Baby Shark is a cultural phenomenon all over the world. For many parents, it’s a staple for those who are child-rearing to hear the famous song: “Baby Shark.” Like many songs, the beat is infectious, staying in your head long after the music ends. To know that there will be a movie, Paramount+’s Baby Shark’s Big Movie, centering this character, many fear that it would become an endless droning of the beat “do do do do do.”
Fear not, parents! The film will have more than their classic song. The title song is still there, but mixed in with more contemporary fun songs. Composer Jon Chau and songwriters Matthew Tishler, Andrew Underberg, Chen Neeman, Doug Rockwell, Tova Litvin, and Pinkfong wrote completely new tunes that are catchy and different. For actors Kimiko Glenn (Baby Shark) and Luke Youngblood (William), that was helpful in not having “the song” being stuck in their heads the whole time.
“Thankfully, we have been recording so many other songs as part of the series and part of the movie that are equally as catchy,” Glenn told The Nerds of Color last week during the Baby Shark press day. “My goodness! I have all of the songs simultaneously playing in my head right now. But it’s not a bad thing. They’re so catchy and so wonderful for a reason.”
Youngblood, whose deep, posh British accent could cause some confusion as he portrays the soft-spoken William, loves hearing the different songs each week, including his fellow cast members. He’s just grateful to be part of this film that is a sensation. As for his voice, Youngblood knows it’s unexpected. Even his friends are shocked at his talent to turn his voice to that of a sweet child.
“You know, I actually don’t know how I do it,” Youngblood laughs. “It just happens. I saw this really cute and sweet Pilot fish. Andrea [Hennen], who is an amazing casting [director] for Nickelodeon, was like, ‘yeah, it’s moving through. We’re going!’ Then I spoke to our creative team and they were like, ‘Yeah, I love that. I think that’s cool.’ Yeah. We just kind of stayed there.”
In the new film, Baby Shark is forced to leave behind the world he loves after his family’s move to the big city and must adjust to his new life without his best friend William. When Baby Shark encounters an evil pop starfish named Stariana (Ashley Tisdale), who plans to steal his gift of song in order to dominate all underwater music, he must break her spell to restore harmony to the seas.
Glenn and Youngblood are the leads in this star-studded cast that also features the voices of K-Pop sensation ENHYPEN, Cardi B, Offset, Ego Nwodim, Lance Bass, and many more. It’s refreshing because all of the characters are all sea animals and are not centered around the conversation of race or ethnicity. For Glenn, who had to deal with all the “Asian” questions in this industry (and, trust me, we’ve had to ask them), it gives her a sense of relief.
“The race aspect has played a part in my entire life, not just in my career,” she explains. “So I think I always kind of felt like being a voiceover actor was so lovely, just on the very simple fact that I didn’t need to do all this every day. I didn’t need to, even as a woman in the industry, show up looking a certain way. But, also, the aspect of [casting] simply choosing based off of our talent — and talent alone, which is so refreshing. This industry is filled with so many factors that can take you out of a job. I’ve experienced it so much, but to not have that is truly like a breath of fresh air.”
Youngblood agrees wholeheartedly. He is also proud of seeing the cast filled with so many voices of color and their voices are not tied to some identity, “It was just so refreshing because [as sea animals] under the sea, all the characters are totally different. [Race] doesn’t really matter. It’s about these friendships. It’s about the performances.”
Yet, Youngblood knows how important it is for him and Glenn to be cast in these types of films. Though race and ethnicity doesn’t play a factor for the characters, it does for how the industry perceives actors of color — as well as representation for the future. Like any actor, they can portray anyone, even sea creatures, if given the opportunity.
“Debra Wilson, who plays Grandma Shark, is one of those that I look up to — going back on your earlier question,” Youngblood shares. “It’s so nice getting to see her do this and having worked with her, seeing another Black [actor] do this, it’s like, ‘I can do that too.’ to ‘I am doing that!’ The fact that myself, Kimiko, and other cast members of color [can be looked at by] younger people and think, ‘I can do it too.’ The show really allowed us to be those beacons and it feels me with such a sense of deep gratitude and hope.”
See the full interview below:
Baby Shark’s Big Movie is set to debut Friday, December 8, at 12 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Canada, and the following day in the UK and Australia.
