The aspiring voice actor must absorb many lessons to make it onto a show like SpongeBob. © Nickelodeon.

Celebrity casting has been among the leading trends in the animation voiceover business for over a decade, and remains so today. At the same time, however, there are more opportunities for rank-and-file voiceover actors than ever before, due to the large amount of animation being made, the diversity of styles and content, and the greater number of platforms in which to work. And, while the field remains intensely competitive, there are opportunities for new actors to break in, if they are committed, persistent, hard-working and well-trained.

"I look for the best actor for the role. I don't care if it's a celebrity or not," says Andrea Romano, an independent casting and voice director who has worked on productions including SpongeBob SquarePants, Justice League, Superman and Teen Titans.

Celebrity casting -- which impacts not only the feature film business, but also TV shows, videogames, direct-to-video productions and even some webisodic series --frustrates everyday voice actors, who believe it not only has dampened their opportunities, but also often has a detrimental effect on the productions themselves. "[Celebrity casting is about] publicity, rather than a fantastic voice," says M J Lallo, a voiceover actor, director, producer and teacher, with a studio and voiceover school in Los Angeles. "You see [the production] and you say, 'that's not an interesting voice, it's just so-and-so's voice.'"

Michael Hack, a voice and casting director whose credits include Blood+, Astro Boy, and the direct-to-video production Bratz: Camp Starshine, acknowledges that celebrity casting probably brings in viewers and dollars to feature films, but he believes the marketing value is less in television, where most viewers are kids who don't care who is doing the voice. Still, celebrities often voice television characters these days; some are naturals, while others are mostly involved for their marquee value.

"I've worked with celebrity actors who are not trained as voice actors and they're terrific," Hack says. "With others, there's a struggle, even if they're great actors, because it's such a specific skill. I might give them a note about showing more anger in a line, and they do something with their face and read it the same way."

"Celebrities will never replace the rank-and-file actors, who are so good at this," says Romano. "But some celebrities have taken to it like fish to water. They've become the rank and file." She cites Cary Elwes, Mark Hamill and Tim Curry as examples of versatile actors who can play several key roles well.

Cathy Kalmenson, partner in Kalmenson & Kalmenson Voice Casting, says celebrities bring a confidence to the roles they play. "They trust their instincts and are confident in creating characters in animated roles that are essentially authentic offshoots of themselves, really. They don't need to try to 'put on' and be someone else. They've been accepted (big time) for who they are, and are fearless in being genuine. But the majority of our day-to-day casting still includes hundreds of journeyman actors, who bring skill and freshness to selling soap, cars, beer and pet food. This is what ultimately pays the bills between the elusive big animation deals."

Michael Hack says casting directors "want to cast ethnic for ethnic."

Expanded Opportunities
These days, there are many opportunities for animation voice actors -- celebrity and specialist alike -- both in film and television, and in other media such as videogames, direct-to-video productions, Internet series, mobile phone content, and toys containing voice clips. Within each of these sectors, there are openings for a wide variety of voices. "It's a very diverse market now," Romano says. "There's action-adventure, there's silly cartoons, and everything in-between."

Videogames represent one area with a massive and growing need for voices. It's a specialized skill, involving line readings to be used in various situations rather than a continuous story arc, but it attracts both journeyman actors and celebrities. There are opportunities for those without much experience as well.

Lallo notes that there are a lot of small, lower-budget gaming companies that are willing to take a chance on new voices. They're even getting the word out in nontraditional ways, such as on Craigslist. Movie- and TV-themed games, while they occasionally feature the celebrities who appeared in the original entertainment vehicle, often use soundalike voices, providing opportunities for impressionists.

Some voice actors stay away from this segment. The time periods for voice recording can be long, up to almost a year in some cases, and there can be a lot of screaming involved, such as for a war-themed game. "It's hard on your voice," says Ginny McSwain, a freelance voice and casting director who has spent a lot of time lately in gaming. In addition, she says the same actors tend to be used again and again, so it can be hard for new voices to get their start.

Another growing opportunity is for ethnic actors, as productions increasingly are trying to incorporate realistic accents. "Almost without exception, they want to cast ethnic for ethnic," says Hack, who recently cast a production with Middle Eastern voices.

In fact, animation producers want very specific accents. For example, a voice would not be Latino, but Cuban, not American Indian, but Seminole, not from India, but from Bangalore. For immigrants, producers seek specific voices, such as an adult who's been in the United States for a certain number of years or a mixed-ethnicity child. "It makes it interesting to cast," Lallo says.