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Voice Coaches Radio – #668 – WOW! POW! ZOOM! BANG!
Voice coaches, radio, everything. Voiceover another day, another episode of Voice Coaches Radio. What's going on? My name is Marissa, and I hope now that we are, uh, you know, a few weeks into the new year, you're feeling good. You're off to a, a good running start. And, uh, you know, if you're like me, maybe you're in a position that you never thought you'd be in.
I mean, here I am in my studio. Got my puppy on the table next to me asleep and, uh, you know, I'm, I'm just able to pet her while I'm talking to you and man, what a life to live. You know? Uh, but, uh, yeah, it's just a, it's a beautiful moment. And again, this is like, I look back and like five years ago, isn't that crazy?
Five years ago at this moment, we had no idea that the COVID pandemic was about to happen. And my life was vastly different. Uh, you know, I was living in Boston still. I was in the midst of finding, uh, a new opportunity when it came to the radio industry. And, and I had a, a couple part-time opportunities that I already had lined up.
In fact, I, you know, was, um, on one of those stations already. And, uh, I was in the midst too, like, uh, the one night I, I got off the air at the one. And then I, I ran down the hallway and I hopped on the other one and it was technically like my audition, but like I, I had gotten that position too. And then I was starting a, a full-time opportunity in Connecticut, Hartford, like that was gonna be where I was about to move to and still play in Boston and like have a lot of fun there.
And on a new adventure in 2020. And. And then the pandemic happened and you, you, you know, all the nonsense from there. Uh, you know, it, it's like I had to go ahead and start from the ground up all over again. And that's where voice coaches, uh, came in for me. And, you know, it's been an interesting ride for me for sure.
But like, I, I think back to when I was a kid and, and all the stuff that I saw just. In the industry as a whole, right? Like all the commercials I used to watch and, uh, all the, the people I used to listen to on the radio that really inspired me to, to want to be on as well. And all those cartoons, all the animated shows that, you know, maybe at first I didn't realize the voice, like the real person to the voice of whoever they were, you know, the character that they were being.
Um, but then I remember at some point. I did put like two and two together, you know, and I must have been maybe like 10 years old or so, and that was around the time I talked about this last episode where it's like I said to my mom, like, I wanna kind of do that. I think I wanna be in that business. And she was just like, okay, yeah.
Uh, you know, 'cause, uh, no, not me, not then, uh, now sure, obviously. Uh, but yeah, no, I was definitely not the person for it in that moment. At least not, you know, with the people I didn't know. But. What are some of the most memorable animated character performances that you can think of? There's so many. Um, you know, I have a bunch that come to mind.
I. And I just wanted to go over some of them, you know, and, and like some of these names, I'm gonna say it's like they're big name actors, but like, they, they had to start small too. So I always want you to kind of keep that in mind. 'cause like sometimes we hear who has voiced some of this stuff and we're like, man, but they're just gonna go ahead and they're gonna take another big name for the next big thing.
And, and it's like, well maybe, but there's so much other stuff that you can do that are stepping stones to get to the bigger stuff and get your name known and, and get it out there. Um, but. Some of my favorite animated performances. It's like you've got some of the legendary ones, you know Robin Williams as the Genie in Aladdin, right?
Like that stands out and it's like, yeah. I mean, killer performance. Right. Uh, how about Ellen as Dory in Finding Nemo? Like that one always, like, I, I kind of like mimic that all the time or, or, um. Eddie Murphy as Donkey and Shrek, like, I'm constantly like, you know what Shrek like, I, you know, I'm, I'm just stupid like that.
I just say certain things all the time and I'll just try to like, you know, be, be whoever I'm trying to be. Uh, another one that is always funny to me is like Kevin Hart and Secret Life of Pets as the bunny, because I mean, that is just. That's the exact voice that you think that Bunny should have. Uh, and it's just perfection.
Um, but you know, these characters, they don't just happen. It sounds like maybe they do, you know, but, uh, in reality there's a lot of hard work that goes into it. So I wanted to kind of explore a little bit of that today. But you know who I didn't mention? That was the one that really stood out to me. And I think this was the one that, that when I was a kid, I was like, wait a minute.
I know that voice. And it was, uh, this is, it's gonna date me, but it's also gonna be like, man, I had his posters all over my wall too. Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Young Simba, like, I mean, come on. I know he didn't do the singing part. That was, uh, Jason Weaver, who also just amazingly talented. He actually played a young Michael Jackson in one of the movies about the Jackson Five.
Uh, but yeah, that was the, the moment where I was a kid going, oh my God, wait. I can do this. And it was very eyeopening for me. So looking at these characters, right, they all have something in common and you know when people wanna go ahead and, and get into this, and in their mind they're like, man, I would love to do animation.
The thing they forget is the word that they just said, animation. And let's face it, it's very important. Because now you're listening to me and I always joke, I am very animated when I talk and I know that, uh, there's. Benefits to that? I'm, I'm a very engaging human being. I'm very upbeat, I'm very energetic and those things are very necessary for a lot of the work that I've done over the course of my career.
And, you know, if somebody wants something that is more upbeat and energetic, they typically come to me when they know me. So I'm, I'm grateful for that. It's like, you know, I get to do a lot of work maybe that other people don't have the opportunity to do, but the thing is. Not everybody is like me, and especially not naturally.
So when it comes to performances, like I was talking about, you know Robin Williams as the Genie, Kevin Hart, secret Life of Pets, Ellen as Dory, even Jonathan Taylor Thomas as a young Simba, I. There's a lot of animation going into that animated character to bring them to life. So that is the big thing that you want to think about when you are trying to do any kind of character work.
How can I get myself to get to that level and. I'm not talking about the level of like performance of them because they've been doing this a whole lot longer. Right. And, and they got some skills that maybe you haven't gotten yet. But how can you get yourself from being soft spoken like this to getting back up here like this?
Sometimes what it takes is pushing yourself a bit and feeling uncomfortable, and it is going to feel uncomfortable at first. It really, really is going to, uh, but you've got to let yourself feel uncomfortable to get to where you need to be. So it will be comfortable and, you know, to do this kind of stuff in a studio, I know too.
It's like all of a sudden you're doing it in front of somebody that maybe you don't even know and that. They like kinda hold you back a little bit. Don't no. Let yourself have fun. The more fun that you end up having in those moments, it's like it's electrifying. Uh, you know, that's when things really come to life.
But also like how, how else are they bringing these characters to life? You know, you look at the stories that are involved. Each one of them. There are highs and there are lows. There are moments in there that are sad and like depressing. I mean, Ellen is Dory, like she's got a memory problem, right? And like, it's silly, but then at times it makes her really sad because she's not even quite sure like who her family was or, or where they are, you know?
And, and she's like. Really lonely, you know, so there's really high highs and there's really low lows. But when you're playing with emotion like that, you know, you really need to be able to put yourself in it. And then you kind of, you're over the top with it. You know, you're gonna be overacting in a lot of ways to bring that, that feeling to life.
Um. You know, the the thing is, is like we have a lot of people that will come through with voice coaches and they're like, I'm not an actor. And it's like, okay, you think that right now? But if I told you to, to read whatever it was that I threw in front of somebody and I said, can you go ahead, can, can you make it happy for me?
I guarantee that you can go ahead, make it sad. All of a sudden it sounds sad. You know, we as humans, we go through so many different scenarios in life that we, we understand emotion, we understand feeling, uh, you know, we go through so much and that's what I want you to be thinking about. You know, you don't necessarily wanna be bringing up your trauma, but at the same point.
It, it's gonna be good to be able to say to yourself, you know, I've been through a situation that also made me feel how this character is feeling. You know, can I remind myself of what that was like so I can bring it to this piece? And then you have to practice with that kind of stuff. Like, you know, these are the elements that really lift and bring a character to life.
Um, you know, so like, those are very vital moments and. When you're doing stuff like that, you know what's happening is like you're, you're, you're taking these little pieces that are like the puzzle of creation of this character, and like one by one all of a sudden you, you get a dory or you get a genie and, and it's just.
So crazy to witness. Um, you know, and, you know, eventually this can be exactly where you are, even if it's just something that's like independently done or locally based or whatever. Like start where you need to start. Not everybody can just be at a Pixar, Disney film. Like that's not, you don't just start there.
Like, that's not how things happen, you know, it's just like any other profession. You've gotta work your way up. You've gotta build your skill and your ability to, to bring things to life like this. And you'll get there as long as you're putting the work in. If you want to do it, you will do it, but you've gotta start with some little things first.
It's, it's the understanding. It's, um, allowing, allowing your brain to, to maybe think a little bit differently and, and allow yourself. To understand some of the things that you personally have gone through and how they can benefit the project at hand. So take that and run with it, but think of some of your favorite characters that maybe I didn't mention, and the elements that were a part of each one of them.
Like think about, well, how, like, let's break this down. You know, what, what did this character go through? What personality traits did they have? And you know, how were we able to figure out they were supposed to have them? You know? And like, if I was gonna do this character, how would I have done it? You know, it's, it's kind of fun because, you know, this is the creative part about it, right?
It's like you give a script to a bunch of different people, you're gonna get a bunch of different things, and not necessarily any of them are incorrect. It's just like, which one stands out, maybe the most to whoever's casting, uh, you know, but, uh, it's, it's really fun once you get to the animated side of things.
And this is something that you can start to maybe play around with here in this new year. Well said. We've got a brand new episode of Voice Coaches Radio is gonna be coming at you next week, so get ready for it. And in the meantime, stay safe. Everybody. Visit voice coaches.com for more voiceover news and information.
I mean, here I am in my studio. Got my puppy on the table next to me asleep and, uh, you know, I'm, I'm just able to pet her while I'm talking to you and man, what a life to live. You know? Uh, but, uh, yeah, it's just a, it's a beautiful moment. And again, this is like, I look back and like five years ago, isn't that crazy?
Five years ago at this moment, we had no idea that the COVID pandemic was about to happen. And my life was vastly different. Uh, you know, I was living in Boston still. I was in the midst of finding, uh, a new opportunity when it came to the radio industry. And, and I had a, a couple part-time opportunities that I already had lined up.
In fact, I, you know, was, um, on one of those stations already. And, uh, I was in the midst too, like, uh, the one night I, I got off the air at the one. And then I, I ran down the hallway and I hopped on the other one and it was technically like my audition, but like I, I had gotten that position too. And then I was starting a, a full-time opportunity in Connecticut, Hartford, like that was gonna be where I was about to move to and still play in Boston and like have a lot of fun there.
And on a new adventure in 2020. And. And then the pandemic happened and you, you, you know, all the nonsense from there. Uh, you know, it, it's like I had to go ahead and start from the ground up all over again. And that's where voice coaches, uh, came in for me. And, you know, it's been an interesting ride for me for sure.
But like, I, I think back to when I was a kid and, and all the stuff that I saw just. In the industry as a whole, right? Like all the commercials I used to watch and, uh, all the, the people I used to listen to on the radio that really inspired me to, to want to be on as well. And all those cartoons, all the animated shows that, you know, maybe at first I didn't realize the voice, like the real person to the voice of whoever they were, you know, the character that they were being.
Um, but then I remember at some point. I did put like two and two together, you know, and I must have been maybe like 10 years old or so, and that was around the time I talked about this last episode where it's like I said to my mom, like, I wanna kind of do that. I think I wanna be in that business. And she was just like, okay, yeah.
Uh, you know, 'cause, uh, no, not me, not then, uh, now sure, obviously. Uh, but yeah, no, I was definitely not the person for it in that moment. At least not, you know, with the people I didn't know. But. What are some of the most memorable animated character performances that you can think of? There's so many. Um, you know, I have a bunch that come to mind.
I. And I just wanted to go over some of them, you know, and, and like some of these names, I'm gonna say it's like they're big name actors, but like, they, they had to start small too. So I always want you to kind of keep that in mind. 'cause like sometimes we hear who has voiced some of this stuff and we're like, man, but they're just gonna go ahead and they're gonna take another big name for the next big thing.
And, and it's like, well maybe, but there's so much other stuff that you can do that are stepping stones to get to the bigger stuff and get your name known and, and get it out there. Um, but. Some of my favorite animated performances. It's like you've got some of the legendary ones, you know Robin Williams as the Genie in Aladdin, right?
Like that stands out and it's like, yeah. I mean, killer performance. Right. Uh, how about Ellen as Dory in Finding Nemo? Like that one always, like, I, I kind of like mimic that all the time or, or, um. Eddie Murphy as Donkey and Shrek, like, I'm constantly like, you know what Shrek like, I, you know, I'm, I'm just stupid like that.
I just say certain things all the time and I'll just try to like, you know, be, be whoever I'm trying to be. Uh, another one that is always funny to me is like Kevin Hart and Secret Life of Pets as the bunny, because I mean, that is just. That's the exact voice that you think that Bunny should have. Uh, and it's just perfection.
Um, but you know, these characters, they don't just happen. It sounds like maybe they do, you know, but, uh, in reality there's a lot of hard work that goes into it. So I wanted to kind of explore a little bit of that today. But you know who I didn't mention? That was the one that really stood out to me. And I think this was the one that, that when I was a kid, I was like, wait a minute.
I know that voice. And it was, uh, this is, it's gonna date me, but it's also gonna be like, man, I had his posters all over my wall too. Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Young Simba, like, I mean, come on. I know he didn't do the singing part. That was, uh, Jason Weaver, who also just amazingly talented. He actually played a young Michael Jackson in one of the movies about the Jackson Five.
Uh, but yeah, that was the, the moment where I was a kid going, oh my God, wait. I can do this. And it was very eyeopening for me. So looking at these characters, right, they all have something in common and you know when people wanna go ahead and, and get into this, and in their mind they're like, man, I would love to do animation.
The thing they forget is the word that they just said, animation. And let's face it, it's very important. Because now you're listening to me and I always joke, I am very animated when I talk and I know that, uh, there's. Benefits to that? I'm, I'm a very engaging human being. I'm very upbeat, I'm very energetic and those things are very necessary for a lot of the work that I've done over the course of my career.
And, you know, if somebody wants something that is more upbeat and energetic, they typically come to me when they know me. So I'm, I'm grateful for that. It's like, you know, I get to do a lot of work maybe that other people don't have the opportunity to do, but the thing is. Not everybody is like me, and especially not naturally.
So when it comes to performances, like I was talking about, you know Robin Williams as the Genie, Kevin Hart, secret Life of Pets, Ellen as Dory, even Jonathan Taylor Thomas as a young Simba, I. There's a lot of animation going into that animated character to bring them to life. So that is the big thing that you want to think about when you are trying to do any kind of character work.
How can I get myself to get to that level and. I'm not talking about the level of like performance of them because they've been doing this a whole lot longer. Right. And, and they got some skills that maybe you haven't gotten yet. But how can you get yourself from being soft spoken like this to getting back up here like this?
Sometimes what it takes is pushing yourself a bit and feeling uncomfortable, and it is going to feel uncomfortable at first. It really, really is going to, uh, but you've got to let yourself feel uncomfortable to get to where you need to be. So it will be comfortable and, you know, to do this kind of stuff in a studio, I know too.
It's like all of a sudden you're doing it in front of somebody that maybe you don't even know and that. They like kinda hold you back a little bit. Don't no. Let yourself have fun. The more fun that you end up having in those moments, it's like it's electrifying. Uh, you know, that's when things really come to life.
But also like how, how else are they bringing these characters to life? You know, you look at the stories that are involved. Each one of them. There are highs and there are lows. There are moments in there that are sad and like depressing. I mean, Ellen is Dory, like she's got a memory problem, right? And like, it's silly, but then at times it makes her really sad because she's not even quite sure like who her family was or, or where they are, you know?
And, and she's like. Really lonely, you know, so there's really high highs and there's really low lows. But when you're playing with emotion like that, you know, you really need to be able to put yourself in it. And then you kind of, you're over the top with it. You know, you're gonna be overacting in a lot of ways to bring that, that feeling to life.
Um. You know, the the thing is, is like we have a lot of people that will come through with voice coaches and they're like, I'm not an actor. And it's like, okay, you think that right now? But if I told you to, to read whatever it was that I threw in front of somebody and I said, can you go ahead, can, can you make it happy for me?
I guarantee that you can go ahead, make it sad. All of a sudden it sounds sad. You know, we as humans, we go through so many different scenarios in life that we, we understand emotion, we understand feeling, uh, you know, we go through so much and that's what I want you to be thinking about. You know, you don't necessarily wanna be bringing up your trauma, but at the same point.
It, it's gonna be good to be able to say to yourself, you know, I've been through a situation that also made me feel how this character is feeling. You know, can I remind myself of what that was like so I can bring it to this piece? And then you have to practice with that kind of stuff. Like, you know, these are the elements that really lift and bring a character to life.
Um, you know, so like, those are very vital moments and. When you're doing stuff like that, you know what's happening is like you're, you're, you're taking these little pieces that are like the puzzle of creation of this character, and like one by one all of a sudden you, you get a dory or you get a genie and, and it's just.
So crazy to witness. Um, you know, and, you know, eventually this can be exactly where you are, even if it's just something that's like independently done or locally based or whatever. Like start where you need to start. Not everybody can just be at a Pixar, Disney film. Like that's not, you don't just start there.
Like, that's not how things happen, you know, it's just like any other profession. You've gotta work your way up. You've gotta build your skill and your ability to, to bring things to life like this. And you'll get there as long as you're putting the work in. If you want to do it, you will do it, but you've gotta start with some little things first.
It's, it's the understanding. It's, um, allowing, allowing your brain to, to maybe think a little bit differently and, and allow yourself. To understand some of the things that you personally have gone through and how they can benefit the project at hand. So take that and run with it, but think of some of your favorite characters that maybe I didn't mention, and the elements that were a part of each one of them.
Like think about, well, how, like, let's break this down. You know, what, what did this character go through? What personality traits did they have? And you know, how were we able to figure out they were supposed to have them? You know? And like, if I was gonna do this character, how would I have done it? You know, it's, it's kind of fun because, you know, this is the creative part about it, right?
It's like you give a script to a bunch of different people, you're gonna get a bunch of different things, and not necessarily any of them are incorrect. It's just like, which one stands out, maybe the most to whoever's casting, uh, you know, but, uh, it's, it's really fun once you get to the animated side of things.
And this is something that you can start to maybe play around with here in this new year. Well said. We've got a brand new episode of Voice Coaches Radio is gonna be coming at you next week, so get ready for it. And in the meantime, stay safe. Everybody. Visit voice coaches.com for more voiceover news and information.
This week on Voice Coaches Radio Marissa talks about memorable characters in animation and how those characters got to be what they are.
