Teddy Roosevelt is a recurring character in the Night at the Museum film franchise, and in Night At The Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again a new actor replaces the late, great Robin Williams in the role. The Night at the Museum franchise includes four films: Night at the Museum (2006), Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009), Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014), and the animated Night At The Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again (2022). The series follows a night guard at the American Museum of Natural History, where the exhibits come to life.

Ben Stiller starred in the first three family-friendly movies before handing the reigns to an animation team and a slate of all-new voice actors for the fourth film in the franchise. One of the replaced actors is Robin Williams, who played President Theodore Roosevelt in the second and third movies. While these films may not be among Robin Williams’ best movies, his performances were full of his signature winning combination of humor and heart. A fan-favorite character, Teddy is voiced by someone new in the animated film who manages to honor Williams’ legacy.

Find out where to watch Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again, the first animated addition to the popular movie franchise.

Thomas Lennon Voices Teddy Roosevelt In Night At The Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again

In Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again, Teddy Roosevelt is voiced by Thomas Lennon, an actor most audiences will know from his roles in many adult comedies, such as I Love You, Man as Doug, and Reno 911! as Lieutenant Jim Dangle. In this film, Teddy Roosevelt is still in a relationship with Sacagawea (Kieran Sequoia). She and Teddy are the ones who convince a retired Larry Daley (Zachary Levi replacing Stiller) to get his now-grown son Nick (Joshua Bassett) to be the new night guard at the museum.

Teddy has always been one of the exhibits that Larry was closest to, so it’s a wise story choice to have him be the one to reason with Larry. Lennon has a very distinctive voice all his own and, though he may not have the sarcasm and cowboy-like excitability of Williams, his deep, almost stately voice works for a president.

Night At The Museum Writer Lennon Made Sure Not To Imitate Robin Williams’ Performance

Shawn Levy, who directed the first three Night at the Museum films and produced the fourth, was keenly aware that whoever voiced Teddy in this remake would have a delicate job. In an interview with Cinemablend, he said:

The confluence of Robin’s death with the release of [Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb] was a very emotional time for me. We knew that Teddy was an iconic character from the film franchise. There was always going to be a Teddy, but I didn’t want someone who was gonna emulate Robin’s character, Robin’s readings. So it was somehow appropriate and meaningful that Tom Lennon plays the voice of Teddy Roosevelt.

Lennon is well acquainted with the Night at the Museum universe, having written the first two films and briefly appearing as Orville Wright in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

Night At The Museum Fans Will Always Remember Williams’ Final Scene

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb was released three months following Williams’ passing. In a somehow fateful design, Teddy’s signoff, which was already a moving moment in a light and comedic film, became much more impactful after Willams’ death. At the end of the film, the exhibits unanimously agree to leave the life-giving tablets in the British Museum so Larry sadly has to say goodbye to his friends.

Larry, or Lawrence as Teddy always called him, wistfully says he has no idea what he will do tomorrow. Teddy’s response, “How exciting,” feels like it could have been ad-libbed by the actor himself. Then, just before he turns back to wax, Teddy smiles and tells Larry, “Smile, my boy. It’s sunrise.“

It’s an inspirational scene that the internet quickly adopted as a favorite tear-jerking movie moment. This Night at the Museum scene now serves a double purpose, as both a message of hope to Larry and to those who loved Robin Williams as a reminder that there’s still happiness and sun to come.