Before Jimmy Bacon ever booked his first voiceover gig, he was patrolling the streets—and turning heads over the police radio.
Based in Los Angeles, Bacon has built a thriving voiceover career spanning podcasts, commercial work, and film narration—and that’s just one part of the story. Through Backstage, he’s also landed on-camera roles, stunt driving gigs, and law enforcement consulting jobs, drawing on his experience as a retired police officer and detective lieutenant. He uses the platform to keep his creative momentum going across multiple genres.
From the police radio to the mic
Bacon’s path into voiceover started unexpectedly—through a crackling police radio.
“Years ago, when I was a police officer and had to talk on the police radio, I had female officers tell me I had a ‘sexy’ voice,” he said. “That started me narrating training videos, which led my wife to find an agent and push me into doing voice acting professionally.”
Once he began working with scripts and narration, something clicked. “To me, working in a studio is just fun,” he said. “I enjoy film, TV, and commercial narration the most, in a professional studio.”
Though he often records from his home setup, nothing beats the energy of collaborating in person.
“Being able to work from home in my small studio is convenient, but going to a studio and working with professional sound engineers and directors is the thrill of it,” he said. “That’s what I look forward to!”
Booking breakthroughs with Backstage
“The daily postings are where I find most of the projects I submit for,” Bacon said. “But I’ve also had [employers] reach out to me based on my profile—which is when I really feel like I’ve made a name for myself.”
He’s landed multiple voiceover jobs through Backstage, including work that led to repeat bookings. “A few of them have called me back for more work,” he said. “It’s very rewarding when that happens.”
One standout opportunity came with BBC podcast "The Skies Are Watching". The show, cast through Backstage, went on to win major awards—including the 2024 Tribeca Festival Award for Best Audio Fiction, the 2025 BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Fiction Podcast, and the 2025 Ambie Award for Best Performance in Audio Fiction (whole cast).
Making your pitch
“What makes my Backstage profile so good and productive is the flexibility of the platform,” Bacon said. “I have a number of reels and can show, remove, and add reels to customize each submission I make. It is very versatile.”
He’s figured out how to get noticed—and called back.
“Record a variety of samples to show range, and use them to customize each submission,” he explained. “Give the casting people a range of samples without making them listen to reels that you know are not what they need for their project.”
And when it comes to choosing where to find work, he’s loyal to the platform that keeps delivering.
“I stay with and am loyal to Backstage because of the volume of postings and the ease of submissions,” he said. “Backstage is the best of both worlds.”
Read on:
How One Voice Actor Took a Shot and Booked Steady Work From Home
How to Book More Voiceover Jobs on Backstage
How to Apply for Jobs on Backstage (And Get More of Them)