Squidward J. Q. Tentacles[4] ( /ˈskwɪd.wərd/,[5] /ˈskwɛd.wərd/) is a fictional character voiced by actor Rodger Bumpass in the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, produced by Nickelodeon.

The character is portrayed as short-tempered, impatient, arrogant, sassy, introverted, condescending, bitter, and misanthropic, and he despises his two neighbors' constant disruptive antics.

[8][10][11][12] Martin Olson, one of the writers for Rocko's Modern Life, read The Intertidal Zone and encouraged Hillenburg to create a television series with a similar concept.

[1] Squidward is only shown with a full set of eight tentacles in two episodes: the live-action sequence in "Pressure" from season two, and briefly in "Sold!"

The sound of Squidward's footsteps, which evokes that of suction cups pulling on the ground, is produced by rubbing hot water bottles.

[21] Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob, describes Bumpass recording his lines in the studio, saying, "I love watching Rodger ...

[18] Staff writer Kent Osborne said, "I remember thinking about how much Rodger talks and acts like Squidward.

[23] Arthur Brown, author of Everything I Need to Know, I Learned from Cartoons!, said that Squidward "sounds a lot like Jack Benny".

He lives in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom in a moai situated between SpongeBob SquarePants' pineapple house and Patrick Star's rock.

[26] Squidward lives in a constant state of self-pity and misery; he is unhappy with his humdrum lifestyle and yearns for celebrity status, wealth, hair, and a glamorous and distinguished career as a musician or painter with a passion for art and playing the clarinet, although he has no actual talent for either.

[33] In 2004, Squidward appeared in the first feature-length film adaptation of the show, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, which was released on November 19, 2004, and was financially successful, grossing over US$140 million worldwide.

[37][38] In 2019, he also appeared in Super Bowl LIII halftime show, which, during a triumphant song performed by tuna, they introduced rapper Travis Scott.

Brunton prepared for the role by buying nine DVDs of the series, acting out Squidward's part in each episode, in his bedroom.

A critic from The Public Reviews wrote, "Charles Brunton as Squidward really stole the show for us, his character was nailed to perfection, from his comic acting, voice and mannerisms this was a faultless performance".

[51] In the musical, Bikini Bottom is threatened by a volcano that will erupt in two days, so the townspeople decide to hold a concert to raise money so they can evacuate.

While he wants to perform on the concert himself, Squidward is instead assigned to manage the event while rock band the Electric Skates is asked to play.

When the band arrives, Squidward wants to be their opening act, but he is rejected because he fails to get one of the items that the Electric Skates requests.

Because the concert and the evacuation plan fail, the town falls into chaos until SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy arrive and tell them that they have used a device that should stop the eruption.

[55] Director Tina Landau encouraged the actors to not be a "carbon copy" of the cartoon characters and make something different, allowing Lee to not exactly replicate Bumpass' voice, especially during emotional parts.

"[55] Squidward's four-legged tap dance has been compared to Lee's previous role as Bert in the Mary Poppins musical where he tap-danced upside-down.

In his review of the Chicago run, Steven Oxman of Variety called Squidward the "unquestionable highlight" and described "I'm Not a Loser" as "a dose of true Broadway pizzazz, and expresses the character's inner self with sensitivity and flair.

"[59] Reviewing the Broadway run, Alexis Soloski of The Guardian called Lee's tap number "rapturous",[60] while Peter Marks on The Washington Post considers it "a particular joy".

[62] In addition to calling "I'm Not a Loser" the musical's highlight, David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter praised Squidward's four-legs costume as well.

[69] In the 2023 United Kingdom tour, Squidward is played by Gareth Gates and Tom Read Wilson depending on the venue.

"[74] Mahejabeen Hossain Nidhi of The Daily Star stated that "we are all secretly Squidward" due to his personality in the movie.

[75] Bill Treadway of DVD Verdict said that Squidward is "a cross between Bert [of Sesame Street], Woody Allen, and Roger Addison [of Mr. Ed] ... but he has some heart, if you can find it".

[76] Film critic A. O. Scott of The New York Times said, in his review of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, that Squidward is one of his favorite secondary characters on the show, along with Sandy Cheeks and Mrs.

[77] Also from the same publication, television critic Joyce Millman said that Squidward has "the nasal bitchiness of Paul Lynde and the artistic pretensions of Felix Unger."

In his review, Cavna said, "Squidward's mix of artistic aspiration in the face of goading, humiliation and unrelenting sub-mediocrity made this a kids' episode that adults can experience on a whole 'nother level.

[82] Bumpass has said he was proud of the certificate he received for the nomination, but "there wasn't really a competition because one of the other nominees was June Foray and she is royalty in the animation world ...