W&W
TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT HOLLYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT.
Marie: There is such an allure and mystery to Hollywood. There is a magic about not knowing what could be around the corner. I think that is what brings a lot of people into this world. A sense of excitement. I now have friends who have reached a lot of success. It is fun to watch them. I am also just a fan of good television and movies.
WHAT VOICE OVERS DO YOU ADMIRE THE MOST FROM HOLLYWOOD?
Marie: If you mean celebrity actors that also do voice over work, I think there are a lot that really transition well into voice over. Jack Black, for example, is larger than life, and he really brings that to his animated characters. James Earl Jones is prolific, and I think all of us have mad respect for his work in voiceover. Kristin Bell and Idina Menzel make a fabulous duo! There are a lot of celebrities that voice commercial campaigns. One of my favorites is Alison Janney. She just has such a down-to-earth but powerful connection in her reads.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD VOICE ACTOR?
Marie: You need to be an actor, first and foremost. I think that is something some don't consider or realize. They think voice over is just reading. It is so much more than that! You can also be a good voice acter but not successful. There is certainly a good amount of business sense and hard work that goes into being in this business. It is very competitive and there are so many incredible voices out there. Believe me, I consider myself so fortunate to be able to be a working voice actor.
IN TODAY'S SOCIETY, EVERYTHING IS DONE BY REMOTE WORK. DO YOU EN- JOY THIS PROCESS, OR DO YOU PREFER TO SHOW UP AT THE STUDIO?
Marie: Ha, not everything. I have been go- ing into the studio a lot these days. During the pandemic, yes, everything was remote pretty much. Things have shifted back, particularly for character work, like video games and animation, as well as live- action dubbing and anime. I honestly like having the mix of both. It's great to get to connect with the people you are working with and not worry about the technical aspect, but I'm also busy and have a fam- ily, and it's so nice to just hop in my booth and get stuff done. No hair or makeup is required, and pajamas are completely acceptable, ha.
VOICE OVER
THIS MONTH AND NEXT MONTH IS VOICE OVER
AWARNESS GIVING VOICE TO THE VOICES BEHIND THE CAMERAS
Marie: A lot of my sessions are unsupervised, which means they just send me the script and I record and send back. This happens often in the promo world, but also for training videos and even some commer- cials. Sometimes those kinds of bookings are tight turnarounds, so if I am ever further than a few miles from home I bring my travel gear with me in case I need to do a quick read for a client. I have family time and dinner in the late afternoons, then often record auditions in the evening. I like to have down time though. It is important for me to have some time to relax at the end of the day and catch up on shows I'm watching, go- ing out to dinner, or even hav- ing a glass of wine and listening to music while I make dinner.
WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND FOR ANYONE WHO IS INTER- ESTED IN VOICE OVER WORK?
Marie: The first thing I always recommend is taking a group
WHAT TYPE OF SPECIALTY VOICE OVER WORK DO YOU LIKE TO FOCUS ON, OR DO YOU HAVE SEVERAL TYPES?
Marie: I really like to work in all areas. Video games will always have a special place in my heart, as that's where it all began for me. Promo and trailer really drives and pushes me. Commercial work, animation, anime, narration, all so much fun in their own individual ways. I love it all.
WHATS A TYPICAL DAY IN THE DAY OF A VOICE OVER ACTOR?
Marie: I get up around 6 and every other day have a session at 7. I then get my kids off to school, get a workout in (that is such a vital part of my day) and either have an in-studio session I need to drive to, or I work in my home studio on anything from auditions, to paperwork, to sessions.
class. Not only do you learn so much by listening to your class- mates, but there is a comradery that is made. It's great to stick together and help each other navigate the voice over world. It's also a great way to really de- termine if voice over is for you.
YOU ARE CURRENTLY WORK- ING IN VOICE OVER; WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2025? WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU FOR 2025?