Monday, June 23, 2008

Celebrity Voice-overs - Again....

My thanks to Tony Quinn for bringing this Washington Post article to my attention. It's interesting that the mainstream media is starting to comment on the lack of a tight correspondence between stars' fame and their talent in the voice-over booth - something voice actors have been musing about for some time. The writer, John Anderson, traces the hunger for celebs in animation back to the extraordinary work of Robin Williams in Aladdin and the success of Lion King, with its star-studded cast.

I came across another article recently that makes the same point, although it's nearly 4 years old already. It refers to laments by even high-profile TV voice actors like Tom Kenny that ''the guys who are top-of-the-line TV animation guys are Fish No. 47 in Finding Nemo.''

I've said it before - if directors want on-camera stars doing the voices in their animated features, they're going to have them. If they specifically want great acting in the voice-over booth - if that doesn't intersect with celebrity - I'm sure they know where to find that too. My not-very profound advice to voice actors who find the current state of animation casting disturbing (and I'm not referring to people like Tom Kenny, who does not need my advice ;): there is nothing to be gained by complaining. Stay in shape and keep working on your craft and be ready when opportunity comes. If the opportunities don't come soon enough, then make your own!

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