Sandy Cheeks

Sandy Cheeks
SpongeBob SquarePants character
File:Sandy Cheeks.png
First appearance	"Tea at the Treedome" (1999)
Created by	Stephen Hillenburg
Voiced by	Carolyn Lawrence
Portrayed by	Lilli Cooper (Broadway)
In-universe information
Species	Squirrel
Gender	Female
Occupation	Scientist, martial artist

Sandra Jennifer "Sandy" Cheeks is a fictional character in the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. She is a 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 and animator Stephen Hillenburg, the show's creator.

Role in SpongeBob SquarePants

Sandy is a close friend of SpongeBob SquarePants. She is a proud Texan and speaks in a stereotypical Southern drawl. In order to live underwater, she resides in a bubble-like dome and wears an atmospheric diving suit when outside her house. Sandy is shown to possess a number of tough, tomboyish character traits and interests: she is skilled at karate, bodybuilding, is a rodeo champion, and possesses extraordinary scientific skills such as the ability to construct complex inventions.

Development

Voice

The voice of Sandy Cheeks is provided by Carolyn Lawrence. Lawrence got the role of Sandy when she was in Los Angeles 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."