Gerald Johanssen

Gerald Martin Johanssen is the deuteragonist of the Nickelodeon animated television series, Hey Arnold!, and the tritagonist of the 2017 television film Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie. He is Arnold's best friend.
In the original television series and in Hey Arnold!: The Movie, he was voiced by . In Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie, he was voiced by 
==Appearance==
Gerald is of African-American origin, and his most distinct features are his hi-top fade (classmate Helga often calls him "Tall Hair Boy"), and his red shirt with the number 33 on it. As a child, his red shirt simply said "3". He also wears blue jeans and red and white high top sneakers.
In The Jungle Movie, he wears a red hooded sweatshirt with the same number on it, and different high top sneakers of the same color with white laces. He resembles his brother Jamie O more closely, as his haircut is now a taller version of Jamie O's, and the shape of his head is now less circular, and more similar to his brother's.
==Personality==
Gerald is Arnold's opposite in almost every sense. While Arnold goes through life maintaining a patient and idealistic view, Gerald has a much more pragmatic view on situations and tells things as they are. Gerald is much more savvy and street smart than his best friend and is normally very relaxed. Gerald is at times selfish but is still a loyal and stable friend.
==Biography==
Gerald is Arnold's best friend — which usually means he's on the scene when Arnold's latest escapade happens. Gerald is also the occasional voice of reason (just when Arnold needs it). Gerald 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. 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?", "You're a bold kid". But Gerald's interest in Urban legends gave him a fright in one episode ("Four-Eyed Jack") after Gerald said there's no such thing as ghosts, but at the end of the episode, while Gerald is asleep, the ghost awakens him and says a simple "boo" before Gerald screams loudly. The ghost disappeared afterwards.
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.
Gerald may be beginning to notice that Phoebe is paying more and more attention to him — and the feeling could be mutual, although Gerald does accept a date to a dance from an older girl in "6th Grade Girls". (There weren't any "Gerald and Phoebe" scenes in any of the second season episodes, but Phoebe has "that look" after Gerald's solo in "Gerald's Tonsils", and they're together throughout Rhonda's party in Hey Harold!".)
===Hey Arnold!: The Movie===
Returning home from a basketball game with Arnold, Gerald learns from a news broadcast that Mr. Scheck, the CEO of Future Tech Industries (FTI), has won regulatory approval to restructure the entire neighborhood where Gerald resides in, transforming it into a high-end shopping mall as part of his “renewal plan”. Knowing the consequences of gentrification, Gerald joins Arnold in his race against time to stop Mr. Scheck’s plans and save their neighborhood by any means necessary.
After initial setbacks, Gerald learns from Arnold of a legal document declaring their neighborhood to be a national landmark, thereby protecting it from any profound changes. Unsure of its location, they search throughout the city for clues about the document’s whereabouts. Eventually, their lead takes them to the peninsula, where the headquarters of FTI is located. While trying to sneak in, the boys are apprehended by security and taken to Scheck’s office. There, they ask Scheck about the document, who denies having it and even questions its existence. But Gerald is unsatisfied and accuses the businessman of lying, prompting Scheck to have security escort the duo out of the building.
Unsuccessful in their search thus far, Gerald and Arnold return to the Sunset Arms boarding house. Gerald begins to express doubt about the mission when Arnold receives a phone call from an unknown individual. The caller, named “Deep Voice”, informs them that the document is in Scheck’s office, but is also locked inside a safe and they would need the key from Nick Vermicelli to open it. Gerald remarks that he knows an equipment specialist who can help them for this occasion. Meeting up with Bridget, the two grab the necessary gadgets and set off in search for Scheck’s assistant.
Following an incident at a restaurant, Gerald and Arnold track down Vermicelli to his apartment, waiting for him to fall asleep before stealing the key from him. Afterwards, they make their back to the FTI headquarters, evading past security and into Scheck’s office. Finding the safe to be empty, Scheck himself appears with the document in his possession. He ridicules them for pursuing a “hopeless” mission, promising to fulfill his plan and avenge his family’s name for the Tomato Incident that occurred centuries prior in the neighborhood. Scheck then burns the document entirely before ordering security to arrest the two, but they manage to escape.
Outside the building, Gerald learns that Arnold acquired a videotape containing proof of Scheck’s destruction of the document, which can be used against him. He waits for Arnold while attempting to signal for a taxi, but manages to secure a bus ride instead. When his friend arrived, Gerald is surprised to see Helga (revealed earlier to be Deep Voice’s real identity) with him, but decides not to question it. With only minutes left until FTI’s demolition work begins, the kids convince the bus driver to hurry back to their neighborhood. Along the way, the driver falls unconscious, forcing Gerald to take over the steering wheel, while Arnold and Helga assume control of the gas and brake pedals. After some close calls, the bus crashes into a bulldozer and tips over, but Gerald and the others make it out of the wreck unharmed.
Now back in the neighborhood, the kids, with Bridget’s help, play the cassette on the Scheckvision screen, showcasing the evidence of Scheck’s burning of the document to the whole community. The mayor of Hillwood, disgusted at what she sees, immediately declares the neighborhood to be a historic landmark. Scheck himself is arrested and taken into custody, putting an end to his schemes. Afterwards, Gerald invites Arnold to another game of basketball, to which Arnold accepts.
===Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie===
The last day of school before the summer break, Mr. Simmons announces to the class that they’re selected to participate in a humanitarian contest for a chance to win a trip to San Lorenzo, the country where Arnold’s parents disappeared to. Knowing this, Gerald joins Arnold in creating a video documenting their creation of a living habitat for Monkeyman. Their plan quickly falls apart, however, as the homeless raid and lay claim to their belongings, destroying the environment in the process. Despite the setback, Gerald receives help from Helga in creating a montage to help Arnold win the contest, which they later present to him at the roof of Sunset Arms. Their efforts proved successful, as they go on to win the contest.
Now in San Lorenzo, Gerald and Arnold head on over to Eduardo’s residence, only to find the place empty and in shambles. Afterwards, to their relief and confusion, they find Eduardo at the river docks as the class prepare for a boat ride that would take them down a river towards a rainforest. During the trip, Gerald learns about Arnold’s earlier discussion with Eduardo and urges him to share any secrets from the conversation, but receives no answer from his friend, much to his disappointment. Later on, the boat charges over the rapids and crashes near a jungle after an attempt by Eduardo to fend off a sudden attack from river pirates. Gerald, among others, emerge from the shipwreck unharmed, but are now forced to trail through the jungle by foot.
After an enduring march, the class, including Gerald, make it to the habitat within the jungle. Their celebration is short-lived, however, as Eduardo soon reveals himself to be Lasombra in disguise, and immediately takes the class in as his prisoners. Lasombra then claims that he and Arnold have become partners in their search for the Green-Eyes and the Corazón. Arnold quickly defends himself, claiming that he was tricked by Lasombra into believing he would help him find his lost parents. But Gerald, thinking it to be Arnold’s secret, angrily chides him for not telling him earlier during the boat ride. Despite this predicament, Gerald is later convinced by Helga into freeing Arnold from his cell while the other kids distract the guards as the trio make their escape.
Having escaped from base camp, Gerald, Arnold and Helga travel to the destination of the supposed Green-Eyes, pinpointed on the map according to the journal from Arnold’s father. After overcoming a series of booby traps, they found a group of Green-Eyes their age, who immediately recognize Arnold and declare their worship of him. The trio are then taken to the hidden city of the Green-Eyes, where they learn that the adults have fallen victim to the sleeping sickness. As they try to decipher the murals presented to them, Lasombra suddenly appears, having placed a tracking device on Arnold shortly before the prison break. After coming under attack by the Green-Eyed children, Lasombra takes his leave while taking Arnold hostage, forcing Gerald and Helga to chase after him.
In the scuffle, Lasombra is poisoned and seemingly falls over a cliff, while Gerald, Arnold and Helga hang onto a part of a bridge that gave way before being rescued by the real Eduardo. Meanwhile, a sickly Lasombra climbs back up and renews his fight with the kids and Eduardo. During the struggle, the Corazón falls over into the mist below, while Lasombra succumbs to the poison and falls off for real. With the Corazón lost, Helga uses her locket as a substitute for the Corazón to activate the mechanism and spread the cure through the hidden city, reawakening the Green-Eyed adults as well as Arnold’s parents. While thanking Helga, Arnold shares a kiss with her, which Gerald notices and playfully remarks, much to their embarrassment.
After returning home, Gerald prepares for the new school year entering sixth grade, with him and Phoebe walking towards P.S. 118 hand-in-hand.
==Trivia==
*Gerald's last name is spelt "Johanson" in the first season and "Johanssen" in the second season, although it's spelt "Johannsen" in the credits for "The High Life" and "Johansson" in the credits of the "Urban Adventures" tape; since Gerald signs it "Johanssen" in "The High Life", that's the spelling used here.
*In the episode "Gerald's Tonsils" Gerald is a soloist of the chorus, and in the episode "Arnold As Cupid" he's briefly seen playing the violin.
*In Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie, Gerald seems to already be aware of Helga's secret, as he grins knowingly with Phoebe while Helga stumbles trying to make an excuse for helping Arnold go to San Lorenzo.
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