That’s right, baby. Voice actors can get their groove on! We can get down, get funky, get freaky on that thing… whatever that thing is (just don’t touch it). Even in the recording booth we are known for flashing the engineer (well, guys do, at least… Or maybe it’s just me). We usually have a lot of fun because we’re doing what we love and being paid handsomely for it. Even when we make mistakes, the vibe is jovial. It can be hard to say words like thrombofibrosis after three hours in the booth, and everyone knows it.
However, there are those rare times when there may be a party pooper in the studio. It could be a director who wants you to parrot every intonation they give you, line reading after line reading. It could be a “corporate” type telling you they want to hear more “orange” in your voice. Or a voice over actor who has gotten too big for his talent… And the experience is caught on tape (or 1s and 0s these days).
I don’t have any of my “good sessions gone bad” in my library, but there are a few famous ones of other voice over actors that I wanted to share with you. Many of you may have heard them already, but if you haven’t, you’ll get a strange titillation from them. [All have naughty language – so be forewarned.]
First up is the classic! The auteur himself! See whose side you land on…
Orson Welles
Next up is a more recent one. This exchange would be more satisfying for voice actors if it weren’t for the fact that the engineer seems so sad and hapless and the voice actor so mean.
William Shatner
This one is my favorite for the pure contrast of the voice over delivery and the actual person behind it.
Coming in at #3 – it’s Casey Kasem!
And finally, an outtake for the VG fans of this blog…
Albert Wesker
I understand that after this session he was caught in the shower with Jill and a huge luffa sponge. (Sorry, a Resident Evil 5/Bill O’Reilly joke).
I hope you got a chuckle or smile from this post. And if you happen to be one of the few party-pooper voice actors, directors, producers, clients or engineers lurking out there in the industry, hopefully you’ve learned a few things, too!
That’s a wrap.
Be sure to read "SHOCKING: D.C. Douglas Exposes Truth About 101 Voice Actors!"
