Welcome to episode 98 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!

As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:

http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast

In this episode, I continue answering questions from my podcast audience! For those who may not be as familiar with the podcast, in past episodes, I’ve given out a phone number where you can call in and leave me a question about voice acting as a voicemail. From time to time, I’ll pick the most relevant questions I receive and answer them here on the podcast.

For this round of Q & A, I answer questions from Gatlin from Midway, GA and Dan from Los Angeles, CA.

Gatlin has heard from many voice acting professionals that most voice actors have a background in theater. He’d like to know why theatrical training seems to lend itself to voice acting. He’s also currently working in his local community theater and would like to know what he should focus on in order to prepare himself for a career in voice acting.

Dan has a follow up question to my interview with Scott Menville which took place in episodes 84, 85, and 86 of the podcast. In that interview I recounted to Scott that upon my arrival in Los Angeles, I was cast in two very high profile anime shows and was subsequently let go from both of them. Dan would like to know what steps I took after that setback to hone my skills and become more competitive as a voice actor.

I hope you find the answers to their questions useful in your own voice acting endeavors!

If any of my listeners would like to call in with your own thoughts, thank you’s or questions, the number is:

323-696-2655.

Please don’t forget to include your first name and what city in the world you’re calling from. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #98 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 97 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!

As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:

http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast

This is the fifth part of my interview with the amazing Phil LaMarr.

Phil has played major roles in such animated shows as Futurama, Justice League, Star Wars: Clone Wars and Samurai Jack.

In the last episode Phil outlined the unique challenges that any minority actor has to face when trying to build a career in the entertainment industry. It can be difficult to know how to present oneself as a minority actor in a primarily caucasian storytelling environment like animation. Phil has learned to succeed in this environment with skill and grace, and I can’t thank him enough for sharing his experiences and insight with all my listeners.

In this, our final episode together, Phil actually describes the thought process he went through when making decisions about how to portray the voice of the Jon Stewart version of Green Lantern for the Justice League animated series. This is a rare look inside the head of a talented voice actor as he determines how best to bring a character to life. I personally find it fascinating and enlightening to hear what character traits Phil blended in order to get the voice of Jon Stewart just right.

Get ready for some priceless words of wisdom, ’cause here they come!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #97 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 96 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!

As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:

http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast

This is the fourth part of my interview with the amazing Phil LaMarr.

Phil has played major roles in such animated shows as Futurama, Justice League, Star Wars: Clone Wars and Samurai Jack.

In the last episode, Phil shared with us the experience from his childhood that inspired him to become an actor. That fascination has fueled his pursuit of an acting career ever since.

In this episode Phil talks with me about his experiences working as an African-American actor in Hollywood. There are unique challenges that any minority actor has to face when trying to build a career in the entertainment industry. In order to give this topic the attention it deserves, I’ve decided to dedicate this entire episode to the subject.

No matter what your ethnic background may be, exploring issues of minority casting and producer expectations can be incredibly helpful in charting your own acting career.

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #96 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 95 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!

As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:

http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast

This is the third part of my interview with the amazing Phil LaMarr.

Phil has played major roles in such animated shows as Futurama, Justice League, Star Wars: Clone Wars and Samurai Jack.

In the last episode, Phil and I discussed how his passion for improvisational acting helped shape the trajectory of his early acting career. We also discussed how the difficulties he faced during that time helped him face and eventually let go of the judgements that were holding back his progress towards becoming a professional actor.

In this episode I ask Phil what inspired him to become an actor in the first place. This is a very important question to ask, especially of one’s self. Often people have a vague notion that they’d like to try acting because it looks like fun, or maybe they’re interested in getting attention or in becoming famous. However, pursuing acting as a career can be a very challenging road to travel, and during times of adversity, one’s conviction can really be tested. I have found that when the going gets tough, when the hardships increase, when it’s not clear what can help you continue on in the face of difficulties or discouragement, it is very important to have solid reasons for what you are doing so you can remind yourself why acting is so important to you.

In this section of our interview, Phil is generous enough to share with us the single, fascinating experience he had which drove him to pursue an acting career. I think you’ll find that hearing what inspired Phil to pursue acting will help you discover your own inspiration as well.

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #95 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 94 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!

As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:

http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast

This is the second part of my interview with the amazing Phil LaMarr.

Phil’s roles in animation include Hermes Conrad in Futurama, the John Stewart Green Lantern in Justice League, Kit Fisto in Star Wars: Clone Wars and the title character in Samurai Jack. I’m incredibly grateful to Phil for taking time out of his busy schedule to talk to my listeners.

In the previous episode, Phil discussed some of the challenges he faced during the first year he decided to pursue acting as a full-time career. Those experiences made him really take stock of his situation and decide if acting was something he truly wanted to do. He realized that he actually had some personal judgements about how one should pursue acting and those limiting beliefs were keeping him from progressing. Once he let go of those judgements, he started to see things change.

In this episode we discuss the details of how those changes began to take shape. Phil’s enthusiasm for improvisational acting had a profound affect on the trajectory of his career. It was the opportunities that his improvisational skills opened up for him that eventually gave him a chance to start working as a voice actor. We begin this segment of our chat with me asking him to give a quick recap of how his acting career began.

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #94 Here (MP3)