Phineas and Ferb is a Disney Channel comedy about two stepbrothers who refuse to waste a single day of summer. Each episode they build something impossible in their backyard: a rollercoaster, a time machine, a beach. Their sister Candace tries to show their mom, and the evidence always disappears just in time. Meanwhile their pet platypus slips away to fight an evil scientist whose latest invention, by coincidence, usually wipes out the boys' project.
The show was created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, who had worked together on The Simpsons and Rocko's Modern Life. It ran on Disney Channel from 2007 to 2015 and has added two films since. Its cast is small but tightly built, and almost every character has a running gag, a catchphrase or a song. This guide covers the family, the neighbourhood kids, Perry's agency, Doofenshmirtz and his circle, and the voice cast.
- Creators
- Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh
- Network
- Disney Channel
- Premiere
- August 17, 2007
- Original run
- 2007–2015, four seasons
- Setting
- Danville, in the Tri-State Area
- Films
- Across the 2nd Dimension (2011), Candace Against the Universe (2020)
The Flynn-Fletcher family
The family is a blended one, and the show treats that as completely ordinary. Linda brought Candace and Phineas to the marriage, Lawrence brought Ferb, and everyone gets along, apart from Candace's one-sided war with her brothers' projects.
Phineas Flynn
Inventor · Optimist · Age 10
Phineas is the ideas half of the duo, a cheerful boy with a triangular head who opens most episodes with "Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today!" He's relentlessly positive and generous, and he includes everyone in his plans without a second thought. He's oblivious to two things: that what he builds is impossible, and that Isabella has a huge crush on him. He never builds anything to show off, just to make the day more fun.
- Voice
- Vincent Martella
Ferb Fletcher
Engineer · Man of few words
Ferb is Phineas's British stepbrother. He's tall, green-haired and silent for most of each episode, and he does much of the actual building. When he does speak, it's usually a single dry, perfectly placed line that steals the scene. Quiet doesn't mean shy: he plays several instruments, has a crush on Vanessa Doofenshmirtz and is completely confident in whatever he's doing.
- Voice
- Thomas Brodie-Sangster (original series)
Candace Flynn
Older sister · Age 15
Candace has one goal every summer day: to "bust" her brothers by showing their mom what they've built. She never quite manages it, and her frustration drives much of the show's comedy. She's also a typical teenager obsessed with her boyfriend Jeremy, prone to wild overreactions and drama. The series and especially Candace Against the Universe make clear that her need to be taken seriously comes from a real place, and that she loves her brothers fiercely.
- Voice
- Ashley Tisdale
Perry the Platypus
Family pet · Secret Agent P
At home Perry is a mindless teal platypus who just chatters. The moment no one is looking, he puts on a fedora and drops through a secret tunnel to his lair to receive his mission. Full profile in the OWCA section below.
- Voice
- Dee Bradley Baker (chatter)
Linda Flynn-Fletcher
Mom
Linda is calm, kind and endlessly patient, and she never once sees the boys' inventions. She was a one-hit pop star in her youth under the name Lindana, which surprises her kids when they find out. She's a good-natured mother who assumes the best of everyone.
- Voice
- Caroline Rhea
Lawrence Fletcher
Dad · Antiques dealer
Lawrence is a gentle, slightly distracted English father who runs an antiques business. He sometimes sees the boys' work and is delighted rather than alarmed, which is no help to Candace at all.
- Voice
- Richard O'Brien
Grandparents
Reginald and Winifred Fletcher · Clyde and Betty Jo Flynn
Lawrence's parents live in England and Linda's in the US. They turn up for holidays and family trips,, and each pair brings its own quirks to the family's bigger adventures.
Friends and neighbours
The boys' projects are always open to everyone, so a regular group of neighbourhood kids shows up almost every day. Each of them was written as a familiar type, then given some unexpected depth.
Isabella Garcia-Shapiro
Next-door neighbour · Fireside Girls troop leader
Isabella arrives at the boys' gate asking "Whatcha doin'?" and stays because she has a crush on Phineas, who never notices. She leads her Fireside Girls troop with total competence and earns badges for nearly everything. She's sweet, determined and occasionally scary when someone gets in her way.
- Voice
- Alyson Stoner
Baljeet Tjinder
Friend · Top student
Baljeet is a brilliant, anxious boy from India who loves maths, worries about grades and is frequently bullied by Buford, who is also, somehow, his best friend. He's often the boys' technical adviser and the first to notice when something isn't safe.
- Voice
- Maulik Pancholy
Buford Van Stomm
Neighbourhood bully
Buford is a big kid who insists on his reputation as a bully but ends up helping on nearly every project. His friendship with Baljeet is one of the show's best running jokes: he picks on him constantly and can't stand anyone else doing it. He also has a pet goldfish called Biff and some surprising talents.
- Voice
- Bobby Gaylor
Jeremy Johnson
Candace's boyfriend
Jeremy is a relaxed, easygoing teenager who works at Mr. Slushy Burger and plays in a band. He likes Candace exactly as she is, which is a constant surprise to her.
- Voice
- Mitchel Musso
Stacy Hirano
Candace's best friend
Stacy is level-headed and mildly exasperated, and she's the one who tells Candace that her plans aren't going to work. Eventually she learns about Perry's secret and has to keep it.
- Voice
- Kelly Hu
The Fireside Girls
Isabella's troop
Gretchen, Adyson, Ginger, Holly, Katie and Milly help with the bigger builds, and Gretchen often acts as Isabella's second-in-command. They're relentless badge collectors.
Irving Du Bois
The boys' biggest fan
Irving is a nerdy kid who documents every one of Phineas and Ferb's projects in obsessive detail. He's a little creepy, and he knows it.
Suzy Johnson
Jeremy's little sister
Suzy looks adorable and is in fact Candace's sworn enemy, a tiny schemer who works to keep Candace away from her brother.
Perry and OWCA
The show's B-plot is a spy parody. The Organization Without a Cool Acronym, OWCA, trains ordinary-looking animals as secret agents and assigns each to watch a villain. Perry's assignment is Doofenshmirtz, and their fights follow a ritual: Perry walks into a trap, Doofenshmirtz explains his plan, Perry escapes and destroys the "-inator".
Perry the Platypus (Agent P)
Secret agent · Doofenshmirtz's nemesis
Perry is a deadpan, hyper-competent agent who can drive, fly, fight and stay utterly expressionless. He doesn't speak, but his eyebrow does a lot of work. His real conflict isn't with Doofenshmirtz, whom he clearly likes in his way, but with the rule that if his family ever learns his secret, he'll be relocated. That gives the films and later episodes their emotional weight.
- Voice
- Dee Bradley Baker
Major Francis Monogram
OWCA commander
Monogram briefs Perry by video screen every episode. He's stiff, earnest and constantly undermined by the show's jokes about his unibrow and his intern. Underneath he's a decent boss who genuinely cares about his agents.
- Voice
- Jeff "Swampy" Marsh
Carl Karl
Monogram's intern
Carl is an eager, slightly odd unpaid intern who films the briefings and sometimes takes over when Monogram is away. He has his own strange hobbies and a growing sense of authority.
- Voice
- Tyler Alexander Mann
Pinky the Chihuahua
Agent · Isabella's pet
A trembling chihuahua who is secretly an OWCA agent assigned to a villain called Poofenplotz. He's Perry's colleague and friendly rival.
- Voice
- Dee Bradley Baker
Peter the Panda
Agent
A panda agent who briefly becomes Doofenshmirtz's nemesis, which leaves Perry surprisingly jealous. The storyline plays their rivalry like a break-up.
Dr. Doofenshmirtz and his circle
Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated sits in a tower downtown, complete with its own jingle. Its founder is the show's breakout character.
Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz
Evil scientist · Perry's nemesis
Doofenshmirtz wants to take over the Tri-State Area, and builds an "-inator" every episode to do it. His plans are petty and his motives are always rooted in a ridiculous backstory from his childhood in Drusselstein, where everything that could go wrong did. He's needy, lonely and not really evil, which is why the show can keep him so likeable. His catchphrase, shouted as his lair explodes, is "Curse you, Perry the Platypus!"
- Voice
- Dan Povenmire
Vanessa Doofenshmirtz
Doofenshmirtz's teenage daughter
Vanessa is a goth teenager who's embarrassed by her father's career and spends much of the early series trying, like Candace, to prove to her mother what's really going on. Later she softens towards him, and she's the object of Ferb's quiet crush.
- Voice
- Olivia Olson
Norm
Giant robot assistant
Norm is a cheerful, oversized robot who speaks in a booming salesman's voice and longs for Doofenshmirtz to treat him like a son. He's often the most helpful thing in the building.
- Voice
- John Viener
Roger Doofenshmirtz
Mayor of Danville · Heinz's brother
Roger is the successful, popular younger brother whose life is everything Heinz's isn't. Heinz's jealousy of him fuels many of his schemes.
Charlene Doofenshmirtz
Heinz's ex-wife
Vanessa's mother is a calm, sensible woman who is on surprisingly civil terms with her ex-husband. Their split is a regular source of Heinz's self-pity.
L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N.
The league of villains
A club of evil scientists, including Rodney, that Doofenshmirtz belongs to. It mainly exists so other villains can look down on him.
Voice cast at a glance
The show is unusual in how much of it was voiced by its own creators and crew. Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh voice the villain and the head of the spy agency, and many writers and storyboard artists voiced smaller parts. Find more behind-the-mic stories in our voice actors guide.
| Character | Voice actor |
|---|---|
| Phineas Flynn | Vincent Martella |
| Ferb Fletcher | Thomas Brodie-Sangster (original series) |
| Candace Flynn | Ashley Tisdale |
| Perry the Platypus | Dee Bradley Baker |
| Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz | Dan Povenmire |
| Major Monogram | Jeff "Swampy" Marsh |
| Isabella Garcia-Shapiro | Alyson Stoner |
| Baljeet Tjinder | Maulik Pancholy |
| Buford Van Stomm | Bobby Gaylor |
| Linda Flynn-Fletcher | Caroline Rhea |
| Lawrence Fletcher | Richard O'Brien |
| Vanessa Doofenshmirtz | Olivia Olson |
| Jeremy Johnson | Mitchel Musso |
| Stacy Hirano | Kelly Hu |
| Carl | Tyler Alexander Mann |
| Norm | John Viener |
History and where to start
Povenmire and Marsh pitched the show for years before Disney picked it up. It previewed in August 2007 and launched as a regular series in early 2008, then became one of Disney Channel's biggest hits. The original run ended in 2015 with "Last Day of Summer", and the characters returned in a Disney+ film in 2020. Disney later announced a revival of the series with new episodes.
- 2007 "Rollercoaster", the first episode, airs as a preview.
- 2011 Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension, a TV film in which the boys learn Perry's secret.
- 2013–2014 Crossover specials: Mission Marvel with Marvel's heroes, then Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars.
- 2015 "Act Your Age", set years later, and "Last Day of Summer" close the original run.
- 2020 Candace Against the Universe on Disney+, with Candace finally at the centre.
Why the characters work
Phineas and Ferb is built on a strict formula, and its characters exist to make that formula feel fresh every time. Phineas and Ferb are pure creativity with no conflict between them. Candace supplies the conflict, but it's never cruel. Doofenshmirtz supplies the villainy, but he's too sad to be scary. The result is a show with no real antagonists, just people who want different things on the same summer afternoon.
The Perry and Doofenshmirtz rivalry is the clearest example. They're enemies by job description and something close to friends in practice, which puts them alongside other cartoon double acts in our iconic rivalries list. Doofenshmirtz is also a textbook case of the comic, sympathetic villain covered in our villain types guide. If you like the show's mix of jokes, songs and big heart, try Gravity Falls, which shared its era on Disney Channel, or the gentler absurdity of SpongeBob. More Disney casts are in our Disney characters hub.
All Phineas and Ferb character names A–Z
A–C
- Adyson Sweetwater — Fireside Girls
- Baljeet Tjinder — Friend
- Betty Jo Flynn — Grandmother
- Buford Van Stomm — Friend
- Candace Flynn — Sister
- Carl Karl — OWCA
- Charlene Doofenshmirtz — Doof's ex-wife
- Clyde Flynn — Grandfather
D–I
- Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz — Villain
- Ferb Fletcher — Stepbrother
- Ginger Hirano — Fireside Girls
- Gretchen — Fireside Girls
- Holly — Fireside Girls
- Irving Du Bois — Fan
- Isabella Garcia-Shapiro — Friend
J–M
- Jeremy Johnson — Candace's boyfriend
- Katie — Fireside Girls
- Lawrence Fletcher — Dad
- Linda Flynn-Fletcher — Mom
- Major Francis Monogram — OWCA
- Milly — Fireside Girls
N–R
- Norm — Robot
- Perry the Platypus — Agent P
- Peter the Panda — OWCA
- Phineas Flynn — Stepbrother
- Pinky the Chihuahua — OWCA
- Reginald Fletcher — Grandfather
- Roger Doofenshmirtz — Mayor
S–W
- Stacy Hirano — Candace's friend
- Suzy Johnson — Jeremy's sister
- Vanessa Doofenshmirtz — Doof's daughter
- Winifred Fletcher — Grandmother
Frequently asked questions
Who are the main characters in Phineas and Ferb?
Stepbrothers Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher, their older sister Candace, and their pet platypus Perry, who is secretly Agent P. Perry's nemesis Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz carries the show's B-plot, and friends Isabella, Baljeet and Buford join most of the boys' projects.
Are Phineas and Ferb real brothers?
They're stepbrothers. Phineas and Candace are the children of Linda Flynn, and Ferb is the son of Lawrence Fletcher. Linda and Lawrence married before the series starts, and the show treats the boys as brothers in every way that matters.
What does OWCA stand for?
The Organization Without a Cool Acronym. It's the secret agency of trained animals that Perry works for, run by Major Francis Monogram with help from his intern Carl.
Who voices Dr. Doofenshmirtz?
Dan Povenmire, who co-created the show with Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. Marsh voices Major Monogram. Both creators also wrote and storyboarded much of the series.
Does Candace ever bust Phineas and Ferb?
Almost never in a way that sticks. The running joke is that each big project vanishes, usually thanks to one of Doofenshmirtz's inventions, just before their mom sees it. The finale and the films give Candace a few moments of vindication, but the formula depends on her losing.
How many days of summer vacation are there in Phineas and Ferb?
104, according to the theme song. The boys treat every one of those days as a chance to build something enormous, and the finale is set on the last day of summer.