Sandra Jennifer "Sandy" Cheeks is a fictional character in the
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
franchise ''
SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American Animated series, animated Television comedy, comedy Television show, television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It ...
''. She is an
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
squirrel who wears a
diving suit and lives
underwater. Sandy is voiced by
Carolyn Lawrence and first appeared in the episode "Tea at the Treedome" that premiered on May 1, 1999. Sandy was created and designed by
marine biologist
Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms in the sea. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies sp ...
and
animator Stephen Hillenburg, the show's creator.
The character's reception from fans has been positive. Sandy has appeared in many SpongeBob SquarePants publications, toys, and other merchandise. She appears in each of the show's three films, with a short appearance in the
first film and more significant roles in ''
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water'' and
its threequel.
Role in ''SpongeBob SquarePants''
Sandy is a close friend of
SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American Animated series, animated Television comedy, comedy Television show, television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It ...
. She is a proud
Texan and speaks in a stereotypical
Southern drawl
A drawl is a perceived feature of some varieties of spoken English language, English and generally indicates slower, longer vowel sounds and diphthongs. The drawl is often perceived as a method of speaking more slowly and may be erroneously attri ...
. In order to live underwater, Sandy resides in a bubble-like dome and wears an
atmospheric diving suit when outside her house. Inside the treedome, her normal attire consists of a green and purple
bikini
A bikini is a two-piece swimsuit primarily worn by women that features two triangles of fabric on top that cover the breasts, and two triangles of fabric on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but exposing the navel, and the back cover ...
. Conversely, as revealed in ''
Tea at the Treedome'', other characters must wear "water helmets" with opposite functionality when visiting her house. Sandy possesses extraordinary scientific skills such as the ability to construct complex inventions. Sandy is shown to possess a number of tough, tomboyish character traits and interests; she is skilled at
karate
(; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fuj ...
, engages in bodybuilding, and is a
rodeo champion.
She is also a close friend of
Patrick Star, SpongeBob's best friend and neighbor, though she sometimes gets annoyed by him.
History and development
Creation and design
Stephen Hillenburg first became fascinated with the ocean and began developing his artistic abilities as a child. During college, he majored in
marine biology
Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms in the sea. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifie ...
and minored in art. After graduating in 1984, he joined the
Ocean Institute, an ocean education organization, where he had the idea to create a comic book titled ''The Intertidal Zone'', which led to the creation of ''SpongeBob SquarePants''.
[ In 1987, Hillenburg left the institute to pursue a career in animation.]
A few years after studying experimental animation at the California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a private art university in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of bo ...
,[ Hillenburg met Joe Murray, creator of '']Rocko's Modern Life
''Rocko's Modern Life'' is an American animated television series created by Joe Murray for Nickelodeon. The series centers on the surreal life of an anthropomorphic Australian immigrant wallaby named Rocko and his friends: the eccentric stee ...
'', at an animation festival. Murray offered Hillenburg a job as a director of the series.[Lisa (Kiczuk) Trainor interviews Joe Murray, creator of Rocko's Modern Life]
" ''The Rocko's Modern Life FAQ'' Martin Olson, one of the writers for ''Rocko's Modern Life'', read ''The Intertidal Zone'' and encouraged Hillenburg to create a television series with a similar concept. At that point, Hillenburg had not considered creating his own series, but soon realized that this was his chance. Shortly after production on ''Rocko's Modern Life'' ended in 1996, Hillenburg began working on ''SpongeBob SquarePants''.[ Sandy has been shown in the episodes about her being in the tree dome. Whenever any aquatic creatures enter her home, they must wear helmets that are filled with water. Sandy works as a scientist, explorer, and inventor. She is also a rodeo champion with a number of athletic interests, such as "sand-boarding" and karate.] Originally, in the pitch bible written by Tim Hill and Hillenburg, SpongeBob originally was a romantic interest for her, but this was quickly put out of the show.
Voice
The voice of Sandy Cheeks is provided by Carolyn Lawrence. Lawrence got the role of Sandy when she was in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
at Los Feliz. She met Donna Grillo, a casting director, on a sidewalk. Lawrence was with a friend who knew Grillo, and she said Lawrence had an interesting voice. Grillo brought Lawrence in to audition and she got the part.
Before a recording, Lawrence prepares when the crew sends a storyboard. She explains, "I absolutely love that! Not only do I get to read the script, I can actually see what the artists have in mind. It is an amazing process and I feel so fortunate to be able to work that way! ..I would prefer to let the script come alive in me before a taping."
Sandy Cheeks is voiced by Carolyn Lawrence, and Presley Williams as young Sandy in '' The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run''.
Reception
Film critic A. O. Scott
Anthony Oliver Scott (born July 10, 1966) is an American journalist and cultural critic. He has been chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' since 2004, a title he shares with Manohla Dargis.
Early life
Scott was born on July 10, 1966 in ...
of ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' said, in his review of ''The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
''The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie'' is a 2004 American live-action animated film, live-action/animated adventure comedy film based on the Nickelodeon animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. The film was directed, co-written, and ...
'', that Sandy is one of his favorite secondary characters on the show, along with Squidward Tentacles
Squidward Q. Tentacles is a fictional character voiced by actor Rodger Bumpass in the Nickelodeon animated series, animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. Squidward was created and designed by marine biologist and animator Stephen ...
and Mrs. Puff. He wrote, "I was sorry to see hempushed to the margins".
In other media
Sandy has been included in various ''SpongeBob SquarePants''-related merchandise, including board games, books, plush toys, and trading cards. She is also a playable character in several SpongeBob games like '' Battle for Bikini Bottom''. Sandy also appears as a playable character in '' Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl''. The Sandy's Blasting Bronco
Sandy's Blasting Bronco is a compact steel launched roller coaster at Nickelodeon Universe amusement park, within the American Dream Meadowlands shopping and entertainment complex, at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jer ...
rollercoaster opened alongside the American Dream Mall's Nickelodeon Universe
Nickelodeon Universe is the name of two indoor amusement parks located at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota and American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with a third location under construction at the Mall of China in Chongqi ...
theme park in 2019. This ride is the first attraction to be named and themed after the character. The ride-vehicle is themed to Sandy's rocketship, from the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Sandy's Rocket."
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheeks, Sandy
Anthropomorphic squirrels
Female characters in animated series
Fictional characters from Texas
Television characters introduced in 1999
Fictional characters with superhuman strength
Fictional bodybuilders
Fictional female martial artists
Fictional inventors
Fictional karateka
Fictional female scientists
Fictional mechanics
Fictional undersea characters
Comedy film characters
SpongeBob SquarePants characters
Female characters in film
Fictional roboticists