A storytelling device teaches. I hate to say it that way, because kids tune out. I don’t teach on purpose, but I’m glad that it happens sometimes.
A lot of times, for videogames, you get almost no time to prepare with a script. You’ve got a director that’s going line for line, filling you in on what’s happening, and some games are even less than that.
A lot of the characters I play on Japanese shows are actually acted in Japan by women. I don’t know what that says about me.
The line between anime and regular animation is very difficult to cross, even for people who have been doing anime successfully for years.
I follow the director’s lead because they generally know more about the big picture, but I also trust that the director will give me enough freedom to play.
Occasionally, especially on video games and with a lot of the fighting stuff, to get what you feel is the proper sound, you have to imitate what you’re doing, and occasionally I’ve gotten carried away and kicked over mic stands or punched things.
I’d love to play Moon Knight. I don’t know if anybody’s doing a Moon Knight animated series any time soon.
Personally, the first year when I started making enough money just from acting – by that, I mean not doing anything else but acting – was around 2003.
I speak from a nerd’s perspective because I’ve been watching anime since I was a kid. I grew up on ‘Speed Racer’ and ‘Star Blazers’ and ‘Battle of the Planets,’ and those were some of my first A) cartoons and B) introduction to Japanese couture before I even knew they were Japanese.
I love when I go to conventions, and often it’ll be the younger kids who will refer to us by our character names – how can you not find that absolutely charming? I remember when I used to go to conventions when I was a kid when I would stand in long lines to get people’s autograph.
I’ve always wanted to be Batman, but I don’t naturally tend towards Batman. I tend towards Robin, but I did get to play Superman.
It usually starts with the director and any other creatives who may be involved at the start. It’s a collaboration. I bring what I have naturally and, hopefully, what they cast me for, and then we start playing and tweaking until we have what they feel’s right. It helps to have some artwork to inspire me, but I don’t always get that luxury.
Man, it’s hard to beat having gotten to play Superman. But where do you go from there? Aren’t careers supposed to culminate in a role like that? And because I’m a big fat geek, as long as there’s stuff I’m excited about – and isn’t that really the definition of geek? – there’ll always be roles I’d love to play.
I go to work and get to hang out with nothing but my kind of guys!
As far as actors who pop up again and again in Japanese dubs, and because they’re really good actors, people like Steve Bloom, not only in ‘Cowboy Bebop,’ but also he’s sort of the de-facto Wolverine. If you’re doing an animated Wolverine anything, Marvel usually just goes to Steve first because he’s recognized as that voice.
I’ve been a fan for a long time, and it’s a reason I wanted to be a part of it. Now I’m able to do the ‘Robotech’ movie, and it’s something I grew up watching. To actually be on ‘Robotech’ was really an experience.
