A talented voice actress with a wide range of vocal skills, Kari Wahlgren conquers any role given to her. She has under her belt of professional voice acting credits a number of roles in anime, cartoons, and videogames. Kari keeps busy these days but sill finds the time to complete interview requests. Here is an recent interview that I completed with the talented voice actress. See what transpired.
Noreé: Hi, first of all thank you for taking the time to do this interview. How did you first come to realize you wanted to be a voice actress?
Kari: I always loved cartoons as a kid and had a sense that someone was doing the voices. I used to act out cartoons around the house, so I guess I knew I was interested pretty early!
Noreé: As a voice actress what do you feel is the most challenging aspect about the job?
Kari: You can't rely on your body and facial expressions to tell the story--you have to completely convey the character through your voice.
Noreé: Have you ever been offered a role that you simply refused to do?
Kari: Yes.
Noreé: What would you consider to be the perfect role and why?
Kari: It would be neat to play a character that universally appeals to both kids and adults. Those seem to be the ones we remember years later...
Noreé: What are some of your favorite shows and why?
Kari: I love the original "Batman: the animated series"; it was so well-acted and directed. It really influenced my love of voiceover. And a number of the classic Disney animated films inspired me. As for shows I've actually worked on, I can't really pick a favorite!
Noreé: Describe a usual day on the set for you on one of your shows.
Kari: I usually record in a studio with a director and engineer...sometimes with some of the clients and producers from the show. Depending on the project, I'll either record by myself or in a group with the other voice actors. And if it's a good day, I'm driving around town doing this whole thing two or three times for different shows!
Noreé: What would you consider to be your favorite place to help you clear your mind when you need to get away from it all?
Kari: I really love the Santa Ynez wine country. It's beautiful scenery, great wine, and it's an easy weekend trip out of L.A. A couple of days there, and I feel like I've recharged my battery!
Noreé: One of my favorite projects you worked on has been the Legion series for the Fox Channel Kids WB. You portrayed many of he shows key characters. Were you familiar with the comic book series or was this all new territory for you? How did you prepare for these roles?
Kari: This was a particular comic book I was not familiar with, so it was fun to read up on some of the old comics and learn more about the story. I just read as much as I could and worked with the director to get the voices right.
Noreé: Was it hard voicing many characters in the same show?
Kari: It was confusing at times, but overall it's a fun challenge. I love growing and trying new things.
Noreé: Are you a comic book or anime fan? If so, what are your all time favorites?
Kari: I'm a big Wonder Woman fan! I collect waaaay too much Wonder Woman stuff—my biggest weakness is coffee mugs... I own around 15! I also really like the X-Men. I used to have a friend who owned boxes of the comics; I'd read them into the wee hours of the morning.
Noreé: What about characters? Do you have any favorite characters that you portrayed or just in general?
Kari: I don't have one favorite character; I love a lot of roles I've played for various reasons...I keep hoping to come up with a better answer to that question, but I really do love most every character I've done.
Noree`: You also do a lot of videogames. Is that different from voicing in anime/cartoons?
Kari: Video games are some of the most grueling voiceover jobs to do--there are many, many more lines...sometimes hundreds or even thousands of lines...and you almost always record by yourself. The intensity usually needs to be pretty high, and there is often a lot of screaming and battle sounds to do...so it can often be much harder than cartoons!
Noreé: How has having an official website helped you professionally?
Kari: It just gives people one concise place to check out demos and resumes and gives me a professional point of reference to connect with people. It's been very helpful, and it's been a wonderful way to hear from the fans, too!
Noreé: Finally do you have anything you want to say to our readers?
Kari: Well, if anyone knows where I can find more Wonder Woman coffee mugs to add to my collection, be sure to let me know!
