Chances are, you’ve played a game or watched an animation and thought, “Wow, that really hit me in the feels.” By experiencing great voice acting, your enjoyment of the game and/or animated film significantly enhances your immersion, deepens the story’s emotional impact, and generally brings the characters to life.
And if you’ve ever thought, “Hey, I want to do that too,” we attended a fun and insightful WonderCon 2025 panel discussing how to break into the voice acting industry for games and animation. Curious if you have what it takes to be a voice actor? Read on and find out!
Panelists Introduction
Moderated by artistic director Shawn Strider, the founder of Labyrinth of Jareth Masquerade Ball, the panelists included:
- Daniel Ross (Emmy Award-winning voice actor, Donald Duck in Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas)
- Heather Gonzalez (Tsuru in Beyblade X, Yukari Takeba in Personal 3: Reload)
- Stephanie Southerland (Jean Gunnhildr in Genshin Impact, Tess Bailey in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6)
- Alex Bankier (Gran Kirkwayne in Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture, Crème Brûlée Cookie in Cookie Run: Kingdom)
- Isaac Robinson-Smith (Bishop in X-Men ‘97, Mushu in Disney’s Dreamlight Valley)
Guess what they all had in common?
A background in theater.
Stage performance played a significant role in their voice acting, and the panelists started with community and/or school theater, as it helped them with vocal control, characterization, and performance skills. So, if you’re seriously interested in pursuing this career, start by joining your local or school’s theater program as a valuable stepping stone!
It’s Not Just Doing Funny Voices
For aspiring voice actors, the panelists emphasized that training is essential.
“It’s voice acting. It’s not just about the voice. There’s a misconception that you get to do funny voices in front of a microphone, but it’s so much deeper than that. You really need to be able to have your acting chops reflect that you can do an actual character, a living, breathing creature, or a person or whatever,” said Stephanie Southerland.
“Yeah, it’s like you can do SpongeBob, but can you do SpongeBob reciting Shakespeare?” quips Heather Gonzalez.
“Know yourself, your instrument, and what your capabilities are. Saying ‘I’m really passionate, and I really want to do this is not enough,’ said Daniel Ross on stressing the importance of knowing oneself and how to stand out in a competitive industry.
Other essentials for aspiring voice actors? Mindset and Resilience.
Knowing WHY you want to do it and having that clear motivation will help guide you when things get hard, especially when auditions can be exhausting, and you’ll experience more rejections than acceptance.
“It’s a marathon, not a sprint. The people who make it have usually been at this for at least a decade,” said Alex, reminding everyone that success takes time, persistence, and patience.
Regarding major challenges, Isaac discussed stepping into the role of Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther for Disney Parks and cruise lines as well as Eddie Murphy for the role of Mushu. “Chadwick meant so much to the world…it was definitely intimidating but very humbling at the same time. I just want to make sure I’m a good steward of those characters because they mean so much, but so challenging and exponentially rewarding.”
How AI is Impacting the Industry
You might’ve noticed that some of your favorite game characters aren’t speaking anymore.
On July 26, 2024, SAG-AFTRA initiated a voice actors’ strike between video game VAs and gaming companies over AI protections, fair wages, and better working conditions. As companies have used AI to clone voices without the actors’ consent and additional compensation, the actors want protection against unauthorized AI replication of their voices.
“Just because our industry is threatened right now, it doesn’t mean that AI is evil. It’s what people do with it. The nefarious notion that you can take interviews, TikTok videos, and YouTube videos and compile a composite of someone without their consent… It’s pretty disgusting. We’ve been striking for so long because the companies just want to say, ‘We worked with you once, now we own your voice forever.’ And we’re like, no, of course it’s not okay,” said Daniel Ross.
Alex Bankier said, “Certain automation can make aspects of production easier, but that does mean it can cut into our livelihoods as performers and even the livelihoods of audio engineers, the production team, game developers, it really affects all of us…this is an existential threat and these companies really want to be able to use just the bounty of existing performances to whatever end they want, but don’t want to compensate the performers.”
Currently, negotiations are still ongoing with no resolution reached, which has led to delays in some video game releases and even temporary removal of voice-overs in certain games. Actors are using the hashtag #GamePerformanceMatters to spread awareness and encourage people to do the same for support.
Real Questions Answered By Established Voice Actors
For the Q&A portion, audience members quickly lined up at the microphone to ask their questions, but due to time, 6 questions were answered. All of them were great, so we felt the need to share and summarize their answers!
Q: How do I create distinct voices for my cartoon characters?
A: Start with their personality traits. Are they tired, energetic, cynical, optimistic, etc? Use contrast to play with different tones and energy levels to make them distinct. Consider the emotional tone of the show; for instance, if it’s a comedic show with emotional moments, then balance humor and depth.
Q: What are some reputable voice acting classes or coaches?
A: Avoid any predatory courses that promise instant success and six figures. Panelists love coaches like Richard Horvitz, Keythe Farley, and Cissy Jones. Schools include Voice Trax West, Sound On Studio, and Real Voice LA. You can also get a free consultation at Global Voice Acting Academy, with other resources including Voice Over Resource Guide and IWantToBeAVoiceActor.com
Q: How do I start auditioning for roles in voice acting?
A: As mentioned, theater experience is a valuable stepping stone, but you can also begin with voice acting lessons to get in front of industry pros. During this time, start building connections with working actors, directors, and casting agents. Since big roles often require an agent, work towards getting representation.
Q: How do I stand out when the industry prioritizes A-list actors?
A: Alex emphasized the importance of standing out in the industry, not by stepping on others but by honing one’s craft and putting oneself out there through networking and self-promotion. Daniel utilized social media to showcase his talent and to gain visibility. But remember that success takes time since most established actors have been in the industry for at least a decade!
Q: Should I include impressions in my voice demo reel?
A: If it’s for an animation demo, then no, since those characters are already booked. However, a separate sound-alike demo can benefit you since sound-alike work exists in TV and movies. Have multiple demos. The ones you need for an agency animation and commercial demos because those are the ones that book the most, but you can also do a video game demo and a creature sounds demo. Put on display what you’re good at!
Q: As a voice actor, what’s the best direction you’ve received that improved your performance?
A: The best directors act as scene partners, making the performance feel real as most of the time, you just see an Excel sheet with some lines versus the whole script. They also help actors feel secure, especially during emotional scenes, so creating a safe environment is key. When actors were asked to imagine their physicality of the character, what the character’s posture is, and whether they are doing any movement. And when actors are encouraged to experiment, the element of play makes it easier for them to embody the character fully.
We hope this gets you one step closer to your voice acting journey – or at the very least, helps you understand the immense effort behind the work and why the use of AI can threaten the future of the profession.
WonderCon 2026 returns next year on Friday, March 27 – Sunday, March 29, in Anaheim!
