Nancy Cartwright.

The idea that you could possibly be, consciously or unconsciously, limited or pigeonholed into one particular type of show, character, age or voice ability may not seem very “real” to you at this point in your career, but it is something that should be reckoned with right now. In the voice-over industry, versatility is the name of the game.

Think of some of “The Greats:” Daws Butler, Mel Blanc, Don Messick, Joanie Gerber and June Foray. Each one of them, in his/her own right, created multiple voices over the span of no less than four decades. Each of their characters was unique, creating a “plethora of vocal memories” for all of us as we grew up. These “vocal pioneers” created some of the most memorable characters that are still admired today, thanks to videos, DVDs, and cable television. When animation was in its “Golden Era,” these icons laid the firm foundation for what we all are enjoying today.

Cartoonland of Opportunity
With the explosion of television into the American marketplace in 1948, animation became a form of entertainment to be reckoned with. I am sure you all know of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Bugs, Droopy, Betty Boop, Popeye, and Mr. Magoo, just to name a few. These colorful cartoon characters set the bar for the characters we voice-over actors are doing today. Bart, Homer, Marge, Lisa, Chuckie, Shrek, Woody, Buzz and the entire family of the Incredibles, makes my point. There are dozens of animated shows currently airing on television and I am amazed at the opportunities presented for us voice actors to be cast in a new pilot or series. One might have the tendency to think that this industry is so small that there really are not any opportunities for anyone else. That viewpoint is just folly, so do not believe it.

When I reflect on the career of Butler, I cannot imagine him getting pigeonholed as a “one-note wonder.” His range transcended what “your average bear” sounds like, giving us some of the most memorable characters in the history of animation. From Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Quick-Draw McGraw and Snagglepuss, to Elroy and Peter Potamous, Daws’ vocal talents remain a marvel, especially to me. There were only a handful of actors who could hold a candle to Daws’ ability to strike the right chord when needed, and they too were “wonders” in their own rights.

Maybe I am a bit of a softy when it comes to Daws as he was my mentor; however, I truly believe there just was not anyone else who had what he had. Messick and Blanc were shining bright at this time as well, yet it was such a new art form that none of these pioneers ever seemed to run out of unique sounds.

I Have More Voices!
Unfortunately, it is not quite the same today. There are many studios producing dozens of shows and the challenge for me, as a working artist is, “How do I not sound like Bart, Nelson, Ralph, Rod, Kearney, Data Base, Chuckie and or Rufus, the Naked Mole-Rat?” It is a dilemma for me, and something that I constantly have to keep in the back of my mind, and voice when auditioning for a new part.

In the late 1990s my contribution to vocalization for animation was limited to only one show — The Simpsons. Try as I might, working with my agent, reading the trades and talking to my fellow voice actors, I could not get another voice-over job for the life of me! I decided to take the matters into my own hands and called a friend who at the time was a studio executive at Disney. I had a suspicion of “why” I was not being cast there and wanted to find the underlying cause of it. I simply wanted to know the truth so I could do something causative to try and change the condition.