As a voiceover actor, Gracen Newton voices Tigger in Me & Winnie the Pooh and Playdate with Winnie the Pooh, and he plays Manny Heffley in the animated Disney+ reboot of Diary of a Wimpy Kid for the three films already released so far, including the most recent – Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever, working closely with the writer/creator Jeff Kinney. Having booked his first voiceover audition at age seven when he joined Series 4 of Puppy Dog Pals as Rolly, some of Gracen’s further projects include the recurring role of Peanut and other characters in Superkitties on Disney Junior, and Pretzel and the Puppies as Pedro. It has been announced that Gracen will voice Flounder in this year’s release of Disney Junior series Ariel (based on The Little Mermaid) alongside Mykal-Michelle Harris in the titular role. Gracen also works as an on-screen actor, playing Lil’ Bobby Newser in Nickelodeon‘s Danger Force and Corbin in Series 7 of Bunk’d. Along with his upcoming role in Ariel, Gracen has other projects in the works including a new Disney animated show as the lead role, an unannounced movie, and he’s recently finished filming for NBC’s Night Court. We spoke with Gracen about voicing Tigger in Me & Winnie the Pooh/Playdate with Winnie the Pooh, his role of Manny Heffley in the animated films of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, joining the cast of Puppy Dog Pals in Series 4 as Rolly and what he’s looking forward to for voicing Flounder in the upcoming Disney Junior series Ariel.

How is it getting into character as Tigger in Me & Winnie the Pooh and Playdate with Winnie the Pooh and what is he like to voice?

Oh my gosh, getting to voice Tigger is so much fun and a dream come true! It’s a lot of work because Tigger is so energetic and I have to dig deeper in my voice to voice him, but he is one of my favourite characters I have ever got to voice! They even played me voicing Tigger at Disneyland recently, and that was a dream come true for me!

What is it like being part of a well-known franchise and bringing a much-loved character to screens?

Getting to voice an iconic character like Tigger is so much fun! I grew up watching these characters, so the fact that Disney is trusting me to bring him to life for the next generation of kids is just such an awesome experience and sometimes I still can’t believe it’s really happening!

You voice Manny Heffley in the animated Disney+ reboot of Diary of a Wimpy Kid across all three films released so far, had you read the books or seen the live-action films before auditioning and what drew you to the reboot?

Oh yeah, I read all the books growing up before I got the role and loved the movies too! It was really exciting getting to meet and work with Jeff Kinney on these projects. He is such a great writer and person and he is a big inspiration for me. They let me do a lot of improv acting with the role of Manny, so I love those recording sessions because I have a lot of fun when they outline a scene for me and I just get to improv. We laugh a lot when filming those movies!

What is it like taking on the role of Manny and how was it reprising your role in the recent release of Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever?

I love getting to make all the baby noises and his funny little lines. I was so excited when they asked me to come back for Cabin Fever, that was an extra fun script for Manny. You’ll have to watch the movie to find out what Manny was up to, I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, but the scene with Manny in the closet with all the stuff is my favourite scene, it just makes me laugh.

It has been announced that you will be voicing Flounder in the upcoming Disney Junior series Ariel, how did you feel finding out you’d booked the role?

Yes I am! I was SO ecstatic when I found out I got the role! The Little Mermaid was a movie I loved when I was little, and I always loved Flounder, so getting to bring him to life for the next generation of kids is just so exciting for me!

What is the series like to work on and what are you looking forward to for the release?

The series is so much fun to work on because we have such a great team! We have the best of the best working on this show! I think I’m most excited about people getting to experience these great storylines with us and the music is phenomenal! I just can’t wait to see it all finished and I’m sure people are going to love it as much as I love getting to be a part of making it!

How is it voicing Peanut in Superkitties for Disney Junior?

Oh I love the Superkitties team! I was actually originally supposed to be on one episode of the show, but we all clicked so well they keep asking me back and I love getting to go back with that team!

Can you tell us about your time working on Pretzel and the Puppies as Pedro?

Pretzel and the Puppies is such a cute show! We actually filmed that show during the COVID shut down, so we built a studio at my house and a lot of that was actually recorded from my home studio my dad built for me.

What was it like joining the cast of Puppy Dog Pals in Series 4 as Rolly and what did you enjoy most about voicing him?

Rolly was actually my first voiceover audition I ever did, and I booked it! It’s crazy how that happened! But at the time, Rolly was actually my favourite character on my favourite TV show! So I think because of that, the team knew I got the essence of the character and they trusted me with him. I remember I kept telling my mom, “I can’t believe I booked my favourite character on my favourite TV show!”.

What are some of your favourite memories from recording for Puppy Dog Pals?

I think my favourite part of working on Puppy Dog Pals was working with that amazing team! That was my first ever voiceover job that I got at the age of seven. They took a chance on me by giving a seven year old such a big role and they taught me so much along the way. That team gave me my start and I’m so thankful for that experience!

As an on-screen actor, you play Lil’ Bobby Newser in Nickelodeon’s Danger Force, how would you describe the character and what is it like on set of the show?

That is probably one of my favourite theatrical roles I have ever played because I love comedy acting and it was one of my favourite shows to watch even before I got cast on the show! The whole cast and crew on that show was amazing and so welcoming! My favourite part of the show is when I got to film the scene where Lil’ Bobby disappears and the team has to save him! That was really cool to get to see how they filmed me disappearing!

How was it filming your episode of Bunk’d as Corbin in Series 7?

The whole experience working on Bunk’d was so surreal! I’ve watched that show for so long, so getting to step on those sets and act with that cast was an amazing experience. I hope they bring Corbin back more because I would love to go back and do more with that team!

Can you tell us about some of the other projects you’ve worked on over your career so far, which have included History of the World: Part II, Rumble, Side Hustle, Sydney to the Max and The Patrick Star Show?

All of those projects were really fun to work on! I loved getting to work on The Patrick Star Show because I was always a big SpongeBob fan growing up, so getting to be in the SpongeBob world and to be directed by Tom Kenny AKA SpongeBob himself was a dream come true! I first met Tom when we worked together on Puppy Dog Pals, and it was so great of him to bring me into the SpongeBob world! My other favourite project I worked on would be The Kominsky Method because I got to act with Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin. They were so nice to me and both told me I had a big future ahead of me! Michael Douglas was so nice, he actually posted a picture of us together on his Instagram and called me “a rising young star”! To have a legend like Michael Douglas say that about me was definitely something I’ll remember forever!

Where does your love of voiceover and on-screen acting come from and how did you get into both?

I LOVE doing both theatrical and voiceovers! When I was five, I was at Universal Studios in Hollywood and I got to be a helper on the Special Effects show and go on a big stage! I had so much fun doing that, when I came off the stage I told my mom, “I want to do that EVERY day of my life!”. So, after that, we applied to some local agencies and I got an agent! I started off with commercials and modelling and then worked my way up to theatrical and eventually into voiceovers! It’s so cool I found what I love to do at the age of five and plan to do this until I’m 95!

What are some of your favourite films and TV shows to watch?

It’s so funny, because it seems like I get cast on a lot of my favourite TV shows! I love Danger Force, SpongeBob, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Bunk’d, and anything Disney related!

How do you like to spend your free time?

When I’m not working, I love writing! I am always writing scripts and songs! One day I want to be an executive producer/show-runner on one of the shows I have created! I also love going to theme parks like Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Knotts Berry Farm!

Do you have any projects coming up (apart from Ariel) that you can tell us about, and what are you hoping this year brings for you?

Yes, I have a few projects in the works! Other than Flounder and Tigger, I am currently filming for another lead role on a Disney animated TV show that hasn’t been announced yet! I’m also reoccurring on Superkitties as well, voicing the role of Peanut and lots of other characters! I have one movie in the works and I also just finished filming for NBC’s Night Court! I hope this year brings a lot more fun and exciting opportunities!

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