Inside the Voice Actors Studio

Anyone can play Halo, but only Steve Downes, a disc jockey in Chicago, can really claim to be Master Chief. The same can be said for many other video game characters and the voice actors who play them. Sadly though, voice actors are often underpaid and unrecognized for their skills, and sometimes for how hot they are.

Giving life to animated or virtual characters depends on good voice acting. Good voice actors can bring more life to characters than the best graphics or special-effects ever could. Even after Heath Ledger’s powerful performance in The Dark Knight, Mark Hamill’s work as the animated Joker is still praised. In other cases, a voice can be just as iconic as a character’s image. Peter Cullen was brought back to voice Optimus Prime in Transformers: The Movie because fans demanded it.

Video game characters can be as famous as any Hollywood actor, but people who give them their voices aren’t always as recognizable (despite some being pretty hot). You may have never heard the following names, but I’d wager you’ve heard their voices.
Tara Strong – For someone who has voiced prepubescent boys, she’s pretty attractive. Her work includes Elisa and Ursula (MGS: Portable Ops); Rachel (Ninja Gaiden Sigma); and Rikku (FFX). She also played Bubbles on The Powerpuff Girls.

John DiMaggio – Best known for Bender from Futurama, he has voiced Wakka and Kimahri (FFX); Migelo, Daguza, and Gilgamesh (FFXII); and Marcus Fenix (Gears of War).
Kari Wahlgren – With a long list of credits and a lovely smile, she has voiced Kasumi (DOAX2); Ashelia (FFXII); Sonia (Ninja Gaiden 2); and Teliko Friedman (MGS: Portable Ops). Her Raine fought alongside Tara Strong’s Presea in Tales of Symphonia on the GCN.

Jen Taylor – Before helping Master Chief as Cortana, she voiced several Nintendo characters, including Princess Peach, Toad, and Birdo, from 1999 to 2005.

Charles Martinet - It’s-a him, Mario!
He’s also Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi.

Game developers may sometimes favor celebrity talent over professional voice actors, but Sony dialogue manager Greg deBeer prefers voice actors.

“In general, my recommendation is to stay away from celebrity talent,” deBeer says. “My personal reasoning for that — which I’ve discussed with a lot of people, and a lot of people disagree with me — is for me, hearing an identifiable celebrity voice takes you away from the game.

“There are some actors that can handle [game voice over work] very well, but I’ve found that more often than not, the more exposure they’ve had in the film world, the less they are able to cope in these situations.”

Voice actors are usually paid per recording session. They don’t receive royalties, even if their character rises to iconic fame. Contractual arrangements between the Screen Actors Guild and the entertainment industry prevent this. Voice actors mostly find work through auditions, but fans can help through blogs, forums, and even the occasional fan mail. Do some research, and you may find a voice actor who has done several of your favorite characters.