The role of the voice performer has changed a lot over the years. Voice acting has long been the province of those with backgrounds in vocal performance, but nowadays studios are more content to hire A-list stars whose name recognition is a higher priority. So when a VO actor becomes synonymous with their character—wherein it’s impossible to think of one without the other—it’s worth taking notice. Such is the case with Jenna Davis, who provides the uncanny articulations of murderous AI robot M3GAN.
Introduced to audiences in Gerard Johnstone’s 2022 film “M3GAN,” the high-tech slasher was instantly memorable thanks in large part to Davis’ perfect blend of childlike innocence and android cool. The sequel, ‘M3GAN 2.0,’ doesn’t just bring the character back to life but gives Davis another opportunity to illustrate the power of VO.
Finding M3GAN's unique voice
When Davis first sat down for her “M3GAN” audition (on her bedroom floor, no less), she had no idea what the role would become. “When I received the audition, the brief was very minimal and confidential,” she tells us. “I had truly no clue what it was for. I thought it was for a video game.”
Davis wanted to set her rendition apart from how other performers might typically interpret a robotic character. She upped the sassiness and camp qualities while retaining a dry delivery. “I sat on my bedroom floor and I lowered the tone of my voice, made her a little bit more of a whisper so she sounds a little bit eerie,” she says.
Now that audiences are well acquainted with the diminutive diva that Davis created, she admits it’s a tad daunting to bring her back for a sequel.
Evolving for "M3GAN 2.0"
“M3GAN 2.0” sees the AI get an upgrade and hop around to a few new bodies. This proved a tall order for Davis, who had to evolve her performance for each incarnation while making sure viewers still recognized the character.
“We played around a lot with tones,” Davis says. “I wanted to make sure that it was still frightening but still funny. Anything that came out of her mouth, I wanted to be very unexpected.”
The actor collaborated closely with Johnstone to get each delivery exactly right. “It was truly a mix of, is she a louder volume here? Is she a quieter volume? If [the line] depicts anger, is she really angry? How would an AI, and how would M3GAN specifically, approach this line versus a human?”
Courtesy Universal Pictures
Fear not: One element that does return is M3GAN’s musical performances (she delivers a truly memorable version of Sia’s “Titanium” in the first film). The sequel features an impassioned rendition of Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work,” which Davis was anxious to get right. “It is so nerve-wracking to cover other artists’ songs, especially someone as legendary as Kate Bush,” she says. “I just wanted to make sure that I made it as M3GAN as I could.”
Music, of course, is an art form close to Davis’ heart. The same day that “M3GAN 2.0” hits theaters, Davis will drop her next album, “Where Did That Girl Go.”
“Music tells stories, similar to acting,” Davis says. “They’re both just different forms of art and storytelling.”
Breaking into the voiceover industry
Davis started at a young age; one of her earliest performances, at 9 years old, was as one of the dubbed-over “adults” marketing Haribo Gold-Bears. After moving to Los Angeles at 11, she started to naturally lean into both voiceover and singing. “I just really fell into it,” Davis says. “It just came so naturally, and it was so easy. It was fun because you’re hearing your voice come back. You get the job done so much faster than traditional acting.”
While it is a blast to perform in PJs without necessarily needing to be camera-ready, for Davis the beauty of the job comes from relying purely on her voice. “There’s so many actors who don’t want to be on camera, and [voiceover] gives those actors and actresses a chance to still pursue their craft,” she says.
Davis believes her corner of the industry still doesn’t get enough credit, citing the amount of time, dedication, and character creation that goes into it. “It has to have all the emotions. Everything that you [mean] has to be conveyed through your voice in a way that’s believable.”
If you want to follow in Davis’ footsteps and turn voiceover into a career, you have to fully commit, she says—but you should also take joy in the process. “Learn as much as you can. Watch as much television and movies as [possible] because you learn from observing and taking in information,” she says. “Something that I feel like any actor should do is, no matter how big or small the project is, if you’re passionate about it, pursue it and celebrate every little win.”
“M3GAN 2.0” is in theaters now.