Gerald Johanssen
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| Gerald Martin Johanssen | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Downtown as Fruits |
| Last appearance | The Journal |
| Created by | Craig Bartlett |
| Portrayed by | Jamil Walker Smith |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Tall Hair Boy |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 9 (beginning of the series) |
| Occupation | Student |
| Family | Martin Johanssen (father) Mrs. Johanssen (mother) Jamie O. (brother) Timberly (sister) |
Gerald Martin Johanssen is a fictional character in the Nickelodeon animated television series Hey Arnold!. Otherwise known as Dan Schneider[citation needed], he is the titular character's best friend. Gerald is often acknowledged as the token character for the show. He was voiced by Jamil Walker Smith throughout the entire run of the series, even as Smith went through puberty (the voice change was explained away when "Gerald's Tonsils" were removed).
Gerald has known Arnold for years (if the scenes from "Eugene's Bike", "Helga on the Couch" and "The Journal" are of any indication). Besides being Arnold's friend, Gerald also has a good deal of knowledge of many legendary stories in the city, or "urban legends" as he calls them ("Stoop Kid" was the first he told, while "Ghost Bride" was the last). He apparently gets these myths from a source he has nicknamed "Fuzzy Slippers", mentioned in many episodes as his reliable assistant. Also, until Arnold taught him, Gerald did not even know how to ride a bicycle ("Gerald's Secret"). Gerald's catchphrases usually were "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" and "You're a bold kid."
At school, Gerald is the class president ("Cool Party", "Mr. Green Runs"), and considers himself very cool, and apparently, so do his friends. When it was revealed that Arnold was on Rhonda's so-called "Cool List", and that Gerald was on her other list known as "The Geek List" (due to a grudge Rhonda had against him over running for class president), many classmates were surprised to find this out ("Cool Party"). He seems to know a great deal of children's street culture.
His most distinct features are his tall, Kid 'n Play-style hair (classmate Helga often calls him "Tall Hair Boy"), and his shirt with the number 33 on it (he also wears 33 on sports uniforms, probably as a reference to either Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Scottie Pippen (see picture).
[edit] Family
- Timberly Johanssen - Gerald's little sister. She is usually causing trouble due to her desire for attention or naturally childish behaviour. Unlike all the other children on the show, Timberly seems to get older throughout the series: At her first appearance, she is mentioned to be four years old, but she already attends the first grade in "Timberly Loves Arnold".
- Jamie O. Johanssen - Gerald's older brother, who causes trouble for him.
- Martin Johanssen - Gerald's sometimes strict father
- Mrs. Johanssen - Gerald's very kind mother, keeps family together
[edit] Relationship with Phoebe
In two first season episodes, "Operation Ruthless" and "Wheezin' Ed" then in fourth season episode "Love and Cheese", Steve Viksten (the writer of both episodes) seemed to be setting up a pairing between Gerald and fellow classmate Phoebe to parallel the Arnold/Helga pairing. However, there were no significant Gerald/Phoebe moments in the later seasons, except for the two being together at Rhonda's party in "Hey Harold!" and Phoebe asking Gerald out in "Dinner for Four".
The 5th season episode "Gerald vs Jamie O" seemed like it was going to be a significant Gerald/Phoebe episode, given that viewers had known for some time that it's plot would concern Gerald falling in love with an older girl (Jazz Raycole). However, when the story actually aired in the U.S. (November 11, 2000), viewers who had been expecting any Gerald/Phoebe moments would have been disappointed, as Phoebe did not appear, nor was she even mentioned. Also, Gerald did not appear in "Phoebe's Little Problem" (U.S. broadcast date June 8, 2004), where viewers felt that besides Arnold and Helga (the latter only had a brief speaking scene, and the fact that she is her best friend did not show at all in it), he should have been featured as well. (Both of the mentioned episodes were written by Michelle Lamoreaux, and ironically, "Phoebe's Little Problem" was co-written with Viksten.)However, in the episode, "Gerald Moves Out" when Gerald is imagining his perfect life living on his own, there is a picture of Phoebe hanging on the wall.
