John DiMaggio and The Art Of Voice Acting
Voice actors are not given enough credit. This is the kind of revelation I should have reached sooner, given my passion for all things animated and colourful, but I have to admit that I have taken voice actors for so long for granted.
This realization was further brought to light by the ongoing controversy surrounding #Bendergate. It was the Hulu reboot Futurama without John DiMaggio, who was rumoured to be leaving the role of the alcoholic, narcissistic, bending unit Bender. Although DiMaggio has agreed to play the role again, Hulu’s outrage was mostly directed at producers who tried to recast it for another actor, possibly under the impression that someone could imitate the role.
Whatever details were discussed between studio and performer, it is clear that the streaming giant miscalculated how much fans value those characters and the voices. Many couldn’t imagine Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn and Tony Stark as Robert Downey Jr. in the role of Tony Stark. It seems that not many people are happy with their animated icons wearing a new set of vocal cords. It caused a lot of backlash from people who felt that the beloved amphibian didn’t sound right when Disney dropped Steve Whitmire, the long-time voice for Kermit the Frog.
This encouraging revelation should not be surprising. Voice actors have been around as long as cartoons. They are an underappreciated sub-group of artists who often go unrecognized for their talents and skills. Voice actors are among the most talented in the industry and rely on only their vocal talent to bring their characters to life. We need to realize that the contribution of voice actors to the media we love is just as remarkable as it is unique and challenging.
The process behind the camera is very different from what it is before. While things may vary from project to project, much of the career of voice actors is spent in booths reading lines to the air in various tones and styles for each take. Tom Hanks is keen to stress that the transition from regular acting roles to animated roles (specifically Toy Story ) can be difficult and often takes hours of line readings to get the right take. Anyone who enjoyed the Matt Berry sitcom Toast Of London knows what it was like to be a voice actor in the face of overbearing sound producers.
Voice artists are able to create characters using only their voice, sometimes with very limited external resources. This is a great skill. Although performers might be given sketches or projections of footage, it is rare that there are other actors to bounce off of. Cartoons don’t have the ability to convey the infinitely varied details of human faces, so it is even more important for cartoonists to have a good voice behind them. This is something DiMaggio, one of the most skilled exponents of this genre, has mastered. His work as Bender, bringing to life one of the cartoon’s greatest characters, not only his work as Adventure Time’s Jake, King Zog from Disenchantment, and Gears of War’s Marcus Fenix, are just a few examples of his talents.
This is a skill that shines when it’s done well and makes a huge difference when it’s not. The rise in quality in voice acting coincides with that of animated films in general. This trend was accelerated by The Simpsons’ success in the 90s. However, pioneers Mel Blanc and Jeff Bergman proved that one performer could create a staggering number of characters using just their voice. The combination of the vocal skills of an impressionist with the emotional skills of trained actors results in an extraordinary ear for vocal performance. It is similar to the ability of great jazz musicians to create melodies simply by hearing them.
Voice actors are able to create characters with a variety and depth, as well as subtlety and depth, that few other actors can match. Hank Azaria, the Simpsons’ voice actor, has lent his talents for stalwarts like Cletus and Professor Frink, Snake and Superintendent Chalmers. Meanwhile, Family Guy’s Seth MacFarlane is a skilled voice actor and pushes his vocal capabilities to the limit to voice Peter, Brian, and Stewie Griffin.
Mark Hamill is the undisputed king of the medium. His unusual career path has seen him go from the starring role in the most famous film franchise to being arguably the most versatile voice actor and respected of his generation. Hamill is able to do everything, with roles that range from Skeletor in Masters of the Universe and Chucky in the Child’s Play remake. Hamill’s exceptional skills are evident in his portrayal of The Joker which is still considered the most accurate and complete version of the character. This surpasses the likes of Jack Nicholson and Joaquin Phoenix, as well as Heath Ledger.
It’s not just TV and movies that require the skillset. While playing Mortal Kombat 11, the immensely enjoyable and entertaining gore-athon, I noticed that Ed Boon’s legendary fighting simulator has seen a significant improvement in its voice acting. Mortal Kombat 9 (also known as Mortal Kombat 9) was released in 2011. While the game has an impressive fighting engine, you can hear the gears rattle off-screen. MK9 is self-consciously schlocky but has the most torturous dialogue this side a Johnny Cage movie.
