voice work?
I began in radio when I was 15 years old. For some reason, I had that kind of a voice that it would lend itself to that. And I was always a class clown, believe it or not. In fact, when I used to be a stand-up comedian I used to joke about the teachers throughout my life, who would say “Larry, I hope when you grow up I hope you find a way to make a living from your little voices and funny jokes.”
The all-new Thundercats premieres Friday, July 29 on The Cartoon Network! Stay tuned to KSiteTV this week for more Thundercats coversage!