We had the pleasure of chatting with voice actor Jack Reeder!
1.What inspired you to become a voice actor?
For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to make cartoons. I learned how to draw at an early age and I wanted to make cartoons more than anything. I can’t pinpoint the exact moment but this led to understanding what voice acting was for cartoons. Whether it was anime, Cartoon Network, or Newgrounds, I became constantly obsessed with mimicking voices in an attempt to perfect my impressions. Many years of practice later, I realized I was pretty good.
2.Can you describe your process for preparing for a voice acting role?
The most important factors for me are that I get enough sleep the night before so that my brain power and focus are on point, and learning to relax before a session. There’s not usually much time to get to know a character before I have to step into their shoes, so I need to be as sharp as possible when making decisions about who they are and how they will sound. I also try to keep in mind certain bits of advice like “choice > voice” to not get too much into my head about what they sound like, but how they feel when they’re speaking. (I will admit there are sometimes where I struggle to place a voice for a character based on their physical appearance because sometimes it’s not what the director is looking for; but if you have a director present for a session or audition, they are incredibly helpful in guiding you to the best voice).
3.What has been your biggest challenge as a voice actor and how have you overcome it?
My biggest challenge personally has been overcoming my social anxiety in the industry. Since I was a teenager I’ve been very shy and had trouble speaking to people. Once I learned how important networking is, I constantly challenged myself to step out of my comfort zone in order to meet more people and form more connections. I find it still eats at me to this day but the same goes for a lot of actors; I learned the best rule of thumb to structure my behavior was to always stay professional.
4.Can you tell us about a particularly memorable project you’ve worked on and why it stands out to you?
This is a tough choice because I’ve been excited to work on every project I’ve been a part of, whether it be anime, video games, or online toons. Various creators on Newgrounds gave me my start in the online realm, and each one I’m still grateful for. My first anime role as a named character (Hayato Sasugai from Skate-Leading Stars) was a total blast to record for and required me to challenge myself every session. But my role as Cidre from One Piece is probably my favorite role so far because I got to voice a One Piece villain, something I never dreamed would actually happen when I was a kid.
5. How do you handle the pressure of performing in front of a microphone?
I used to get booth shakes where I couldn’t stop shaking from nervousness every time I got in the booth. Luckily I’ve been granted enough chances to form experience over the years, and that experience allows me to be confident in not second-guessing myself when it’s time to perform. Screwing up isn’t a big deal as long as you’re giving it your all and trying to stay grounded. I always try to remember advice I heard from one teacher, Bryan Massey, which is that the director is rooting for you and wants you to succeed.
6.Can you share any advice for aspiring voice actors just starting out in the industry?
Rule #1: Learn how to socialize. If you can learn how to talk to people as well as basic social etiquette, you will have much less trouble navigating this industry. It’s a strange mix of highly competitive but also familial. Learn how to respect others and act less awkward than I did starting out and you’ll be much better off. Rule #2: Practice, practice, practice. I remember one of my first impressions was absolutely terrible when I first tried it. Several months later and people told me it was the best impression they’ve ever heard. (Note: practicing impressions is great to find the range of your voice, but they’re highly frowned upon in the industry; you want to master your own voice, not somebody else’s.) Rule #3: Take theater. I think you’ll find every single person saying this same thing. Theater establishes fundamentals for actors that they can carry with them for the rest of their careers. And it’s wonderful practice for performance anxiety. Rule #4: Make money. To be a voice actor, you’ll need to live in a metropolitan area (most likely Dallas or LA) and it can be pretty expensive. You’ll also want to take as many acting classes as possible (each class I’ve ever taken has been phenomenally helpful), as well as buy equipment, a booth, headshots, demos… it can be tough on your wallet.
7.Can you tell us about a time when you had to adapt to a new character or voice?
Every time I voice act for anime I feel like I’m adapting to some degree. There’s always a sense of fishing for the right mode of speaking, character motivations, mood, attitude, cadence, etc…. until eventually something in my head clicks and I understand the character and how they need to sound. It’s always a feeling of pure intuition. This might not make sense, but sometimes I try the voice that I would expect this character to have, if I were a child again watching the show on a television. That’s how I tap into the zone best.
8. How do you stay motivated and engaged during long recording sessions?
Though many actors advise against it, lots of caffeine baby. I’m extremely grateful whenever I get to a studio that has Red Bull on standby. Once I have the energy, it’s not hard to stay motivated or engaged when I think how lucky I am to be doing one of the coolest jobs in the world.
9.Can you tell us about an experience you had while working on a project where you had to improvise or come up with an unexpected solution?
An animator reached out to me asking if I could sound like kid Goku from Dragonball for a very well animated online cartoon. I lied and said I could, but I couldn’t even come close. I practiced for 3 days and recorded 30 takes per line, but eventually they sounded authentic.
10.Can you share a funny or interesting story from your time as a voice actor?
Not too long ago I was in between leases for an apartment. One lease ended and another was set to begin, but the unit wasn’t renovated yet, and they didn’t have any other units available. For months I looked for a different apartment, but unfortunately my income and credit didn’t qualify for any thanks to rising rental costs and a population boom. Application fees were $50-75 just to see if I could qualify and I was turned down over and over. I had a role at the time so I couldn’t move back in with my parents states away, and none of my friends felt like letting me crash. So I did the only thing I could do, which was sign up to work for Uber Eats during the day, and sleep in my car at night. It was a very difficult time but I knew it was a make-or-break moment. If this career truly mattered to me enough, I would see it through. For fear of being judged, I didn’t tell anyone in the industry. I couldn’t lie down sprawled out, and instead was constatnly cramped and bent, waking up incredibly sore the next morning. Every night it would get so freezing that my toes went numb, and at one point I even got sick and didn’t have a warm bed to lie in. Eventually after well over a month of living like this, the unit was renovated and ready for move-in. That time will forever serve as a motivator and a reminder at how committed I am to this dream.
11.Can you share your favorite voice acting moment or performance?
The first class I ever took was with a few veteran FUNimation actors. We were fake auditioning in order to demonstrate our abilities. We used the audition sides from Ben-To if I’m not mistaken. I got up and did my stuff, and I remember how much I managed to impress the directors. At the end of the class, one of them pulled me aside and asked me how long I’ve been doing this. I explained that I had never actually voice acted before, but I had practiced my whole life and it was something I really wanted to do. He looked at me in the eyes and told me I was really good, and if I wanted to take it seriously I’d have to move to Dallas. So a month later, I did. That was the *official* start of my journey after practicing since childhood prior, and I’ve been grateful ever since.
12.Can you tell us about a voice acting project you turned down and why?
I’ve never turned down a project, but I’ve also never had to deal with any reason why I should.
13. How do you keep your voice in good condition for voice acting?
Before a session, I’m very careful to not consume anything that causes too much acid reflux. I limit anything that would irritate my vocals. And even if I’m reading the back of a pill bottle, I bust out into a voice which keeps my skills sharp. Trust me, I annoyed a lot of friends growing up, but at this point it’s paid off. (Also, my personal secret? I’ve never liked soda. I think that’s saved a lot of subtle throat irritation over the years).
14.Can you tell us about a time when you had to take on a role that was completely different from what you were used to?
The very first time I was called into FUNimation, I was told to voice a child for a bit role. I was mortified because I couldn’t sound authentic at all in terms of vocal register or emotion. I never checked but I’m pretty sure it was recast. Since then I have become aware of my range enough to be confident in communicating that with the director, or at least performing other uncomfortable roles better than I did at that time.
15.What are your thoughts on All Ages of Geek and what can we improve on to make it a better platform?
I wasn’t familiar with All Ages of Geek before this, but after looking around the website it looks really cool with interesting topics. I don’t have any comments about improving it and I wish you the best of luck moving forward.
16.Where can people find you online?
Facebook:
Twitter:
YouTube: http://youtube.com/@Jakoshi Website: http://jack-reeder.com Newgrounds: http://jakoshi.newgrounds.com TikTok:
Thank you so much for the opportunity to give my perspective on all these questions. To any souls who want to pursue voice acting, I will tell you that it’s very possible, but you must seriously be committed. I encourage anyone who has a dream or a passion to pursue it because life is too short to be wasted and you should live up to your fullest potential.
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