Renae Jacobs is best known for her iconic role as April O’Neil in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) animated series (1987–1996). With a career spanning over three decades, Jacobs has left an indelible mark on animation.
Jacobs began her voice acting journey at age nine, inspired by puppetry classes and children’s TV in Michigan. After moving to Los Angeles in the early 1980s, she landed her breakthrough role as April O’Neil in 1986. Jacobs crafted April as a strong, conviction-driven reporter, drawing from the character’s description rather than the comics. She voiced April for nine years, along with characters like Lotus Blossom and Jersey Red, becoming a fan favorite in the TMNT franchise. She returned to the TMNT universe in 2014, guest-starring as Mrs. O’Neil/Mom-Thing in Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episode “Buried Secrets.”
Beyond TMNT, Jacobs showcased her range in numerous animated series and films. Her credits include The Glo Friends Save Christmas, It’s Punky Brewster!, The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda, Moon Dreamers, My Little Pony, and the Rose Petal Place films, where she voiced Cherry Blossom. She also provided vocals for Baby Glen in Bride of Chucky (1998, uncredited) and appeared in the 2020 film The Breaking of the Band: DeathRock. On television, Jacobs was the “Lady of the Maze” in the first season of Masters of the Maze (1994–1996) and a contestant on Sale of the Century (1985).