We Interviewed Voice Actor Patrick Mealey!

Hi there everyone! My name is Patrick Mealey and I’m a full time non-binary voice actor based out of Dallas, Texas. I’m originally from Newark, Delaware. I can be heard in anime, video games, commercials, audiobooks and other media throughout the web. I’m a lifelong creative with a background in music and film. I fell into voice acting during my freshman year of university, and after trekking into the online world, I haven’t looked back since. Outside of acting, I have tons of different hobbies. I’m a singer/guitarist, I enjoy working out, watching movies and shows, prattling on about musical theater, reading books, streaming on my Twitch channel, hanging out with close friends, and taking care of my pet cat Draco. Very happy to be here to discuss my journey with you all today!

1.What inspired you to become a voice actor?

I had always been interested in animation and games since I was a kid, and when I was a teenager I got into anime. For the longest time I didn’t realize voice acting was something that you could do, so I never really approached it until I was in college and I got involved through there. My approach to acting is definitely different than many of my colleagues since I never had acted prior to voice work.

2.Can you describe your process for preparing for a voice acting role?

It does depend honestly. If it’s a character that’s a certain vocal texture or area, I always try to make sure I’m warmed up beforehand so I can stay safe in the session. I also do tend to look over the audition copy as much as I can to get an idea of the overall character. For most performances though, I often try to not over prepare myself as I enjoy the spontaneity of voice over, and there’s always fun surprises when I go into record cold.

3.What has been your biggest challenge as a voice actor and how have you overcome it?

I think the biggest challenge for me was gaining confidence in my abilities. Mentioning before that I had never done acting prior to VO, I considered myself a fish out of water, especially in comparison to my colleagues who had years of experience and training under their belt. I remember one time going into a voice call with several other performers who were talking about their backgrounds and I felt completely nervous to even talk. Overtime though, I realize a lot of that is inconsequential and my abilities are by no means worse.

4.Can you tell us about a particularly memorable project you’ve worked on and why it stands out to you?

Oh absolutely! Gashin Tezuka in AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline. This was the first anime series I had ever worked on back in 2022. The production was done by NYAV Post and directed by Griffin Puatu. It was my first time ever working in anime and it was also a major character. I had wanted to perform in anime ever since I was 18 so this was a legit dream come true for me. Not only that, but working with Griffin was an absolute pleasure, he’s such a wonderful guy and he really taught me a lot. It was difficult at points considering it was my first gig, but Griffin made it so fun and was especially supportive.

5. How do you handle the pressure of performing in front of a microphone?

I always find for me, performing in front of the microphone is way more comfortable. I recently started auditioning for theater in the area out of a genuine interest and I’m still fighting hard to get over my stage fright. Also having to memorize lines is something I almost never have to do when in front of the microphone, so there’s that haha.

6.Can you share any advice for aspiring voice actors just starting out in the industry?

Honestly, the biggest piece of advice I always give to newer talent is to just do it. I’ve met a lot of up and coming talent who are usually very hesitant to go forward and truthfully, you never know if you’ll enjoy it unless you try it out. If you decide to do it and find it’s not for you, that’s totally fine. As well, you can have it as a fun hobby to do in your spare time, which I think is the beauty of it. I will say, if you do decide to take it more seriously, definitely look into classes and coaching. They’re great opportunities to hone your craft and you can even meet other actors and form wonderful friendships. In my opinion, there’s always lots to learn, and I always go to classes whenever I can to keep my skills sharp.

7.Can you tell us about a time when you had to adapt to a new character or voice?

One production I remember distinctly having to do that was a little game called War Islands I did back in 2020. The character, Jonathan, has a Queens/English dialect and I had never done accent work of any kind before. I remember texting my friend Minh Ton who helped me to learn the syllables and practice. I ultimately was able to do it for the role and I picked up a new skill!

8. How do you stay motivated and engaged during long recording sessions?

I definitely do my best to pace myself and take breaks when needed. The bulk of my work currently is a lot of narration/audiobooks. They can be super tough to do and with how hot it can get in my booth, I always try my best to take breaks and relax.

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?

There was a particular moment where I was in my booth getting things ready for a session the next day, and I saw that my mic wasn’t picking up in my DAW. I freaked out and was trying to figure out a solution, but then discovered the phantom power on the interface was off. Kind of an embarrassing thing, but very funny looking back on it haha!

10.Can you share a funny or interesting story from your time as a voice actor?

Oh gosh, I think probably the funniest moment I ever had when we were recording for AMAIM. There’s a scene where my character Gashin is waking one of the other characters Amou up. We had finished recording and were just messing around and as a joke, I recorded him saying, “Get up loser, we’re going shopping.” It was a lot of fun haha!

11.Can you share your favorite voice acting moment or performance?

Oh yes! This is a more recent thing actually. I’m currently voicing for an anime on Crunchyroll called Fruit of Evolution, specifically the second season. There’s a scene in the third episode with my character named Brud. He unlocks his powers but does this super weird and cringey disco style dance to unlock his powers. It was honestly one of the most fun times I had in the booth. Big shoutout to my director Jonathan Rigg, he makes those sessions an absolute ball of fun!

12.Can you tell us about a voice acting project you turned down and why?

Most projects I’ve turned down have been unpaid projects as I sadly can’t commit to them, but I have also turned down NFT projects as I do not support them. I ALWAYS will turn down a project that has hateful or prejudiced content, especially if slurs are said. I do not tolerate that in any way.

13. How do you keep your voice in good condition for voice acting?

I’ve had a lot of vocal training through singing lessons and choir and I usually default to that to keep my voice in shape before and after sessions. I sing scales, do tongue twisters, lip trills, and I’ll sing songs depending to warm up my higher and lower registers.

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?

Gashin was definitely a role that was a huge step out of my comfort zone. My typecast is usually high energy and happy go lucky kinds of characters. Gashin as a character, is so kept inside and cynical, and I had to maintain that for 25 episodes of a show. It was crazy. A lot of my friends and I joke that my first anime had me playing an edgelord haha!

15.What are your thoughts on All Ages of Geek and what can we improve on to make it a better platform?

Honestly I love your guys’ platform. It’s very well put together and I like the content a lot. No changes recommended from me!

16.Where can people find you online?

People can find me on social media with the @ PatrickMealeyVO. I’m mostly active on Twitter and I can also be found on Instagram, Twitch, and LinkedIn. You can also get in touch via my website at http://patrickmealey.net. Thank you guys so much for having me today!

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