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1. FOR ALL THE VIEWERS READING, PLEASE KINDLY INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
My name is Vanessa Richardson – I’ve been a full time Voice Actor for over 20 years. I was born in Medellin, Colombia (South America) and raised all over the US. I am bilingual Spanish & English (which has helped me a lot as a voice actor). I’m a mom to 2 amazing boys.
I have worked I every genre of voice over including dubbing, narration, VOG, (most recently I live-announced the 2025 SCL Awards), animation, political spots, ADR, promos, commercials, audiobooks, and most recently, scripted podcasts. My most recognizable current shows are “Killer Minds” and “Crime House: The Show” for PAVE studios – available everywhere you listen to podcasts. I also was the original host of “Serial Killers” for over 7 years / over 500 episodes, among many others.
I have won many awards over the years for my work including Telly Awards, a Pollie Award, Campaigns & Elections Reed Awards, Peer Awards, among others.
2. PLEASE TALK ABOUT HOW YOU GOT STARTED IN THE VOICE OVER INDUSTRY.
I consider myself a storyteller – no matter what genre I’m working in, I take the listener on a journey – whether it’s a 30 second commercial, a podcast, an audiobook, an animated character or documentary narration… it’s the same idea.
I come from a family of storytellers. My grandmother was a writer, my father is a musician and film editor; he cut many feature films, commercials, news reels and was most known for his work on music videos back when MTV first started (and actually played music videos!) I grew up around the industry in a family that appreciates creativity and the arts.
I started my career on the east coast working in television production and post-production. As a producer and coordinator, I learned the “business” side of things. I handled budgets and booked edit and mix sessions. I started off hiring talent and working closely with producers and then became a producer myself. I learned early on what makes a voice actor successful – and it starts before you even get in the booth!
One day early on in my career, a producer handed me a script and put me in front of a microphone to read a scratch track for a piece that would air on 20/20. I was immediately hooked. They ended up using my scratch track on air, and I knew that it would not be the last time I would be in front of a microphone! It was roughly 15 years later that I would begin my transition from producer to voice talent.
3. WHAT MADE YOU GET STARTED IN THE VOICE OVER INDUSTRY?
Around 2003 I was burning out from the production world and was thinking of starting a family. It was then that I started training with various voice coaches, preparing to complete my demos and make the leap into the voiceover world! It took a lot of work and years of training and preparation, but it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. My first son was born in 2004 and I never looked back – my kids have been the main motivator in my career.
4. PLEASE SHARE A MOMENT WHERE YOU FELT YOU WANTED TO BE INSPIRED TO BE A PART OF THE VOICE OVER INDUSTRY.
Everyone has different motivations – some are motivated by fame, others by money, everyone finds their inspiration in different places. For me it was two-fold; I genuinely love the work – the feeling of taking the listener on a journey is intoxicating to me. Second, when I had my 2 sons, it became more about having work/life balance and I fused my business knowledge of the production world with my love of performing to make a career I could excel in and live off of, while doing the most important job of all which is raising 2 amazing humans. Every day when I would wake up, my thoughts were focused on success because of my kids.
5. PLEASE TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE IN THIS INDUSTRY AND HOW YOU OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES.
There are times when I will audition and not book anything for months... That can be discouraging. I have learned that having multiple avenues for work is very important. My main focus is my work with PAVE studios on the shows “Killer Minds” and “Crime House: The Show” (putting out 3 shows a week plus social media content – which is a huge part of the work now!) I also have an amazing agent, Vanessa Gilbert, who continues to present me with opportunities, as well as a few regional agents.
6. JAPAN IS KNOWN FOR SO MANY GREAT ICONIC VOICE OVER PEOPLE, SUCH AS CHARACTERS FROM ANIME OR MOVIES AND DUBBED TV SHOWS. WHO IS SOMEONE INSPIRATIONAL THAT YOU ADMIRE IN THIS INDUSTRY?
There are MANY people I admire – the Voice Over community is incredibly supportive and truly amazing – but the one who stands out to me most is Bob Bergen. He has been an inspiration for decades. I had the good fortune of studying with him in the beginning of my voice over journey and over the years we have become friends. Bob is incredibly generous with his time and knowledge – Not to mention, his list of work is also incredibly impressive. I admire, respect and love him both personally and professionally.
7. IS THERE ANY PROJECT OR PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH OR COLLABORATE WITH?
I did the promo materials for Planet Earth narrated by Sigourney Weaver. I recently did a scratch track used by Chaka Khan for an NBA promo. Worked with John Quiñones on a 20/20 piece (when I realized I wanted to work in VO one day!!). I’ve had the pleasure of working with so many professional, talented people over the years and I look forward to what’s coming next!!
8. PLEASE TALK ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF WORK YOU ARE CURRENTLY FOCUSED ON.
I am currently focused on my shows (“Killer Minds” and “Crime House: the show”) – It takes a lot of time to host 3 podcasts a week as well as the social media & community building. Social media has become such an important part of building a career as an actor.
9. PLEASE TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT HOLLYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT.
What I love about living in and working in Los Angeles is the amount of creative people here. There is something magical about “Hollywood” – So many people come together to make content that moves us as humans. There are things I don’t like – but I avoid those and focus on the creative people, building something amazing, and enhancing peoples’ lives by engaging, educating, and entertaining them!
10. WHAT VOICE OVERS DO YOU ADMIRE THE MOST FROM HOLLYWOOD?
11. WHAT MAKES A GOOD VOICE ACTOR?
In my opinion, being a good voice actor takes a lot.
- Study improv and theater!! (The “actor” part of Voice actor!) This is SO important and often overlooked – but the ones who do improvisational theater (a la Groundlings and Second City) and who are actors generally do better than those who do not.
- Work with voice over coaches – preferably more than one. You will get different perspectives and insight, and it will also prepare you for all of the different kinds of producers and directors you will encounter in sessions!
- Be willing to fail. Love the work so much, you’re willing to dust yourself off and get back to the mic (persistence is key!).
- Be smart with your money. Learn to budget and prepare – the work tends to ebb and flow. Be ready. Learn about investing and creating a nest egg for your future.
- Read!! It is important to keep your brain active and keep up with current events.
- Finally, and most importantly, be a good person. People will hire you for your talent, of course – but we humans also hire people we want to spend time with! If you are pleasant and have a great attitude AND make the client look good by being a total bad*ss, amazing talent at the mic, that’s the most important ingredient for success! ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING.
12. NOW IN TODAY'S SOCIETY, EVERYTHING IS DONE BY REMOTE WORK. DO YOU ENJOY THIS PROCESS, OR DO YOU PREFER TO SHOW UP AT THE STUDIO?
I absolutely love working in person when possible – but I also LOVE the convenience of my home studio! The commute to my office (in my garage) is absolutely heavenly. I also now go into the studio once or twice a week to record “Killer Minds” with my amazing cohost, forensic psychologist Dr. Tristin Engels. I truly am happy either way.
13. WHAT TYPE OF SPECIALTY IN VOICE OVER WORK DO YOU LIKE TO FOCUS ON, OR DO YOU HAVE SEVERAL TYPES?
14. WHAT'S A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE OF A VOICE OVER ACTOR?
One of the things I love most about being a voice actor is that every day is different. I must have certain things in place to create structure (my morning workouts, getting my son out the door to school and after school pick-ups, etc) but when it comes to work, my schedule is a moving target – and I love that. I juggle scheduled sessions in the Sherman Oaks studio, auditions, sessions at my home studio, paperwork, social media content creating/writing/shooting/editing/posting, community outreach, etc. It is a FUN job, but you must LOVE it and be motivated. You cannot choose this career and expect work and money to magically come your way.
15. WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND FOR ANYONE THAT IS INTERESTED IN VOICE OVER WORK?
(see #20)
16. IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT MAKES A GOOD VOICE OVER ACTOR?
17. YOU ARE CURRENTLY ACTIVE AS A VOICE OVER. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2025? WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU FOR 2025?
I work every single day (I am very fortunate – but it also took a lot of hard work and perseverance to get here). I continue to grow and audition and work hard so I can keep working and support my little family. My shows “Killer Minds” and “Crime House: The Show” are continuing to grow and I am hoping that there will be at least one more show being revealed by the end of 2025.
18. CAN YOU SHARE ANY EXCITING PROJECTS THAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON NOW?
I recently published my first book (and am working on another)! Available on Amazon – It’s called “150 Fun Facts about Voice Over: Behind the Mic: Fun and Fascinating Facts about Voice Actors and the VO Industry.” https://www.amazon.com/150-Facts-about-Voice-Over/dp/B0F263B5PF
19. IF SOMEONE WANTS TO HIRE YOU FOR ANY VOICE OVER WORK, CAN YOU PLEASE LIST YOUR WEBSITE AND HOW PEOPLE CAN REACH YOU?
Absolutely! www.vrvoice.com
People can reach out to my agent, Vanessa Gilbert at RSA management or directly at vanessa@vrvoice.com .
20. ANY LAST MESSAGE YOU'D LIKE TO SAY TO ALL THE READERS ?
If you are interested in voice over as a career, I will say this – You must LOVE the work. It takes a lot of perseverance and time. There is a common misconception that VO is “easy money” … It is a career that takes time, talent, perseverance, a little luck & timing... fueled by persistence and LOVE for the work. If you have those things, then DON’T GIVE UP!!!
