Exclusive Interview With The Voice Actor Behind The Count In “The Count Of Monte Cristo”

Exclusive Interview With The Voice Actor Behind The Count In “The Count Of Monte Cristo”Posted on 29 Jun I have to admit that I used to be a "strictly subtitles" fan, but that all changed when I heard the voice actor who did Mido Ban in GetBackers when Animax made the decision to go all English dub. As time passed, I was astounded by how much he grew as an actor. To say that he grew by leaps and bounds is an understatement. The fact that he is able to do justice to such varied but wonderful roles as The Count in The Count of Monte Cristo, Kuwabara in Yu Yu Hakusho, Shimada Kanbei in Samurai 7 and Hana in Tokyo Godfathers is proof enough of how talented and versatile he really is. It is the dream of every writer to be able to interview the people they admire. Needless to say, I am so very happy that RUSSELL was so gracious enough to answer my questions. So...do you want to know how it is to be an Animax dubber? Let Russell show you how it's done! ;-D * * * * * * * * * * Voice acting is a very unique career. Why did you choose to go into this profession and how many years have you been a voice actor?To be honest, I kind of fell into voice acting; I was working a gig at a theme park and one of the other actors there told me about an audition at a recording studio. I was lucky enough to get cast as part of the team and have been here since about 2003. What university course should one take to become a voice actor, and how many years does it take to study /train to become one?I have a degree in Theatrical Performance and Production, but I suppose a university education isn't really necessary to become a voice actor.  What you need is a good foundation in acting and improvisation.  Improvisation will make you learn quickly, and dubbing in particular is based a lot around speed and timing. So, how long does it take to become a voice actor?  Everyone is different. Some people are good at it right away and some folks really need to work at it. I'd say someone who works at it can get the basic technique down in a couple months but, since every character you play is different, the learning never stops.What was it like the first time you went into the studio to dub? For which anime was it and who's the character you're playing? How difficult was that first attempt for you?The first time I stepped into a dubbing studio I was terribly nervous. I don't even think it was an anime.  I think the first thing I dubbed was a Hong Kong Kung Fu movie I guess I played Thug #1 -- lots of "Oof" and "AAAUUGH" reactions, with a couple "Yes sir's" thrown in for good measure. My first actual anime was a series called Daigunder, in which I played two characters: Eagle Arrow and Ginsome.  It was a great piece to learn on because all my characters were robots with no mouths! Even so, I remember being quite frustrated, because all the other dubbers were much more experienced than I was, I felt like I was holding them all back whenever I made a mistake, which was a lot. ;-)How would you describe a typical dubbing day for you? Do you have to do additional research (such as reading the actual manga) in order to get the right "feel" for the character?Between the time I wake up and travel to the studio I try to warm up my voice and my enunciators (my mouth, lips, tongue, etc.), I'm sure the folks on the bus think I'm nuts. We generally start the day at ten in the morning, with the goal to get about four episodes done. This may sound like a lot, and it is, but we are always pressed for time. Some of you may be disappointed with this answer… but … the most research I generally do, is read the Wikipedia entry regarding the anime if it's available.  We are often cast in a new series when we show up to the studio, so we have no way of knowing in advance whom we will be portraying in the new series. Remember what I said about improvisation? ;-) In the world of Television, the deadlines are tough. I am always surprised to see a cartoon I dubbed less than a week ago, have already being aired on Animax. The director generally helps out by giving us a few clues about the character, and we always listen to the original Japanese voice prior to dubbing.I noticed that there are times that you would have to dub different characters in one episode. Do you dub these characters individually (like you dub one character first, then when you've finished all the lines, you move on to the next?) How long does one typical dubbing session take, especially when you have to do multiple characters?Yes, occasionally we are doing multiple characters in the episode.  If their dialogue doesn't overlap, it is possible to do both characters at the same time, switching voices back and forth. Other times, like when I'm doing a difficult voice for one character, I do one first and then go back and "pick up" the second voice. A typical dubbing session lasts about one and a half to two hours per episode.Are there any specific health measures that you take to protect your voice? What particular instances are you not allowed into the studio?Well, most importantly you should train your voice.  A solid acting course should cover vocal technique. Voice training helps you to place your voice correctly for projection, pitch, or for screaming. We scream a lot in anime if you haven't noticed. A full day of loud screaming can leave my throat feeling like hamburger meat, even if I use it correctly. Case in point, Yu Yu Hakusho - I played Kuwabara. That guy was never quiet. So of prime importance - voice training. A few good voice habits to get into are: drink a lot of room temperature or warm water to keep your chords lubricated and plastic, warm up before the job, and try not to hit the town too hard. Alcohol and speaking over loud music can really tire your voice out. And watch what you eat, cream sauces and dairy products can leave your voice feeling thick and hard to control.Generally I work regardless of rain or shine. If I am pretty sick, like flu or sore throat or something nasty, I'll stay out of the studio.Which anime character did you enjoy doing the most? Which character was the most difficult/challenging? I must admit that one of my favorite characters that you did, next to The Count, was Hana from "Tokyo Godfathers". Was it fun doing such a colorful gay character? Also, among the anime characters you've done, who would you say has a personality similar to yours?Thank you, it's nice to know that there are people out there who like my work. ;-) It's funny that you mention those two characters. They are two of my most favorite characters as well. The Count was quite challenging. Not only was his low voice difficult to maintain for an extended period of time, he was complex and portraying his many layers with only my voice was a lot of fun. Hana in Tokyo Godfathers is perhaps my all time favorite character I've played to date.  She has so much going on, a layer of feminine artifice that masks the fact that she is a man that wishes above anything else in the world to be a housewife and mother.  Yes, I think I had the most fun playing Hanna. Which Anime character has a personality similar to mine? Hmmm. I'm thinking perhaps Eikichi Onizuka from GTO mixed with Sven Volfied from Black Cat, and maybe a little of Hana from Tokyo Godfathers tossed in for spice.Among the anime projects that you have done for Animax, which would be the most memorable for you and why?Well, there's Tokyo Godfathers - as I've already mentioned. But I can't forget Get Backers. Ban Mido was my first main role, and I had a great time playing him. I think he is so cool.Is there a particular dream anime project that you would like to do? What anime would that be, which character, and why?I have read the Death Note manga and would like to be involved in that project, should they decide to do an English dub. It would be cool to play "L" simply because I like detectives, and suspenseful stories. If not "L" then the Shinigami, Ryuk -- He is just so weird. ;-)Many anime fans have this dream of becoming voice actors themselves. Would you personally recommend this line of work? What advice can you give them to get them started in this career?I would only recommend this line of work if you like cartoons, making funny voices, and screaming at televisions. Those are prerequisites for dubbing anime. ;-) Since I like those three things I recommend my job!If you would like to be a voice actor, here are a few tips: 1)    Practice your voices - it's always good to have a few on hand at an audition.2)    Get some acting training3)    Do some improvisation4)    If you can, put together a voice reel. This is what usually is going to get you that audition. If you have no work to cut one together from, make up a reel yourself. Look at other voice actor reels to find out what they've done.5)    Don't let rejection get you down! Unfortunately, the chances are that you will be rejected more than you will be hired. Competition can be stiff, so keep your chin up and keep going for it!