‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ First Look: J.K. Simmons as a Very Cranky Conductor

Warning: You’re going to experience a bit of whiplash when you tune in for the March 4 episode of Nickelodeon’s beloved animated series, SpongeBob SquarePants. That’s because “Snooze You Lose” features Oscar-winning Whiplash star J.K. Simmons voicing — wait for it — a short-tempered band conductor named Maestro Mackerel. (Watch an exclusive clip featuring Simmons above.) And the actor clearly recognizes the value of sticking with what you know. “The last time I played a conductor it turned out pretty well,” Simmons jokes. “For this one, I didn’t have to shave!”

Before you ask: No, Miles Teller doesn’t reprise his role as an eager-to-please drummer in animated fish form. Instead, poor Squidward is on the receiving end of the Maestro’s tirades, which are activated whenever the mackerel hears false notes. Naturally, that’s all a worn-out Squidward is currently capable of playing on his clarinet, even as SpongeBob and Patrick do their best to help him out. As eager as Whiplash fans might be to see Simmons pick up that baton again, no one is more excited to meet Maestro Mackerel than his own family: “My entire family is a huge fan of SpongeBob SquarePants and I’m trying to keep it a secret, so hopefully they don’t read this story on Yahoo TV!”

The “Snooze You Lose” episode of SpongeBob SquarePants airs Saturday, March 4, at 10 a.m. on Nickelodeon.

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