FEATURING ELIAH
I'm not in this for the money, I do it be- cause I love it and need to be doing it, and this is the next step in growing my career. That said, it is a business that I've invested a large sum of money into, and I have to work on making back that in- vestment!
CAN YOU SHARE ANY EXCITING PROJ- ECTS THAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON NOW?
I wish I could! I've got some things lined up that are confidential. I've been cast in a couple of anime series.
Like everyone else, I would love to be involved in a project at Disney or Nickelodeon. My biggest goal in this career, though, is to work on South Park.
WHAT TYPE OF WORK YOU ARE CURRENTLY FOCUSED ON.
I haven't narrowed it down to any one genre, but mainly I've been submit- ting for commercial, animation, video
TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT HOLLYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT.
I love movies and TV shows. I love story- telling, and I love a good performance. I favor originality, so when I see something new that's not a reboot, sequel, prequel or spin-off, it feels refreshing and much more stimulating. Imagination and cre- ativity are the heart of the entertainment industry and we've lost a lot of it, so I re- ally appreciate it when I do find it.
games, and dubbing. I'm also learning more about audio description for the visually impaired. I'm interested in that because it combines doing what I love with helping people.
WHAT VOICE OVERS DO YOU ADMIRE THE MOST FROM HOLLY- WOOD?
Maurice LaMarche, E.G. Daily, Hank Azaria, H. John Benjamin, Debra Wilson, and the late Mary Kay Bergman.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD VOICE ACTOR?
It's generally agreed that au- thenticity and the ability to live truthfully in the moment are what makes a good voice actor. Improvisational skills and the ability to take direction are ad- ditional musts. Voice actors who are well-prepared, have a good attitude, and show up on time are the ones who will continue to get hired.
NOW IN TODAY'S SOCIETY, EVERYTHING IS DONE BY RE- MOTE WORK. DO YOU ENJOY THIS PROCESS, OR DO YOU PREFER TO SHOW UP AT THE STUDIO?
I can appreciate the conve- nience of recording at home, but I definitely prefer being in-studio, by far. Nothing feels more legit than being in a glass booth in a professional setting, with a director and an engineer just feet away. That's how you really feel the magic happen-
WHAT'S A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE OF A VOICE OVER ACTOR?
Auditioning. Lots of audition- ing. I spend a lot of time recording multiple takes and then editing down to the best one or two, and lightly clean- ing up the audio so it sounds as professional as possible. There's also a lot of interact- ing on social media and LinkedIn, marketing yourself and maintaining relationships with people like directors, casting directors, producers, and others who can be benefi- cial to keep in touch with. The same with colleagues. I talk to other actors like myself on a pretty much daily basis. Keep- ing up with each other, sharing resources, giving advice, cel- ebrating our wins, and venting our frustrations! It's important to have that community and be active in it.
ing, and the excitement of artistic collaboration.
WHAT TYPE OF SPECIALTY IN VOICE OVER WORK DO YOU LIKE TO FO- CUS ON, OR DO YOU HAVE SEVERAL TYPES?
I love being a character. Anything that allows me to do that is the best, so I do focus mainly on animation and video games since those are the most obvious avenues for that. I have a good ear and am a strong mimic, so I also do accents, voice matching, and creature sounds.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD VOICE OVER ACTOR?
The voice actors I admire are ones that are full of personality and put everything they have into their char- acters, and have great comedic timing. I do love it when I can't recognize the actor's voice from one character to the next, and though that's not necessarily what makes someone good, it is an extra layer of talent that I think puts them over the top.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2025?
My plans are to book more main- stream professional jobs. I've been at this for three years as of this month, and have almost exclusively worked on independent projects, mostly unpaid, to build my resume. Now that I have representation in the LA market, I'm hoping to start working on features, series, and games on major networks and platforms.
WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND FOR ANYONE THAT IS INTERESTED IN VOICE OVER WORK?
Save up your money, and train, train, train! Learn as much as you can from reputable teachers and coaches. Strengthen your skills as much as possible. A lot of people (myself included) start out with the misconception that the sound of your voice and how much you can change and manipulate it is so much more important than it actually is. You have to be able to act. The voice is just a matter of personal taste to casting directors, if they even factor it in much at all.
HOW PEOPLE CAN REACH YOU?
My website is www.sarahnoelau- dio.com and I'm also on Insta- gram at @notthe1stnoel