Sure, he's a naked mole-rat, but that doesn't mean Rufus on 'Kim Possible' can't express himself with his voice. But did Disney really need to hire someone to talk like a naked mole rat?
As it turns out, the filmmakers chose a very recognizable and esteemed voice to bring Rufus to life in the newest iteration featuring Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and all their friends (and frenemies). And it was definitely worth the investment.
Who Voices Rufus In 'Kim Possible'?
Though the new 'Kim Possible' film brought on new actors for notable parts (like Christy Carlson Romano's former Kim) out of necessity (it was, after all, live-action), there's one thing that isn't changing: the voice of Rufus.
The live film swapped Christy Carlson Romano for a young Sadie Stanley and Will Friedle for a fresh-faced Sean Giambrone, and made some other changes to the story. The new film wasn't a continuation/canon of the series, but rather a different story altogether. In fact, it also added new actors to the mix, with a third member making the Kim-Ron duo into a heroic trio.
Yet the voice of Rufus throughout the animated series, films, and spinoffs stayed the same, and there don't seem to be any plans to change that. It turns out Nancy Cartwright was excited to bring Rufus back, even though she's plenty busy with other voice work (and has been for decades).
Who Is Nancy Cartwright?
For anyone not familiar with her name, Nancy Cartwright is the mastermind behind the voice of Bart Simpson. Nancy landed the iconic role and began voicing Bart all the way back in 1989, and she's still doing so. It's a bit of a mystery how she's been able to voice the same character for thirty years, but clearly, Cartwright has some tricks up her sleeve.
One of those tricks seems to be her positive attitude and willingness to take on more than just one character. In 'The Simpsons,' Cartwright has been known to voice various characters, including multiple in the same episode.
But she's also tackled plenty of other projects, too, including various voice acting roles for 'Rugrats' (she replaced Chuckie's original voice actress), 'Lilo & Stitch' (she was various alien friends of Stitch's), and grown-up Chuckie on 'All Grown Up,' the 'Rugrats' reboot.
Her resume doesn't stop there, though; Nancy Cartwright has done tons of voices over the years, on everyone's favorite animated programs, and she's appeared in person for live acting roles, too. But she was especially excited to reprise Rufus in 'Kim Possible.'
Nancy Cartwright Loved 'Kim Possible,' Too
In an interview promoting the 2019 'Kim Possible' film, Nancy Cartwright talked about what it meant to her to revive Rufus after portraying him in the animated series years ago. The original series ran from 2002 to 2007, with two TV films in the mix, too.
When it came time for the 2019 revival, Nancy noted that she loved the story of 'Kim Possible' because it had a positive message for kids that hasn't changed at all over the years.
Although the new movie targeted a different audience than the original series, Cartwright noted that the themes have always been about integrity and true heroism, values that even Rufus embodies in the series and the film.
Is 'Kim Possible' Coming Back In An Animated Series?
Fans were confused when the live-action 'Kim Possible' was announced, partly because they were bummed and surprised when the original series ended back in 2007. To be fair, a lot of the viewers have grown up, but what's adulthood without a little nostalgic cartoon viewing?
So the live film was a bit of a twist, though fans of the earlier series will take Kim Possible in any form they can have her. Yet the movie doesn't appear to be the start of a full-on revival.
While fans are hoping for a 'Kim Possible' cartoon reboot, and the film did end with some foreshadowing, it doesn't seem like there are any plans for Disney to pick the show (or another movie) back up. The movie was even followed by a mini-series, which aired shortly after the film, but it seemed like the show was a wrap afterward.
In an interview following the film's release, title character Sadie Stanley elaborated that she would be thrilled to continue Kim's story, and that she was sure it would happen, whether in a sequel or a series. Then, the mini-series came out, and crickets since.
At the time, no other successive episodes or films were planned (or publicized), leaving fans to speculate some more. In the meantime, though, for anyone who's missing Rufus, Nancy Cartwright has plenty of other voice work for them to enjoy.
