Legendary voice actor Larry Kenney of New Canaan, CT has been providing voiceovers for cartoons and radio for over 4 decades!
Among some of his most memorable characters are Lion O from the hit animated show ThunderCats and he also provides the voice for the cereal mascots Count Cochula and Sonny the Cuckoo Bird for Cocoa Puffs.
I had the great pleasure of talking with Larry about his career as a voice actor, his favorite character played, and the future looks like for this renowned voice actor.
1. How did you get started doing voiceover work?
Answer: I started my career as a 15-year-old disc jockey in Peoria, Illinois, later moving to Fort Wayne Indiana, Cleveland, Chicago, and New York. Radio was a natural bridge to doing voiceover work.
2. Was it more fun doing radio or cartoon shows and why?
Answer: I've loved doing both. I always did lots of character voices and impressions on the radio, which turned out to be good training for the animation work that came later.
[In the 70’s Kenney was a cast member on the radio show 'Imus in the Morning']
3. Who is your personal favorite character you played out of all the cartoons and radio impersonations you've done the past four decades?
Answer: Sonny the Cocoa Puffs Bird is the most fun to do because he's such a high-energy, whacked-out character ... The kind most actors like to play. I've been providing his voice for nearly 40 years.
4. What was it about New Canaan that made you want to settle down there?
Answer: When you work in New York, it's good to come home to peace and quiet ... and that's New Canaan.
5. What future projects are in the works for you right now?