KIM POSSIBLE: THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
What makes Kim Possible stand out from other iconic heroes? And why has the teenage idol won so many fans around the world?
We catch up with Sadie Stanley and Sean Giambrone – stars of Disney Channel’s upcoming live-action movie, Kim Possible – to talk about the nostalgia of one of the coolest crime-fighters in cartoon history…
Kim Possible was a super-successful animated series before it was turned into a live-action movie. What’s the secret behind the success of the iconic Disney character?
Sadie: Kim Possible was one of the first of its kind. Before Kim Possible came along, there weren’t a lot of female-led action cartoons or female-led action movies. There weren’t really any shows like that on TV. It was very normal for the guy to be the leader; for the guy to play the character with all the weapons, but not a girl. It was normal for the guy to be the superhero who fights all the crime, but I think Kim Possible was the first female-led show about a girl who fights crime and saves the world.
Why do you think the character has legions of fans across the globe, Sean?
Sean: I haven’t seen too many high schoolers saving the world on TV before, but that’s exactly what Kim Possible is about. Plus, the villains also make the show really cool. Some superheroes have better villains than others, but I think Kim Possible has some of the best villains around.
What else makes the show stand out from the crowd?
Sean: I also think the show’s success has something to do with the dialogue. The dialogue is very unique for a cartoon show. It captures teenager life really well because the characters are unique and colourful in a realistic way. It’s a very relatable show, too. It’s exciting because these are all the things we brought to the new movie.
What makes Kim Possible such an iconic character?
Sadie: Kim Possible is a teenage girl who fights crime. To me, that’s very cool and iconic. Kim Possible is in charge. Her best friend and side-kick is a boy. He’s the character who follows her around everywhere, so the girl is the hero here. The girl is the character who takes the lead. She’s awesome!
What else makes Kim Possible stand apart from other heroes on television?
Sadie: Kim Possible is a very cool character, but she’s a regular teenager as well. She’s dealing with crazy teachers and she has crushes on boys. She has to make sure she does her homework, but she also saves the world. I think that gives girls watching at home – and boys watching at home – a great sense of empowerment. It makes them feel like they can do any or all of these things, too. Well, maybe you’re not saving the world on a weekly basis – but maybe you can figure out how to be an everyday superhero from watching Kim Possible. Whether that’s through sitting with somebody at lunch who’s alone, or helping somebody out with their homework, I think it’s cool and inspiring to help others. Doing little things that matter make you a superhero in your very own way.
What are the biggest differences between the animated series and the live-action movie?
Sadie: We stayed pretty true to the cartoon, but I guess there are quite a few small differences between the show and the live-action movie. I think Kim Possible is a great show because it’s a really funny show. There’s a lot of humour in Kim Possible and it’s always entertaining to watch. There’s always lots of cool action, hilarious comedy and interesting relationships. Well, you get all of those things in our movie – but one thing that’s definitely changed is Kim’s mission outfit. The costume designers came up with a great new look for the character.
What else is new in the Kim Possible movie?
Sadie: Another thing that’s different is the fact that we introduce a new character into the story of Kim Possible. We have all of your favourite classic characters from the cartoon including Dr Drakken, Shego, Wade, Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable, as well as Rufus, but we also have a new character named Athena. Athena was not in the cartoon, but she comes into the story to shake things up a little. I’m sure that will be interesting for people to watch.
How much will adults enjoy the movie?
Sadie: I hope adults enjoy it. I hope they find something to love about it. Disney Channel is aimed at children, but there’s something for everybody in our movie. It’s got action. It’s got comedic relief. There are interesting relationships. It’s great viewing for all the family, so my hope is that parents enjoy watching the movie with their kids. There’s also all this nostalgia for the animated series. There’s a lot going on!
Talking of nostalgia… What are your very first memories of Kim Possible?
Sadie: I was a little young for the show when the animated series first came out, but I do remember watching the re-runs on Disney Channel when I was growing up. I remember thinking that she was really, really cool. When I started to audition for the movie, I went back and watched more of the old episodes – and I loved everything about it. When I booked the role, I went back and I watched all of the episodes. I’m a huge Kim Possible fan.
What about you, Sean? What’s your first memory of Kim Possible?
Sean: I think my first memory of the show involved getting a toy of Ron Stoppable. I then started to watch the show and really liked it. I soon fell in love with Rufus - that’s Ron’s pet mole rat - I’d never seen a character like that before.
How did it feel to have the original creative team – including Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle – work on the live-action movie?
Sadie: It was incredibly reassuring to know that the people who created the cartoon were going to be involved with the movie. I’m sure it was very reassuring to a lot of the fans of the cartoon, too. It was awesome to have them write the movie, and they were super supportive. I got to meet them during the audition process, as well as when we were filming and it was really nice to work with them. It was also exciting to have cameos from some of the original actors from the cartoon. Christy Carlson Romano was the voice of Kim Possible in the cartoon and she came on set to play a character in the movie.
Sean: Not only that, but Patton Oswalt was the voice of Professor Dementor in the cartoon. He plays the same character in the live-action movie!
Sadie: I look up to both of these actors a lot, so it was really cool to work with them.
What did you learn from working with Christy Carlson Romano?
Sadie: Right from the beginning Christy was very encouraging and sweet. She reached out to me through Instagram, as well as through email, and she was really supportive. It was lovely to have her blessing because this iconic character was somebody she’d played for so many years. I feel like if I needed anybody’s blessing it would be hers. She never made me feel like I needed to play Kim a certain way, which was great. I wanted to take inspiration from the cartoon because I love the cartoon, but I also wanted to make Kim Possible my own. To be honest, it was really awesome to learn from Christy and she gave me a lot of good advice about the industry in general.
What lessons can be learned from the animated series and the upcoming movie?
Sadie: Our movie has a lot of great messages in it. One of the biggest messages of the movie is the fact that it’s a good idea to stop comparing yourself to other people. Kim Possible has always been very put together. She’s always confident. She never slips up or struggles – but in this movie, we get to see her vulnerability. We didn’t get to see a lot of that in the cartoon. She always puts on this perfect façade, but it starts to slip away in the movie and she realises that she’s not as confident as she once thought. A new girl comes in and she does things a little bit better than Kim, which makes Kim nervous. For the first time she’s not the best, which makes her rethink everything. For that reason, one of the biggest messages is that you can’t always be perfect. There are always going to be times in your life where you’re not going to be happy; especially when you’re going through something and it’s hard.
What’s the best way to overcome struggles like this?
Sadie: I think one of the best ways to get through a situation like this is to have good people around you. Kim has Ron Stoppable. She has her best friend by her side and he helps her get through the situation. He shakes her and says, “Kim, we love you. You don’t have to be perfect all the time. It’s okay to slip up and mess up. You’re not a robot!” I think that’s a really special message to remind kids to be there for your friends and to check in on them. That’s something we all need to do more.
