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1. FOR ALL THE VIEWERS READING, PLEASE KINDLY INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
Hey everyone! I’m Varian. I’m a bilingual (mandarin),voice actor based in Oakland, CA/ Bay Area.
2. PLEASE TALK ABOUT HOW YOU GOT STARTED IN THE VOICE OVER INDUSTRY.
Honestly, I thank covid quarantine for opening the door of opportunity for me. I’ve always loved voice acting…even when I didn’t know it was a thing or that someone was behind a voice of a character I loved growing up. I just never knew how to go about getting into it or learning about it, because I didn’t know anyone involved in it. So when quarantine happened, Voiceover was one of the first few industries that pivoted to online and that opened the door for me and many others alike.
3. WHAT MADE YOU GET STARTED IN THE VOICE OVER INDUSTRY?
So to follow up from the previous question, I was involved in the experiential marketing and events industry for over 18 years. While in it, I took on multiple roles and learning different skillsets including being an emcee, a product specialist for companies in tech, entertainment, food & beverage, etc. Due to the nature of the job, I’m always consumer facing and because I’m media trained as well, I’d be involved in interviews. So when the opportunity presented itself to get into voiceover, I naively thought it would be an easy transition….like a lateral move in essence.
4. PLEASE SHARE A MOMENT WHERE YOU FELT YOU WANTED TO BE INSPIRED TO BE A PART OF THE VOICE OVER INDUSTRY.
I don’t know if there was one particular moment. I’ve essentially wanted to be involved in voice acting and voiceover since I was a kid but being born into a family of educators and essentially an Asian household, creative endeavors were encouraged as a hobby, but never nurtured as anything more than that. However, I’ve always been stubborn and passionate about things and people I love….so eventually I found my way to voiceover, but I wasn’t actively looking or searching for a way in. For a very long time, it was out of sight, out of mind for me. The one thing that stayed constant and true, was my love for animation….always loved it and still do, probably more now than ever before. I knew I made the right decision to be in voiceover when even on my worst days, where nothing is clicking and I can’t seem to get a read or character to work…whether in class or otherwise, I still feel excited and energized….like how one would feel when you have a really good workout session at the gym and you feel energized after a shower. That’s how I knew….so I guess that helped with the inspiration.
5. PLEASE TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE IN THIS INDUSTRY AND HOW YOU OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES.
So to reference my answer from a previous question, I had this notion that my transition into voiceover would be relatively easy since I’ve had experience as an emcee and a product specialist and I speak a lot for a living. Let me say this…I WAS ABSOLUTELY WRONG! Yes, certain skillsets may translate and overlap but voiceover and voice acting is a craft all in itself…with so many subgenres that all have different skillsets that you’d have to learn and master. I learned this really quick, so I started to sign up for classes and dedicated myself to learning the craft. The one thing I also love about the voiceover industry is the community. It has, by far, THE BEST community I’ve ever been a part of. Everyone is so giving and willing to help if you have questions or need guidance.
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?
I am a big Naruto fan. I just love that franchise so much! However my all time favorite anime is SLAM DUNK….I love basketball and used to compete competitively growing up and that anime and manga was a big hit and inspiration to me and my friends. I didn’t necessarily pay much attention to the voice actors as a kid…I do now for sure, but a few standouts for me were Takeshi Kusao and Hikaru Midorikawa…because they voiced two of the main characters in SLAM DUNK. Also when I watched that anime for the first time, I watched in mandarin dub….I watched it in the original Japanese later on. Growing up, a number of anime I was able to get my hands on were technically dubbed in mandarin (it’s my second language) or in English. So I didn’t learn about the original Japanese voice actors till much later.
As for inspiration, they all inspire me one way or another especially because I’m now involved in the industry myself. I can learn so much from everyone because there’s not one approach to a character that is textbook. However if I have to pick, the actors in the Naruto series and in Shippuden, inspire me because they had to grow with the characters and their voices grew with them as well. It wasn’t stagnant. So being able to alter the voice of the character and age it up based on the growth and still be true to the character is a skill.
7. IS THERE ANY PROJECT OR PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH OR COLLABORATE WITH?
Hahaha!! Do we have all day? Of course! Man…where do I start? Ok, let’s start with actors I’d love to learn from and work with, Phil Lemarr, Khary Payton, Grey Delisle, Tara Strong, Eric Bauza, Bob Bergen, Dee Bradley Baker, Dante Basco (He’s special because he was the first Asian I saw on TV that I related too on “Hanging with Mr. Cooper”…he had that hip hop swagger), Mark Hamil, Kevin Michael Richardson, Rob Paulsen, Maurice LaMarche, Frank Welker, Nancy Cartwright, Cree Summer, Michael Rosenbaum, Carl Lumbly….This is just off the top of my head! Hahaha….
As for projects, I’m a huge comic book nerd so to be a part of the DC and Marvel universe in animation is a dream!! I’m technically part of the MCU….I was a featured extra in Ant-Man, so I’m technically cannon! However, I’d love to be in an original animated series and be an original character that is unique to me and my creativity, like The Simpsons, Futurama, etc.
8. PLEASE TALK ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF WORK YOU ARE CURRENTLY FOCUSED ON.
I’m currently focused on being a better actor. That’s what I’m working on. However I’m assuming you might be referring to genres of voiceover. I’m in it to win it…animation, commercials, promos, corporate narrations, I’m focused on working toward being a full time working voice actor.
9. PLEASE TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT HOLLYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT.
What I like about Hollywood entertainment…hmmm….all the different avenues in which creatives can make a living doing what they love and thrive in….while paying the bills doing it. Like movies… be it animation or live action, make stories come alive and you can share it with everyone. However it takes a village to make all that happen, from writers, directors, actors, costume designers, set designers, animators, etc. All that work comes together to form a piece of art that is shared with anyone to enjoy. I started to appreciate that more when I was involved in events when I helped produce events and had to oversee the run of show, etc. My perspective changed because of that and widened since being involved in the industry.
Take classes. Take a voice acting class. See if it’s for you and if it is, work on being a good actor.
10. WHAT VOICE OVERS DO YOU ADMIRE THE MOST FROM HOLLYWOOD?
Like as in Hollywood actors that have done voiceovers? Brandley Cooper…I love his portrayal of Rocket Racoon. Also..textbook example how you should be active in the booth. Jack Black….I’m a huge fan. He is who I hope to embody as an actor. He just lets it fly and gives himself to the character to entirely. Auli’I Cravalho….I just love her and her work and her voice. Singing in character is a skillset all in itself and oooooh can she SANG!
11. WHAT MAKES A GOOD VOICE ACTOR?
To quote my coach, Angela Malhotra, and every veteran in the industry….to be a good voice actor, you need to be a good ACTOR! Voice Acting is ACTING…period!
The actual character voice is like the very last thing that is even considered. However when we think voice acting, the first thing we go to is the voice…I’m guilty of that as well. Not the case! Bringing the character to life, to embody the character….that’s priority. Now if you decided on a voice for your character, you need to be able to maintain that voice throughout the course of the entire session on top of that.
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?
When I got into voiceover, I did it remote. I have a custom professional booth in my place, where I do all my auditions (and bookings if they are remote). I enjoy it because you control that environment and it’s comfortable.
I have some studio experience and enjoy that as well because you are working directly with a director and engineer and I value that interaction and feedback that comes with being in the studio. It’s also nice that you don’t have to worry about being an engineer, checking your settings, making sure the mic levels are right, etc….that’s not the case when you record remotely. You need to make sure everything is right, functioning as it should and troubleshoot when things go wrong. You don’t have that pressure in studio.
I haven’t had an ensemble recording session as of yet, but I look forward to that opportunity. The only time I have that experience is when I’m in class with other voice actors….online. That experience is so much fun because you get to play off other voice actors and create something.
13. WHAT TYPE OF SPECIALTY IN VOICE OVER WORK DO YOU LIKE TO FOCUS ON, OR DO YOU HAVE SEVERAL TYPES?
I would love to live in animation and promos, video games/ interactive. I also enjoy doing “voice of god” and live announce work for live events. I love and currently working on creature work as well.
14. WHAT'S A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE OF A VOICE OVER ACTOR?
I can’t speak for anyone else but myself. I wake up, part of my routine is to clear my nasal passages, wash up and do vocal warmups. If I’m working a day job, I’m doing my vocal warmups in the car while driving where I need to be. Checking emails and working on auditions that come through. More often than none for me, most of the auditions I get have a quick turnaround and due the following day. Time management is important…and I am still working on being better at that. Regardless of the fact, I still get all my auditions in on time or early if I can. I try and get a workout in if I can, depending on when I get done with everything. Then, rinse and repeat the next day and every day after that.
15. WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND FOR ANYONE THAT IS INTERESTED IN VOICE OVER WORK?
Take classes. Take a voice acting class. See if it’s for you and if it is, work on being a good actor.
16. IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT MAKES A GOOD VOICE OVER ACTOR?
Understanding that in order to be a good voice actor, you need to be a good actor. Being able to access your emotions, to be able to visualize your environment because you are ALL ALONE in the booth. No one is with you. It’s all on you…so being a good actor is priority number one.
17. YOU ARE CURRENTLY ACTIVE AS A VOICE OVER. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2025? WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU FOR 2025?
My plan for 2025, to be a better actor every day. To take advantage of opportunities that present themselves, be it working with people I want to work with, to be involved in projects that excite me and to be more active in promoting myself and putting myself out there. I’m an introvert and my personality is to “fly under the radar”, which is counter intuitive. Expect me to make more noise and to level up my game!
18. CAN YOU SHARE ANY EXCITING PROJECTS THAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON NOW?
Unfortunately there’s nothing I can really share. Such is the life of a voice actor….NDAs are part of life. Hahaha….
19. IF SOMEONE WANTS TO HIRE YOU FOR ANY VOICE OVER WORK, CAN YOU PLEASE LIST YOUR WEBSITE AND HOW PEOPLE CAN REACH YOU?
I’m currently rebuilding my website from scratch. I chose to build my website initially using a small business that was a competitor to the bigger site building services. I love supporting small businesses especially if they are by POC, AAPI, etc….because I’m a small business owner myself. I started a hot sauce brand on top of being a voice actor. Unfortunately, the company decided to call it quits, so now I have to reconstruct everything from scratch. However, you can always reach me on socials:
Instagram/threads: @variandavid, tiktok: @variandavidvo,
linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/variandavid , Bluesky: variandavidvo.bky.social
20. ANY LAST MESSAGE YOU'D LIKE TO SAY TO ALL THE READERS ?
I appreciate you taking the time to hear my story and have some idea who I am and why I love being a voice actor. If you’re looking to be a voice actor, I hope I was able to give you some useful insight and advice.
If you are a writer, artist, storyteller, creative, I’d love the opportunity to collaborate and work together. If you are a casting director, casting agent, producer, director in the voiceover industry, I’d love to chat with you, network and get in front of you to see if we can work together on any projects you have coming up.
