THE VOICES OF FOP
Hey FOP Fans!
This past week we did our very first recording for our 2007 Season. Things are starting to get very exciting around here. It was great catching up with the very talented voice artists who help bring Timmy, Cosmo, and Wanda to life. So, here’s my question, how many of you think you have the chops to be a cartoon?! I asked Tara Strong, Daran Norris and Susanne Blakesley some questions about their job and I thought you’d get a kick out of the answers…
1. What do you do to prepare for your role? Or more specifically, how did you come up with your character’s voice?
Tara: I pray to Butch for voice-guidance!!! Or, maybe I like to look at the drawings and imagine what the creator invisioned and jump in head first.
Susanne: One of the greatest tools I know to come up with a character’s voice is a picture to go along with the dialogue. I know when I saw Wanda, the voice evolved from my strong first impression. Maybe it was the swirly pink hair……
Daran: In the original 7-minute pilot, Cosmo’s voice was very different.
When the show was picked up for multilple episodes, Butch decided to really amp up Cosmo’s voice and behavior. That was a great call on his part, and I was thrilled to oblige
2. Did you go to school to learn how to do voices?
Tara: I didn’t go to cartoon school, but acting training and singing lessons are a huge reason I’m where I am today.
Susanne: I actually went to school in London to study what I guess you would call Classical Acting. The great thing was that we did a lot of studying of dialects and phonetics. Also, I have a strong musical background, and I’ve found that the majority of voice actors are musically gifted. Perhaps it’s what you call a strong ear. Besides my training, I can’t remember when in my life I haven’t been imitating people.
Daran: I don’t have a lot of professional training, but I’ve been experimenting with voices and vocal impressions since I was a kid. I’ve been an actor all my life, and it’s a dream come true to voice animated characters, especially these ones!
3. How many voices can you do?
Tara: More than you can count….and way more than Cosmo can count.
Susanne: Hopefully, the number of voices I can do is limitless — at least, you can never stop learning and stretching
Daran: That’s a tough one! I’ve found that you really don’t know if you can do something vocally until you try, and you often end up surprising yourself. One of the great things about being a voice-actor is that you are constantly coming up with new voices and challenging yourself.
4. What’s your favorite part about your job?
Tara: Hanging out with amazing talented fun people and getting to flex my creative wings.
Susanne: My favorite part of my job is the joy and laughter. I’m thankful every day.
Daran: Besides laughing my head off, I’d say being around so many incredibly talented people is still my favorite part of this job.
5. What’s the most number of times you’ve ever had to say a line?
Tara: Please, I’m one-take-Tara
Susanne: In some projects, MULTIPLE takes, or readings of a line are necessary to get the proper nuance, or to “cover the bases,” meaning that every attitude is covered. Actually, the hardest part can be the repetition of screams, yells, etc. usually associated with video games. I’ve been chased by bees, hunted by zombies, set on fire (but survived unhurt!)
Daran: I know this doesn’t answer the question, but I still say the “Pledge of Allegiance” every day, so that’s gotta be over 10,000! As for recording the same line of dialogue, that’s easily over 100.
Easily…
6. Have you ever heard someone in a supermarket/movies/mall that lead you to a character voice?
Tara: Totally. A lot of family members have been brought to toonland too. But they don’t know
it….especially the really old cuckoo ones.
Susanne: I think that anywhere you go is an opportunity to find a new character! They might be sitting next to you on a bus, or selling fruit at the farmer’s market…
Daran: Not specifically, but I get inspiration from everywhere, including a taxi-cab driver in Louisville, Kentucky, whom I rode around with longer than I needed to just to hear him speak. I try to keep my ears open and my mouth shut as much as possible. I’m not always successful at that!
7. Who has your favorite voice?
Tara: Me. And the little kid that sits next to my kid in school. But definitely not Daran Norris, dang that’s an annoying voice. I mean…I love Daran’s voice?
Susanne: Butch Hartman has my favorite voice. He can do all the Fairly OddParents characters!
Daran: Among my favorites are Sean Connery and James Earl Jones, they have such distinctive, unmistakable voices. Connery was the first impression I ever tried to do and I’m still a big fan.
What about you guys? Do you have any questions for Tara, Daran or Susanne?
We set up a new email account so feel free to write to us at the fairlyoddblog@gmail.com
Look forward to hearing from you and remember to keep watching!
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On May 1st, 2007 at 12:00 am
Fun interview. I’d have to say in my limited experience that voice actors are some of the most fun, playful, and intelligent actors I’ve run into. They’re like actors, minus the ego. The perfect storm.
On a more personal note…..
Hey, Butch, looking for any writers on your show?
On June 4th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Yah, U got that right dude!
Voice people are the most creative, & vocal people around. Great music backgrounds too.
I some some of them personally. Great fun loving people like Tara & the gang along with crazy Darin! (it takes one to know one eh?) I know one of them personally too!
Great guy! A story is only as good as it’s writers & Butch Hartman is one of those great story writers. That’s what makes a cartoon last through the years. All the best cartoons have the best writing & best
characters too. Let us not forget our friend & creative writer, Creg McCracken–I enjoy Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends but, still liked PowerPuff Girls cartoons too.
Great writing & storys!
On May 1st, 2007 at 12:00 am
Wow! Thank you so much for interviewing them!!! (I was wondering how to email like a few American cartoon VAs…)
I love hearing what the VAs have to say, and I really love it when they answer the fan’s questions (I asked some questions to a VA over at 4Kids, I learned a LOT about the VA dubbing industry and just voice acting in general!)
Being a VA sounds like a great, fun job! (Though it’s porbably not for me. I can’t sing… and i mumble… a lot. XD)
The last picture is the best. (Cosmo is so awesomely funny!)
Great talent you all have! (Oh yeah I watched the FoP: Scary godparents eppi. It was cool to hear Butch as the pink yugopotamian! (how’d you come up with “yugopotamian”, anyways?)
I’ll be sure to email some cool questions when i think of them!
Everyone keep up the awesome work! (and yay, new FoP!)
Cheers!
-Christine “slifertheskydragon” T (dA)
On May 1st, 2007 at 12:00 am
Nice pics and great article. However, I don’t have a question, but I do have a comment…and I’m don’t want to hurt any feelings here, believe me, I admire you guys so much…one of the complaints I hear from people about FOP is the volume and pitch of the voices. A little…uh..screechy. I have to say I agree with that, but the voices were not quite that way in the earlier days. I greatly admire Susan, Daran and Tara, but it’d be great if the voices for the new episodes could be softened just a mite. Anyway, I’m looking forward to the new eps, and of all the excellent pictures, I really liked the group picture the best. Daran leaning his chin on Susan’s shoulder reminded me so much of the original Wanda and Cosmo. Cute!!!
On May 3rd, 2007 at 12:00 am
Hey, compared to how Spongebob’s voice (no offense Tom Kenny) has fianlly gotten on my nerves, (I really don’t wanna hear “I’m ready” with that wierd laugh anymore…)
I think it’s pretty awesome job how the VAs do the voices (My mom complains how all american cartoons are noisy…)
I think that Wanda’s voice can be compared to like, Marge from the simpsons.
Great acting, and well, you get used the voices after a while… (except spongebob. that actually got more annoying for me…)
On January 25th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Yeah, but it is kind of up to the creator and the voice director, if they need the voice softer or not
On May 1st, 2007 at 12:00 am
I think its great that your putting this type of stuff on the blog Butch! I love learning more about the TV biz! I can’t do different voices though, I always sound the same. Better just stick to writing for me :).
On May 2nd, 2007 at 12:00 am
Great post, Butch. My kids and I love your show.
On May 2nd, 2007 at 12:00 am
Wheee!
I can’t wait for the new episodes!
I love all their different voices!! They are so talented!
I really love this show!! It just took me one day to become a fan XD
I really admire all the fop voice actors…you guys are sooo talented and creative! XD
wheeeeee!
Can’t wait for the new sppis!! XD
On May 3rd, 2007 at 12:00 am
An interesting read. Thanks for putting this online
On May 3rd, 2007 at 12:00 am
Tara is a fox!
On May 4th, 2007 at 12:00 am
What a stable of talent FOP has! Everybody, actors, writers, artists. Thanks for this post, I love the ‘inside story’ type stuff. On the ’shrillness’, I’ve heard that comment before. Maybe parents let kids turn the set up too loud. Or maybe there could be 2 dB less around 3K in the mix to mediate the edge. I think Butch is a fox. Call me. (He’s NOT going to call you.)
On May 5th, 2007 at 12:00 am
I agree about the voices. When Cosmo screeched “it doesn’t have any pictures in it!” in Fairy Idol, that literally set my teeth on edge. But anyway, this was a cool COOL article. And as for the pictures…EVERYBODY is a fox!
On May 6th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Great Article! I love reading & hearing about voice actors. I am a wantabee one myself. Thanks for the article, I might work up a question or two to send out to ya guys!!
Thanks,
On May 11th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Hey Hey!
Congrats to Butch & the gang for more great animation with the best fairy godparents any of us could ever want! “Too Kool eh?!”
Cheers to all of you!! Daran & Susanne & of course my friend Tara–the 1 & only! Maziltov! Keep up the great work guys!
Love ya!! +;-)
On June 4th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Hey–Yeah..FOP is great..I like it too!
Fun stuff. Keep on Rockin’ MR. “Wowie”
of the Howie kind.
On May 15th, 2007 at 12:00 am
great interview i think voice work is awesome i love tara strong!!!
On May 26th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Hey Hey Guys!
Yeah, Regarding Tara doing our beloved Timmy Turner; If Tara could get a bit more “rasp” in Timmy’s voice–At times, Timmy sounds abit too “feminine” for a 10 year old boy–but still, as always–Tara does a great job in which I always love to hear. Susan & Daran do an awesome job too of course.
And kudos to the great Butch Hartman whom is the man behind the “scenes” Thanks! Later ‘Gators!
+:-)
On June 4th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Hello to all.
Yes, FOP is one of my fave cartoons.
Great writing & wild story all done by great creative people like Butch & his gang of wild fun voice people. God bless ‘em all & may they keep on keepin’ on Baby!
Nobody seems to know this but, Tara plays (or did play) trumpet. & Howie plays duh tuba while Cosmo plays with his IPod while Wanta looks on.
LOL! +;-)
On June 7th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Aw! That was an awesome post!
Uhm… If it’s not too late..
What would the voice actors tell/ recommend to people who want to aspire to be voice actors?
Thanks!
On June 11th, 2007 at 12:00 am
wait a minute- how many voice actors have there been for cosmo? I thought he was VA’d by the guy that also did Richie from Static…
On June 13th, 2007 at 12:00 am
My son got me hooked on timmy turner and i watch this show faithfully i love cosmo because he’s an idiot but i love wanda because she’s the smart one and then there is timmy he’s just timmy. thank you for this show
On June 15th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Wait a minute, I have gone CRAZY on this post!!!
On July 3rd, 2007 at 12:00 am
nice interveiw just like to say
i love to watch the fairly odds it is one of the funniest cartoons on nickelodeon and im such a huge fan i have seen every episode that has been shown my favorite characters are timmy and denzel crocker
On July 9th, 2007 at 12:00 am
I wish you would hire me for voice acting
On August 21st, 2007 at 12:00 am
fun interview, very inspiring…thank you! since I found DP and FOP i’ve harbored secret wishes to be a voice actor. I just may have found my calling…try me! ;D
On August 25th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Hey!Butch! As people can see I put funny coments Such as “ah sugar crystals!” Or “Uh-Oh-Alfredo!” you can use those anytime on a show! That would Rock Like “Cheese and backscratchers!” L8r peoples of the world!
On September 19th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Hey Butch! This was a wonderful interview!
I used to always watch your show until (i dont know why) i couldnt find any more new episodes. Well, Even though Im in 7th grade, your show is really good and I LOVE watching it! I just wanted to tell you thankyou for giving children the entertainment of Fairly Odd Parents. I really appreciate it. Good luck with the restof your career!!!
On September 29th, 2007 at 12:00 am
hey, WaHOw0w!! great job! i love fairly odd parents, and would also like to be a voice actor, i think itss probably the only thing i want to do, apart from acting, well i do drama GCSE and singing lessons, so im on my way hopefully! lol, any advice?
On October 11th, 2007 at 12:00 am
You guys Rock! It’s the voice actors who bring the cartoon to life. I’m a really huge fan.
On October 19th, 2007 at 12:00 am
I am a very big fan of Tara and I have been for a while and I just have to say my favorite character that she has done would have to be Raven from Teen Titans any way a question I have for her is how stressful is it to keep up such a high profile career because if you find a job that you love you will never have to work a day in you life
On December 8th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Butch, can you put behind the scenes of FOP on a future DVD release?
On December 18th, 2007 at 12:00 am
without the voice actors, every frame of animated tv would be like mime! Thank you voice actors! …and i really love the FOP and DP drawing styles! Keep up the amazing work! ^_^
On December 26th, 2007 at 12:00 am
I Love the Fairly OddParents, one question we´ll be more cross-over i think that it will be good a Danny Phantom-Timmy Turner power hour
On December 30th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Lol! Good and fun interview. I love The Fairly OddParents, the characters and their voice artists. They all rock. I can’t wait to see a new episode when it comes over to the United Kingdom.
On January 3rd, 2008 at 12:00 am
Oh my gosh! I love these voice-over artists so much!
On January 25th, 2008 at 12:00 am
This is easily my favorite part of this site. I plan on being a voice-over artist one day (artist, tee hee) and this is really cool.
On January 29th, 2008 at 12:00 am
The Fairly OddParents And Danny Phantom
On February 1st, 2008 at 12:00 am
I wonder what their favorite episode was? Or is….
On February 25th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Who plays cosmo in the fairly oddparents?
On February 25th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Daran Norris does
On February 26th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Have you heard Tara Strong in Powerpuff girls as Bubbles. Her voice could get high! Espesially when she sang.
On March 1st, 2008 at 12:00 am
Ya, I no
On March 29th, 2008 at 12:00 am
My English looks almost exactly like Tara Strong, so I gave her that nickname. And then All of a sudden, everyone calls her that. Its funny when I forget who we’re talking about. My friends will be like “Tara Strong is so mean, she gave us a three page essay.” And I’ll say “You know Tara Strong?!”
“I’m sure the ax man was just trying to be friendly”—Der from Randomosity.
On April 1st, 2008 at 12:00 am
Correction: My english teacher looks like Tara Strong
On April 1st, 2008 at 12:00 am
Daran, I love the shows that you do. My sister loves how you talk like Cosmo, Mr. Turner and Jorgan Von Strangle so mutch. I love the Fairly OddParents thats one of my favorite movies ever! Bye-bye!