About Dee
Here’s a bit about me and why I made this site:
I was born in Indiana and grew up in Colorado. As a kid I loved sci-fi and horror movies, acting, running, astronomy, computers and reading sci-fi and fantasy. I never saw acting or performing as more than a hobby before my mid-twenties.
My folks were both teachers, my Dad, a celebrated trombonist.
I got a great liberal arts education at The Colorado College, studying German, biology and art and graduated with a degree in Philosophy. I emerged from college with no particular goals or aspirations at all. College had me acting and singing and open-mic-ing a lot, but I took only one acting class. Thank god.
After enjoying all kinds of performing for fun since second grade– on stage, on-camera and behind a mic– I improvisationally found my way to a full time acting career in my late twenties. I settled on voice acting exclusively in my mid thirties after moving to Los Angeles with my wife in 1993 just in time for the Northridge Earthquake.
I maintain this website because it’s fun for me. I like the feeling of saving everyone time (including myself) with this online compilation of all that I’ve learned over my five decades as a performer. I hope it’s a constructive and practical resource for those suited to voice acting- and for those who aren’t.
After a good run of success voice acting in L.A., I figured it was my turn to lend a hand to a new generation of performers in the most friction-free manner possible. I learned on the stage that acting is a voluntary family- a collaboration- you help each other out, the experienced share their insight– so here ya go!
It’s rare in this world to share what you’ve amassed by luck and sweat with others for free. But this is part of the DNA of a creative person. It’s good to be entrepreneurial but ultimately, what you create, what you learn, is a gift to be given and shared not merely sold.
I hope this site brings you clear-sighted insight and practical benefit. I wish you an enjoyable and lucky path towards becoming yourself!
Cheers!
Dee
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For a more detailed account of my life and career and how it led me to voice acting, CLICK HERE.
Check my “Dee’s Interviews & Podcasts” page for much more of me in audio and video formats plus a list of questions I’m often and never asked.
*Want an autograph? CLICK HERE
If you enjoy my site, why not make a donation of any amount to the American Humane Association, a wonderful charity that helps protect children, pets and farm animals from abuse and neglect?
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Im recording my animation demo and I was wondering what your thoughts were on borrowing script/character from another voice actors? To be clear, not ripping the whole thing but using a portion of the script and a different take on the voice.
What’s most important is your acting, not the originality of your script. Personally, though, I wouldn’t copy another’s demo scene or character too directly. I’d prefer my material to play original and I’d want to make a demo that feels fresh and unique. If you can accomplish that with borrowing character ideas or copy from other shows, then great! There’s a wide world of sources you can appropriate and modify to make your own. For me, aything you like you want to tweek and make your own–go for it!
I have been taking acting lessons for about a year now, and I was thinking about getting an internship …to see how voice acting works from the inside. I live fairly close to [a large city], [are] there any specific places [that] would be good to intern for?
I suppose you could tag along with a voice casting director who casts things you are interested in, if they’d let you. Not sure what use that would really be in becoming a voice actor, though. You don’t become an actor by watching actors anymore than you become a tennis player by watching tennis. Not that you shouldn’t observe actors, but it’s not the main thing you should be doing. If you want an “inside view” of what happens, aside from my site, all aspects of voice acting are covered extensively by the sources I list on this page: http://iwanttobeavoiceactor.com/study-up-on-voice-acting/ You can access all that for free.
I noticed a clicking sound from my tongue and slightly from my lips, [any] advice to help quiet that sound while recording?
Take a sip of water or a bite of green apple. Many studios have green apples sitting around for just this purpose.
[Could you] comment on a quick clip I made [?]
See FAQ #16
I cannot thank you enough for this website! I moved to LA from Colorado a year ago and was lucky enough to sign with a great agency ( i studied and worked from my own on pay for play sites, improv and acting classes before the move) but it is definitely not smooth sailing now that I have an agent. I am working harder than I ever have before to establish myself and audition well here in this wonderful city. Your website, the advice and “myths” are the most honest of anything I have read about ” breaking into voice acting” and again I want to thank you for that. I am now referring anyone who asks me how to get started to come to your site. I do feel like I am training to be an olympian athlete! Also I have just started studying Buster Keaton and loved that you had that video and others on story telling and physical comedy!!! Yay!! And Charlie Adler is the best!
Awesome! Congrats on your progress. And yes, Charlie is a fantastic teacher and voice actor.