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Voice Coaches Radio #598 – Mrs Doubtfire
Voice coaches, radio, everything voiceover. Oh, would you look at that? Welcome to a brand new episode of voice coaches radio. I didn't see it happening to do. Oh, of course you did. I mean, you click the link, right? So there's that. Uh, my name is Marissa. What is going on? I hope that you are, you know, uh, doing well here on this Friday if this is when you decided to go ahead and, and enjoy this lovely little episode we are putting out.
Uh, you know, release day is always a good day, but, uh, you know, maybe this is finding you in the process of just figuring out where you fit, uh, maybe it's... Finding, you know, you with, you know, enhanced and, and more developed skills since the last time we met and, you know, maybe, maybe it's just, you know, you setting some new goals for yourself as we're starting to wind down the summer a bit.
You know, I was, uh, having some downtime the other day. What is downtime? I know. Like, life is So busy, isn't it? It's, I feel like the summer has been crazy. Every time I think I'm gonna have a moment to breathe, it's like, oh wait, there's another wedding to go to. Or, yeah, no, let's go away for the weekend and visit friends in Boston.
I'm totally game for that and like, I am always down for a last minute thing as long as I can get my work done ahead. Uh, but , but that just means it's like, oh my God, and all of a sudden things get crazy. Um, so this, you know, had some downtime and, and was just watching. An old movie. Who doesn't love putting on, like, a film that you grew up watching, um, you know, back in 1993.
Mrs. Doubtfire was released. Robin Williams is always a trip. And, uh, may he rest in peace. That, that, man, like, the people that are typically giving us... You know, laughs and, um, smiles and, and putting on this show like that. And, you know, those are the people that tend to be fighting like the hardest and heaviest demons.
And, you know, we ended up finding out way too late. So may he rest in peace because he's provided us so much great content over the years that we get to now just, um, you know, back and rewatch and. You know just immerse ourselves in over and over and over again and being able to watch Mrs. Doubtfire I can't tell you the last time I actually watched it As like a whole like i've seen little bits and pieces every once in a while when it pops on tv or something But not going back and watching it from the beginning and the beginning is the most important part As somebody in voiceover and you know what if if you're that person right now going Oh, I'm so glad that she's bringing this up Then then you know exactly what I'm talking about But right in the beginning, I mean, I don't I never remembered what You know, Robin Williams job in that movie actually was.
I just knew that, you know, the, the parents got divorced. And then, like, the, the mom didn't want the dad to see the kids as much. And, like, it was a whole thing. And then he had to dress up as an old woman. And, you know, you know, but so right in the beginning, we find out what Robin Williams job is in this film as this character.
And he happens to do voiceover for, guess what? Cartoons! Not a shock at all. I mean, he is somebody who has given us amazing voices, legendary voices, uh, throughout the years in in some of these cartoons, like, hello, Aladdin? Anybody remember that? Um, so, in the beginning of Mrs. Doubtfire, you see he's standing in this kind of, like, auditorium sort of, setting with a giant screen of this cartoon in, in live motion.
He's got the music stand in front of him there and he's got a script and whatever, and he's got the headphones on and he is bringing that character of, I think it's a bird, it's a life. It's almost like Tweety Bird, but it's not. Um, and it's just amazing to see him perform because The energy level, oh my goodness, the energy level is intense and some people like, you know, you think about that and you're like, I could never do that.
I mean, listen, you can. It's a skill set. It is. You know, I've talked about this before. It's like, you know, I might feel sick as a dog, but the moment I press record, it's like, boom, the show is on. Let's go. How you doing? Um, so. You, you do, you're able to develop that and, and Robin Williams, just an absolutely amazing example of, of what is possible when you go ahead and you put the work in to make it happen.
And that scene again, so pivotal because of everything he's bringing to it, you know, he's moving his arms around and whatever. And like, yeah, you don't want any of that to get picked up on the mic. In this case, it wasn't. But, you know, these are the things, like, these actions he's doing to go and bring that character of the little birdie to life in this cartoon.
Uh, the other, uh, thing, you know, that you want to see is, like, he's not just voicing the bird. He was also voicing the cat that was in that cartoon. As somebody that wants to do character work, guess what? Sometimes. You're going to need to do more than one character at a time. It happens. It happens all the time.
You know, you see movies like Toy Story and Tom Hanks, and clearly, yeah, he was hired to be Woody. You know, Tim Allen was hired to be Buzz Lightyear. But, you know, you've got some of these more intricate projects like this, where it was like Robin Williams was each character that was involved. And that means Different voices and being able to go from one to the other to the other and back and forth and you know, and, and having that distinction and having that nice difference in not just like energy or mood, but personality, um, you know, and, and bringing those characters to life when you are somebody who wants to do character work, you need to understand that because It's not uncommon, you know, to have a character demo itself, like you need to showcase a lot of different voices that you could potentially do and characters that you've created.
Now listen, it could be, you know, we love to mimic what we know, so it's not like some of those aren't going to sound similar to something else that maybe is in your past, but Being able to show that you can do it and have some consistency and bring that character to life even in like a short little clip on a demo is so, so very important.
Uh, but that scene for Mrs. Doubtfire, it's like you're seeing the energy, you're seeing, you know, how he's bringing that character to life. You're, you're seeing, you know, from character to character and how fluid it is. It's like without even the blink of an eye, he's making things like that happen. You also see by the end of that scene that he says things he shouldn't say to the producer on site.
And what did they say to him? They're like, Hey, if you leave today, you're not coming back. You know, we're not going to hire you again. And, uh, and he's like, but he, but he, but he, that that's all folks. And he says something else that I probably shouldn't say on the podcast, even though that was a kid's movie.
Uh, so the things have changed since the nineties. Uh, but you know, it's. It's, uh, having that professional behavior that he does not have there near the end, but hey, he didn't agree with the script. And what do we tell you? You know, you can't change anything about what you're doing. You know, your input really doesn't matter.
Uh, in, in fact, it doesn't matter at all. It's just you bringing the character to life and doing the job that you were hired to do. In his case, he didn't agree that that bird was smoking in a kid's cartoon. And he was like, mm. I'm out of here. If you're not going to change it, buh bye. I don't need this gig.
Turns out, he did need that gig because he had no money otherwise. Uh, but, uh, also the life of a voice actor in some cases. Uh, but, you know, if you haven't seen that, I would, uh, suggest, you know, this weekend, go ahead. Have a little nostalgic moment, go back to the 90s real quick, and, uh, and just see what Robin Williams does.
Just, even if it's just the beginning scene there, because it is just an absolutely amazing thing, uh, to experience and see the... amazing skill that he had developed for himself. Not only there, but I mean, if you watch the rest of the movie, it's like, there's a scene too where they're trying to figure out exactly who Mrs.
Doubtfire is going to be, what she's going to look like based on the voice that he did on the phone to get the interview itself. And, All of the costume changes that he has in these different, you know, quote unquote women he's, you know, being. He does a million different voices there. Uh, bringing each one of those characters that, didn't end up being Mrs.
Doubtfire to life. So it is just such a great example of character work. So, hey, do it for yourself this weekend. Check out Mrs. Doubtfire. Go back into the, the vault and, um, and do yourself that favor. You'll thank me later, just because it is just a great movie. It never really ages all that much, honestly.
But we'll have another brand new episode coming your way of Voice Coaches Radio as we get to, oh my god, it's almost September. Uh, but if you've got anything you want us to discuss, info at voicecoaches. com. Hit us up. We'll get a brand new episode your way next week. Stay safe, everybody.
Visit voicecoaches. com for more voiceover news.
Uh, you know, release day is always a good day, but, uh, you know, maybe this is finding you in the process of just figuring out where you fit, uh, maybe it's... Finding, you know, you with, you know, enhanced and, and more developed skills since the last time we met and, you know, maybe, maybe it's just, you know, you setting some new goals for yourself as we're starting to wind down the summer a bit.
You know, I was, uh, having some downtime the other day. What is downtime? I know. Like, life is So busy, isn't it? It's, I feel like the summer has been crazy. Every time I think I'm gonna have a moment to breathe, it's like, oh wait, there's another wedding to go to. Or, yeah, no, let's go away for the weekend and visit friends in Boston.
I'm totally game for that and like, I am always down for a last minute thing as long as I can get my work done ahead. Uh, but , but that just means it's like, oh my God, and all of a sudden things get crazy. Um, so this, you know, had some downtime and, and was just watching. An old movie. Who doesn't love putting on, like, a film that you grew up watching, um, you know, back in 1993.
Mrs. Doubtfire was released. Robin Williams is always a trip. And, uh, may he rest in peace. That, that, man, like, the people that are typically giving us... You know, laughs and, um, smiles and, and putting on this show like that. And, you know, those are the people that tend to be fighting like the hardest and heaviest demons.
And, you know, we ended up finding out way too late. So may he rest in peace because he's provided us so much great content over the years that we get to now just, um, you know, back and rewatch and. You know just immerse ourselves in over and over and over again and being able to watch Mrs. Doubtfire I can't tell you the last time I actually watched it As like a whole like i've seen little bits and pieces every once in a while when it pops on tv or something But not going back and watching it from the beginning and the beginning is the most important part As somebody in voiceover and you know what if if you're that person right now going Oh, I'm so glad that she's bringing this up Then then you know exactly what I'm talking about But right in the beginning, I mean, I don't I never remembered what You know, Robin Williams job in that movie actually was.
I just knew that, you know, the, the parents got divorced. And then, like, the, the mom didn't want the dad to see the kids as much. And, like, it was a whole thing. And then he had to dress up as an old woman. And, you know, you know, but so right in the beginning, we find out what Robin Williams job is in this film as this character.
And he happens to do voiceover for, guess what? Cartoons! Not a shock at all. I mean, he is somebody who has given us amazing voices, legendary voices, uh, throughout the years in in some of these cartoons, like, hello, Aladdin? Anybody remember that? Um, so, in the beginning of Mrs. Doubtfire, you see he's standing in this kind of, like, auditorium sort of, setting with a giant screen of this cartoon in, in live motion.
He's got the music stand in front of him there and he's got a script and whatever, and he's got the headphones on and he is bringing that character of, I think it's a bird, it's a life. It's almost like Tweety Bird, but it's not. Um, and it's just amazing to see him perform because The energy level, oh my goodness, the energy level is intense and some people like, you know, you think about that and you're like, I could never do that.
I mean, listen, you can. It's a skill set. It is. You know, I've talked about this before. It's like, you know, I might feel sick as a dog, but the moment I press record, it's like, boom, the show is on. Let's go. How you doing? Um, so. You, you do, you're able to develop that and, and Robin Williams, just an absolutely amazing example of, of what is possible when you go ahead and you put the work in to make it happen.
And that scene again, so pivotal because of everything he's bringing to it, you know, he's moving his arms around and whatever. And like, yeah, you don't want any of that to get picked up on the mic. In this case, it wasn't. But, you know, these are the things, like, these actions he's doing to go and bring that character of the little birdie to life in this cartoon.
Uh, the other, uh, thing, you know, that you want to see is, like, he's not just voicing the bird. He was also voicing the cat that was in that cartoon. As somebody that wants to do character work, guess what? Sometimes. You're going to need to do more than one character at a time. It happens. It happens all the time.
You know, you see movies like Toy Story and Tom Hanks, and clearly, yeah, he was hired to be Woody. You know, Tim Allen was hired to be Buzz Lightyear. But, you know, you've got some of these more intricate projects like this, where it was like Robin Williams was each character that was involved. And that means Different voices and being able to go from one to the other to the other and back and forth and you know, and, and having that distinction and having that nice difference in not just like energy or mood, but personality, um, you know, and, and bringing those characters to life when you are somebody who wants to do character work, you need to understand that because It's not uncommon, you know, to have a character demo itself, like you need to showcase a lot of different voices that you could potentially do and characters that you've created.
Now listen, it could be, you know, we love to mimic what we know, so it's not like some of those aren't going to sound similar to something else that maybe is in your past, but Being able to show that you can do it and have some consistency and bring that character to life even in like a short little clip on a demo is so, so very important.
Uh, but that scene for Mrs. Doubtfire, it's like you're seeing the energy, you're seeing, you know, how he's bringing that character to life. You're, you're seeing, you know, from character to character and how fluid it is. It's like without even the blink of an eye, he's making things like that happen. You also see by the end of that scene that he says things he shouldn't say to the producer on site.
And what did they say to him? They're like, Hey, if you leave today, you're not coming back. You know, we're not going to hire you again. And, uh, and he's like, but he, but he, but he, that that's all folks. And he says something else that I probably shouldn't say on the podcast, even though that was a kid's movie.
Uh, so the things have changed since the nineties. Uh, but you know, it's. It's, uh, having that professional behavior that he does not have there near the end, but hey, he didn't agree with the script. And what do we tell you? You know, you can't change anything about what you're doing. You know, your input really doesn't matter.
Uh, in, in fact, it doesn't matter at all. It's just you bringing the character to life and doing the job that you were hired to do. In his case, he didn't agree that that bird was smoking in a kid's cartoon. And he was like, mm. I'm out of here. If you're not going to change it, buh bye. I don't need this gig.
Turns out, he did need that gig because he had no money otherwise. Uh, but, uh, also the life of a voice actor in some cases. Uh, but, you know, if you haven't seen that, I would, uh, suggest, you know, this weekend, go ahead. Have a little nostalgic moment, go back to the 90s real quick, and, uh, and just see what Robin Williams does.
Just, even if it's just the beginning scene there, because it is just an absolutely amazing thing, uh, to experience and see the... amazing skill that he had developed for himself. Not only there, but I mean, if you watch the rest of the movie, it's like, there's a scene too where they're trying to figure out exactly who Mrs.
Doubtfire is going to be, what she's going to look like based on the voice that he did on the phone to get the interview itself. And, All of the costume changes that he has in these different, you know, quote unquote women he's, you know, being. He does a million different voices there. Uh, bringing each one of those characters that, didn't end up being Mrs.
Doubtfire to life. So it is just such a great example of character work. So, hey, do it for yourself this weekend. Check out Mrs. Doubtfire. Go back into the, the vault and, um, and do yourself that favor. You'll thank me later, just because it is just a great movie. It never really ages all that much, honestly.
But we'll have another brand new episode coming your way of Voice Coaches Radio as we get to, oh my god, it's almost September. Uh, but if you've got anything you want us to discuss, info at voicecoaches. com. Hit us up. We'll get a brand new episode your way next week. Stay safe, everybody.
Visit voicecoaches. com for more voiceover news.
This week on Voice Coaches Radio, Marissa was recently going down the nostalgic 90’s road and popped on Mrs. Doubtfire…what her childhood brain forgot was how voice over intense the opening of the film actually is and what was to come throughout the film itself. How can it help YOU? Lets talk about it.
