Key Takeaways
- Kyla Pratt says that as a 14-year-old voicing Penny Proud on Disney Channel’s groundbreaking animated series The Proud Family, she hated her voice and was convinced she’d be fired before the show found an audience, calling herself her own “biggest critic.”
- Now 39 and back in the booth for Disney+ revival The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, Pratt describes recording as “complete nostalgia” that lets her reconnect with her younger self and appreciate that roles like this “don’t last forever.”
- The revival’s fourth and final season, premiering July 29 on Disney+, reunites the original ensemble cast and adds guest stars like Mariah Carey, Vanessa Williams, Anthony Anderson, Tiffany Haddish, and Chlöe Bailey.
Kyla Pratt has voiced Penny Proud for 25 years, but when she first landed the role, she was convinced it wouldn't last. The actress recently revealed that as a teenager, she was so insecure about the sound of her own voice that she believed Disney would fire her from The Proud Family before the series ever found its audience.
Pratt, now 39, opened up about the surprising insecurity during an appearance on PEOPLE in 10. She was just 14 when The Proud Family premiered on Disney Channel in 2001, instantly becoming the voice behind one of the network's most beloved animated characters.
But behind the scenes, she was anything but confident. "Filming the show when I was a teenager, I didn't like my voice," Pratt told People. "I was like, 'How am I auditioning for a voiceover? How is this happening?' And I was like, 'I'm going to get fired. They are not going to like this.'"
Looking back, Pratt laughed at the memory, admitting she was always her own "biggest critic."
Created by Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar, The Proud Family broke new ground as Disney Channel's first original animated series, following Penny Proud through the highs and lows of family life, friendships, and adolescence.
After its original run ended with The Proud Family Movie in 2005, the franchise returned in 2022 with The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.
Returning to the recording booth has given Pratt a new appreciation for the character that launched her voice acting career. "The vibe when I am stepping into the booth to be Penny Proud is always amazing. It's complete nostalgia," she said.
Pratt explained that the role allows her to reconnect with her younger self, adding, "Every time I step into the booth, it just feels amazing, and then you realize these things don't last forever; you take it in a little bit more."
The revival's fourth and final season, which premieres July 29 on Disney+, reunites Pratt with Tommy Davidson, Paula Jai Parker, Jo Marie Payton, Cedric the Entertainer, Karen Malina White, Soleil Moon Frye, Alisa Reyes, Carlos Mencia, Alvaro Gutierrez, Raquel Lee Bolleau, Marcus T. Paulk, and Melissa De Sousa.
New episodes will also feature guest appearances from Mariah Carey, Vanessa Williams, Anthony Anderson, Tiffany Haddish, Chlöe Bailey, Romany Malco, Lorraine Toussaint, and Kym Whitley.
As the Disney+ revival prepares to wrap up, Pratt says she's grateful for something few actors ever experience: growing up alongside the same character. "Not a lot of artists get to experience playing a character that they started when they were 14," she said.
