Many of you may know Ben, Sasuke, and Superman but who you may not know is the man behind the voice. Yuri Lowenthal is an experienced voice actor who has voiced in many shows. He always keeps busy but has found time to do an interview with us. Check it out and enjoy!
Noreé: Hello, how are you doing today thank you for taking the time to do this interview.
Yuri: Good. Thanks for having me.
Noreé: I read online that you were born in Alliance, Ohio. Elaborate a little about were you grew up.
Yuri: I actually grew up all over the place. I was born in Ohio, but moved to Nashville, TN, Arlington, VA, Niger, West Africa, Osaka, Japan, and New York. I traveled a lot, and it may have been hard sometimes, but I wouldn't trade that experience for the world.
Noreé: Was being a voice actor something you always wanted to do or was it just something that happened to land in your lap?
Yuri: Well it certainly didn't just land in my lap. I had been working as an actor, mostly in theatre and independent film, for about 7 or 8 years before my voice acting career began. I had always loved animation, but I never really thought it was something I could do. I didn't know where to begin, so I took a basic class. My teacher later got a job directing an anime series and asked me to audition. I was cast, and that was pretty much where it started. I believe that because of all my training and experience before that, I've been able to work my way up to where I am now. And I'm happy to be here.
Noreé: Let's talk about you first gig. How did you come about getting this gig and were you nervous?
Yuri: I think I may have answered that a little bit in the last question, but I don't think I was very nervous at that audition. But I've been nervous since then. It all depends on the job. Some of them I want more than others, and that makes me nervous sometimes.
Noreé: I read somewhere online some of your favorite roles were Ben Tennyson, Sasuke Uchiha, and Superman. Which one of the three was most favorite and why?
Yuri: I think I listed 3 because it's impossible to choose. And now I'd have to add characters to that, like the Prince from the Prince of Persia series, Kuma from Afro Samurai. It's tough. But, come on, Superman? I got to play Superman. How do you beat that? He's Superman.
Noreé: Ben 10: Alien Force is one of my favorite shows on Cartoon Network. What type of responses have you received from fans of the show about how portray Ben Tennyson?
Yuri: That's good to hear. So far, so good. I was worried, of course, because the show had already been on for several seasons with a younger Ben, played by another actor. It's always difficult to step into shoes that big. It was already a hit show. You don't mess with a hit show. But they did, and I was nervous about fans liking the "new" Ben.
Noreé: What is the one challenging aspect that you had to over come about being a voice actor?
Yuri: Well, there are more than one, but being any kind of actor at all requires huge amounts of patience and the ability to survive rejection day after day. It takes a lot of strength, as well as a strong belief in yourself. There's no guide to it, either, no assurance of success. I have to find a new job almost every day. It's a lot of work.
Noreé: What has been the most rewarding aspect about being a voice actor?
Yuri: Being able to play such a varied group of characters. I'd never be able to do that in the on-camera world. I just look basically one way, but I can sound many different ways.
Noreé: Has there ever been a role you wanted that you were over looked or rejected on?
Yuri: Many. All the time. Most of them, even. I audition every day. It'd be impossible to get all of them. It's one of those things you've got to deal with on a regular basis if you want to stay in the business and keep sane. I want every role I audition for, some more and some less, but I always want it. You can't let it get to you, though.
Noreé: Do feel that voice actors are under appreciated within the Entertainment Industry? Why or Why not?
Yuri: Sure. We don't get quite the accolades from the public (or those within the industry) that a lot of on-camera actors get, even if the work we do is seen (or heard, rather) by as many people. We're faceless, and I think that prevents us from attaining the same kind of celebrity. But I know a lot of "famous" on-camera actors who wish that they had my job. It's kind of weird.
Noreé: What preparations do you make for your roles?
Yuri: It really depends on the role. Some are closer to who I am naturally and require less preparation and some require more. Most preparation I do is just using my imagination. The rest may be physical, such as warming up my voice.
Noreé: Let's talk about some of your recent projects. I read online that you are going to be Iceman on the newest X-Men series "Wolverine and the X-Men" on Nick. How did you come about obtaining this role and what do you feel you can add to an established core character of the X-men?
Yuri: Being a big comic book fan, it's a thrill to be playing Bobby Drake on this show. I've worked with the voice director of the show before and I'm glad he asked me to come in and audition. And hopefully I can add some comic relief to the show. Bobby gets a lot of comic moments.
Noreé: As we wrap up this interview what are you thoughts about the future of voice actors?
Yuri: Hey, with more and more video games and animation, it seems the future of voice actors is pretty bright. It looks that way from here, anyway.
