Stephen Hillenburg

American marine science educator and artist (1961-2018)

Source-basedStable

Lived 1961–2018, aged 57United States

United States ActorsMovie Director

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Wikipedia
81 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1961–2018
Aged 57

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

Created SpongeBob SquarePants in 1999, the cartoon that never stopped running and somehow made a talking sponge a household name. Hillenburg combined his backgrounds in marine biology and animation into a cultural fixture that's been generating attention for over two decades.

Biography

About

Stephen McDannell Hillenburg was an American animator, writer, producer, director, voice actor, and marine biology educator. He was best known for creating the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants for Nickelodeon in 1999. The show has become the fourth longest-running American animated series. He also provided the original voice of Patchy the Pirate's pet, Potty the Parrot.

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