Katelin ‘toons’ in to voice a character in Disney’s Kim Possible
By Kathryn Roethel
Katelin became an official “Kim Possible” character along with the show’s stars Will Friedle and Christy Carlson Romano.
As 7-year-old Katelin knows, when you’re a character in a cartoon, nothing in life is impossible. When the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Oregon offered to make Katelin’s fondest wish come true, she drew upon her favorite superhero – Kim, from Disney Channel’s animated series “Kim Possible.”
For Katelin, “Kim Possible” is more than a TV show. Not only does she play “Kim Possible” with her friends at recess, she also dressed as Kim Possible last Halloween and even wrote a book titled “Katelin Possible” for a school project.
So imagine Katelin’s excitement when her wish granters revealed that her wish to become a character in an episode of the cartoon was coming true! Katelin knew she and Kim were going to be drawn together, but what she didn’t know was that Disney employees were already working behind the scenes to make her wish unforgettable and that she was about to spend the afternoon with the “real” Kim – actress Christy Carlson Romano.
Katelin’s animated day began with a visit to Disney's “Kim Possible” production studio. There she met the people who bring Kim to life: the show’s director, producer and animators. To Katelin’s delight, animators unveiled designs of a character they created in her likeness, the one she would be taping the voice for later that afternoon. The designers had two framed drawings of animated Katelin – one they autographed for her to take home, and another they kept to hang on their studio wall right next to a framed photo of the real Katelin. The “Kim Possible” crew also gave Katelin a VIP tour of the studio and taught her a few tricks of the trade. Before she left, they named her an honorary cast member and promised that her photos would serve as an inspiration for Disney artists as they worked on future episodes.
At the recording studio, cast and crew showered Katelin with “Kim Possible” gifts to commemorate her big day.
Afterward, a private limo waited to ferry Katelin to the professional recording studio where she would record the voice for her character. But she wouldn’t be alone for the session. She was joined by Christy, the voice of Kim Possible, and Will Friedle, the voice of Ron Stoppable. When the two walked in the studio door, Katelin beamed with a smile bigger than any animator could have drawn. Christy and Will gave Katelin their best recording tips and told her jokes to keep her laughing and relaxed before the taping.
After a few rehearsals, Katelin had her lines down like a pro. It only took her two takes to record her part – prompting some enthusiastic praise from Christy and Will. Katelin’s family listened in and proudly waved to their star through the control-booth window. The “Kim Possible” stars then completed the day by giving Katelin an autographed Rufus doll, Ron Stoppable’s pet mole rat on the cartoon.
By the end of the day, Katelin had cemented her place as a member of the “Kim Possible” cast and enjoyed an experience beyond her expectations. Her wish was complete when her Kim Possible episode aired on Disney Channel. Viewers heard Kim tell Katelin’s character what the young star already knew, “Anything is possible.”®
This page can be found at http://www.wish.org/stories/sports_entertainment/film_tv/katelin_kimpossible
©2006 Make-A-Wish Foundation®
