Some shows define your childhood, and then there are TV series that come along only once in a lifetime that you will never forget. One of those for me was Phineas and Ferb, and now, as if my childhood dreams came to life, I had the chance to talk to the series’ stars about what it’s been like to voice these iconic characters for so long. Wow, I’m really feeling my age.
In honor of Phineas and Ferb releasing a new season as part of the 2025 TV schedule, I had the chance to talk to Vincent Martella (Phineas). As someone who has been on the show since the very beginning, I was curious about what it was like to essentially grow up with the characters, even if they stayed the same age. Martella commented that he had been voicing this child for nearly ‘20 years,’ and that something like this is so ‘meaningful’ to him to return to after so long:
I literally grew up making this show. I've played Phineas for almost 20 years, so it's a really long time to get to spend with a character. And I feel so lucky because I love this character and I love this show and I love the people that I work with. When we first started coming back to do new seasons and new episodes of the show, it was very surreal – because it's something that's meant so much to me. And getting to see all the new adventures and the new inventions and the new music, all the great work that our writers are doing, it's really inspiring every time I walk in it; it's really meaningful.
Returning for new seasons is so amazing. Numerous great TV shows from the past have had resurgences in popularity, like the rewatchable Avatar: The Last Airbender, and some have even earned new shows, adaptations and more. To me though, Phineas and Ferb has consistently stayed within pop culture for so long and has only grown bigger, which lead to these new episodes.
Of course, Disney in general has also grown – or at least the nostalgic part has. I asked Ashley Tisdale, who voices older sister Candace, the same question about what it’s like growing up with this show and these characters.
The actress said that it’s "wild,’" and seeing the characters so ingrained into pop culture – like Candace and her High School Musical movie character, Sharpay – is "interesting" and that they "picked the right animation" for it to be so loved all this time later:
It's really cool, and it's so interesting to me to see just these characters I've played, and how much they are still a part of pop culture is really wild to me. 'Cause it's like, you know, I see obviously these memes and everything on Sharpay, and she's been really out there recently, and she's brought back so many times, and then also Candace, with like the TikToks – there's so much Phineas and Ferb on TikTok, and it's pretty amazing.
The HSM cast alum continued by commenting that the fact that there are younger kids out there constantly discovering the show despite how long its run is so ‘cool’ to her after all this time:
And then to see younger and younger kids get into these shows, and you're like, ‘They're seeing it for the first time…’ it's pretty wild, and it's really cool…I'm so grateful to be a part of it. I picked the right animation, you know, I picked the right one….this one is like such a dream.
It’s honestly surreal to me all these years later. I still remember the day Phineas and Ferb premiered, and I was sitting on my couch watching the show with my dad. Now here I am, years later, covering it and speaking to the very stars I used to listen to. It’s wild as well – and wow, I am feeling so old, but in a good way.
With the new episodes coming out, I think it’s time for another rewatch of Phineas and Ferb to enjoy all these crazy inventions once more, even if I’m feeling my age now. If you’ve never seen the show, you can check it out with a Disney+ subscription.
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