There’s no shortage of voice work for actors who are interested in expanding the mediums in which they perform; but animated features are different from narration, commercials, and even animated television series. The casting directors who fill out the ensembles of these films look for potential in an actor’s normal speaking voice, and it takes more than just a robust voiceover résumé to catch their ear. Here, feature animation CDs from Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, and beyond share their insights with Backstage so you know what to expect when going out for a coveted role in one of their projects.
“When you get in a booth by yourself to record a scene with somebody else who’s not there, it’s way more challenging than if you’re in front of a camera.” —Mary Hidalgo
Voice actors are actors.
“Actors that I have found to have the most skill in the recording booth are those who have theater, improv, and sketch comedy training and experience. We are looking for actors with real acting chops who are able to transmit emotion through voice only, think on their feet, and really come ready to dig in and collaborate.” —Jamie Sparer Roberts (“Raya and the Last Dragon”)
“You’re never going to do cartoons if you don’t know how to act. You have to be a really good actor. If you want to pursue being an actor, you pursue it on all levels. When you get in a booth by yourself to record a scene with somebody else who’s not there, it’s way more challenging than if you’re in front of a camera. You have to know what you’re doing, so studying acting and learning how to act is the best thing you can do for any form of entertainment.” —Mary Hidalgo, film and television animation CD
How to Get Cast in a Disney Animated Feature “You need to create a physical type, and it takes acting ability to do so. Some examples of physical types you might need to portray in a character would be to sound heavy and short, tall and muscular, tall and thin, or old and hunched over. To play the character with any believability, your entire body language has to change, as well as your facial expressions.” —Terry Berland, live-action and animation CD
Preparation is about more than just knowing your lines.
“When auditioning for a Disney animated feature, an actor must come prepared to use their imagination and, in some instances, improvise. Our auditions are not as much about the words on the page as they are about finding the essence of a character in the actor’s interpreted performance, mixed with the sound of their voice.” —JSR
“Commit to a character, and run a marathon, not a sprint. You have to be able to sustain working four to six hours during a recording session. The contract you are under may allow the talent to be booked for three different voices in one session.” —TB
Animation can provide more opportunities for actors.
“I really like that nobody says, ‘Find somebody really famous.’ If you look at our casts, you can see that there are definitely people who wouldn’t necessarily be known.” —Natalie Lyon (“Soul,” “Onward”)
“Some people are amazing physical actors, but when you shut your eyes, you can’t see that. It’s the tone and the warmth. Is there a melody to their voice? If you shut your eyes and listen, you don’t have the visual nuance of them doing their ‘thing.’ It all has to come through your voice, and you really have to tell that story. It’s the tone and modulation that really brings the animation and the character to life.” —Christi Soper (“Trolls World Tour,” “The Croods: A New Age”)
How To Become a Voice Actor In feature animation, authenticity from talent is key.
“We want people’s natural voices. For the larger voiceover world, I know that it’s about being able to do a bunch of different voices; so it’s interesting, because the standard demos don’t really work for us. We still need people who can do great things with their voice, [but] one thing that I wish for when we get demos is that people would speak with their natural voice.” —NL
“Most people think that animation casting is about finding people who can ‘put on’ voices…. I almost never hire someone to do a voice that is not their own, or some slight variation thereof.” —Jamie Sparer Roberts
“Disney animation prides itself on the ability to give audiences characters that [they] can relate to. We’ve found that hiring actors whose performances are grounded and not over-the-top or cartoony helps us move toward the type of deeper storytelling that we are known for. Most people think that animation casting is about finding people who can ‘put on’ voices. I cannot speak for other studios because I have only worked in animation at Disney, but I almost never hire someone to do a voice that is not their own, or some slight variation thereof.” —JSR
“We have to work with the story, but it’s also our job to think about how things could be. If it’s an animal, it could be anything, right? Sometimes you’re held to the story, but there are also times where that’s kind of fun for us. There may be specific directions, and then it’s fun to change minds or open up a discussion. I can make a suggestion during development—like, maybe this character should be a singer—and we incorporate that into the cast.” —CS
“Many animation jobs are not calling for any kind of fake character voices anymore. You might very well be using your own voice, fulfilling a role by choosing specific characteristics with a broad definition. As broad as animation performance is, you still have to deliver a connected performance.” —TB
“I typically don’t like somebody to put on a silly voice, because the projects that I’m working on tend to not want that. Sometimes people think with animation that they have to do a ‘Ren & Stimpy’ kind of weird voice, but no. Just do what you’re good at.” —MH
This story originally appeared in the April 1 issue of Backstage Magazine. Subscribe here.
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