Dora the Explorer Is Back In A New Series [Interview]

Dora the Explorer is back in a new series, Dora. And this time, she’s joined by a fresh cast of characters and some iconic returning stars. 

An all-new CG series throws Dora (Diana Zermeño) and Boots (Asher Colton Spence) into fantastical rainforest adventures. With Map (Anairis Quiñones) in hand, they’ll face challenges and the sneaky Swiper (Marc Weiner). Original Dora voice actress Kathleen Herles returns as Mami, with Mike Smith Rivera as Papi.

Returning to the Jungle: Kathleen Herles

Kathleen Herles, the original voice of Dora, is back, but this time she’s playing a new role: Mami! She describes the experience as both exciting and an honor to “pass the baton” to a new generation of explorers.

“I feel so excited and honored to be a part of this show and to kind of like pass the baton to this new generation, to Diana and Asher. They’re taking on like such iconic roles and they’re doing an awesome job. I think that’s going to come across to the viewers. And this new generation is going to love it. And the people that grew up with the original show, they’re going to feel the nostalgia. They’re going to fall in love with her all over again.”

– Kathlene Herles

The cast all agrees that voice acting can be demanding, requiring high energy even when you’re not feeling it. However, the world of Dora, with its music, animal friends, and exciting adventures makes it easy to get into the spirit of things.

Dora‘s New Dora the Explorer and Boots: Diana Zermeño (Dora), Asher Colton Spence (Boots)

Diana Zermeño takes on the iconic role of Dora. She shared her excitement with us about being cast as Dora, and the importance of representation in cartoons, especially for Latinx audiences, and how excited she was to land the part.

“I couldn’t believe it, honestly, because I’ve never done anything like it. And I know that Dora, you know, it’s so important to so many people for many different reasons. One being that it’s very important to have representation, especially for many Latino people, because you don’t see a lot of that. But I just I was really happy that I got it. I didn’t hear back from my audition for months, but I was just really happy and I was trying to get prepared.”

– Diana Zermeño

Asher Colton Spence brings Boots, Dora’s energetic monkey friend, to life with a high-pitched, enthusiastic voice. He describes the recording process as being so immersed in the world of Dora that the energy naturally comes through.

Fresh cast, classic adventures in stunning CG animation. Join the new Dora and Boots on epic rainforest journeys! Premieres April 12th on Paramount+ (US, Canada, UK, AU) and Nick Jr. internationally. 20 episodes will be available to stream internationally on April 12th.

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Paramount+ Unveils Official Trailer for New Original Animated Series, Dora! [FIRST LOOK]