The Awesomeness of Isolation for a Voiceover Artist

Isolation can be awesome. Rich Summers knows. He lives in the middle of the Idaho mountains. And because he’s in voiceover, the world he lives in, nature only enhances his ability to be not good but great at the backwoods-type sound he delivers.

In his environment, wildlife is everywhere. Quiet nature sounds are the golden vibe of a place on earth that has yet to be developed. The animals are happy here. The air has a distinct taste. The spirit echoes a vibe from hundreds of years ago when the Shoshone, Nez Perce,’ Kootenai, and Coeur d’Alene native American Indians ruled. It was their land. And if you ask the universe, it still Is.

Sounds of an organic world that hasn’t changed in thousands of years embody Idaho. “I was born in Utah and moved to Idaho as a kid.” And this is where Rich lives.

“The bald eagle, a typical sight in the mountains of Idaho.”

And that’s where our story begins about a young man who wanted to work using his voice. And now, at 68, he’s doing better than he ever has. His lifestyle is stress-free. His surroundings are full of God’s love. His work environment is successful and growing. “And none of it would have happened if I had not got into radio in the 70s during high school and learned the art of commercializing music.”

The year was 1974, the pay was $1.25 an hour, and Rich himself could not have been more stoked. “I was on the radio.”

That start would create a vagabond lifestyle that all radio programmers and DJs are familiar with. It’s this city this year, that city the next year, and it never stops. Ultimately, Rich did not finish college in lieu of his radio interests. “I just couldn’t have been more excited,” says Rich. “College no longer served me, so I didn’t finish.”

What didn’t get left behind, however is the owner of a radio property that tapped Rich to be the program director. The program director, or the PD, is the person who oversees the sound of a station and the one responsible for the ownership of all you hear. “At the time, I hated it, but I learned how to program a station by listening to big market stations and copy what they were doing because I had no idea.”

The years would come and go, just like the radio jobs, the property owners, the DJs, and the toxic atmosphere indicative of what it is really like in many terrestrial radio stations. But in 2018, that was it. “I was finished with radio, enough! I had to put down some roots and figure out what to do with the rest of my life.”

Enter the art of being a VO actor. “I thought I could walk in there and just immediately succeed, but it didn’t go like that,” says Rich. His first coach told him, “Don’t let anybody know you come from radio.”  That’s because radio and voiceover typically don’t complement each other. The radio man has one kind of sound. The voiceover artist has another. So, they typically don’t co-mingle.

The VO artist is a self-employed person who marches to the beat of their own drummer. The radio DJ is a corporate person who works for the station. “Don’t tell them about that radio stuff,” the coach told Rich. And so, Rich didn’t. And in doing so, Rich learned how to finesse his way into a world where the voice and art truly meet. The corporate mindset of radio got left in the dust, just like college did.

“I got in at the right time, and I had to reinvent myself,” says Rich. His earthy, scratchy, down-home voice pitch was perfect for certain projects.

“Covid changed the voiceover business; lucky for me, I work in the middle of nowhere,” Rich adds. “So, my life didn’t change one bit.”

Listen distinctly to Rich’s unique sound. There is no indication that he comes from the radio business. And that was exactly what the casting directors wanted. You can hear the essence of the outdoors within his unique sound. It’s his trademark.

There’s a certain type of voice for every project. Rich uses his no-accent Pacific Northwest dialect to compliment the backwoods flavor of his voice. It worked.

“You get out of the universe what you put into the universe,” says Rich. “There is no overnight success, but now, I’m in business for myself and work out of my own studio at home right here in Idaho.”

Rich’s success numbers are off the charts. Most voice actors score one voiceover gig per one hundred auditions. Rich scores one in 58, an unheard-of high rate of success. “You can’t ignore the fact I had years of experience using my voice when I entered the profession, and it has paid off.” https://www.richsummersvo.com

A bobcat that Rich’s dog treed

Rich believes in the three B philosophy. “Be informative. Be entertaining. Or be quiet.”

And his appreciation for his homeland is so overwhelming that Rich paints landscapes to show his gratitude for the world he lives in. www.richsummersart.net

So, if you are ever in the middle of Idaho, you’ll feel the solitude and sanctuary I’m writing about. It’s the Northern Rockies. It’s quiet. It’s nature in full bloom. It’s a place in America frozen in time. And people are not plentiful per se. And that’s okay with Rich Summers because isolation truly is awesome.

The Voiceover Mom

Aleesha Bake is a mom. “It’s all I ever wanted to be,” she tells me. And five children later, at only 43 years old, make no mistake, Aleesha has arrived. “I’ve got a 7, a 13, a 15, a 19, and a 21-year-old.”

Growing up in Sylva, North Carolina, Aleesha describes her childhood as “perfect; ideal in every way.”  This Thomas Kincade upbringing had an unbelievable effect on Aleesha. “Growing up, we lived at the foot of a mountain; very little TV, and my parents got along very well and are still married to this day some 46-47 years later.”  The emphasis was placed on home being, as the cliché goes, where the heart is. “Mom taught me how to can fruits and vegetables and how to sew,” says Aleesha. Her mother was a stay-at-home mom, and her father was a police officer. So, the “Leave It to Beaver” homelife was close to her reality from the famous 1960s TV show.

This was as good of a home life as any child could experience. She was the kid she describes as always asking questions. “I’d always be the one in class to raise my hand to read aloud.” She had a very high energy level. She thought nothing of it. But when she reached her 40’s, she was diagnosed with ADHD. “And it’s not something to be ashamed of.”

“I’d hear, “be quiet, be quiet, be quiet” from my teachers because I was always so interested in everything,” she tells me.

“I was just a non-stop chatterer.” Her love interest showed up in her life very early on, and they got married at 20 and immediately started a family. 

So, from 20 years old until 2018, Aleesha mirrored her mother, and there was no career. But a peace officer’s salary, which is her husband’s profession makes it financially difficult for a family. So, Aleesha loved to read so much that she set up a makeshift studio in her closet using her income tax refund to purchase a microphone.

She closed the door, read the audition, and got cast. “First audition. First booking. It just happened with no training and no mentor,” says Aleesha. “But it was a scam, so I googled, “How to make money with a microphone and within a month, I was making money.” And this was out of her closet. She would continue producing from inside her closet for a year and a half until she and her husband built a voice-over studio in the backyard.

As the family grew, so did the need for more space. So, Aleesha built (with her own hands, not a contractor) various areas designed for improvement or more space. And below are just a couple of examples of how she views the creative process. “To me, being creative doesn’t always involve a microphone.”

And that’s when the career went full steam. “I can use all my senses from my ADHD and become hyper-focused,” says Aleesha. “It’s very helpful.”

She developed friendships, agents, and associations that would help her become a professional voice actor. And today, Aleesha truly is a member of the tribe.    

She works in commercials, corporate videos, and audiobooks. And here’s her award-winning audiobook called “Fumble.”

Doing commercial work has been very good for Aleesha. Here’s an example of what she feels is her finest commercial work.

And then, of course, Aleesha is often hired to produce corporate videos and explainer videos. 

Living now in Raleigh, North Carolina…her typical day is very full and organized. She’ll be up at 6 am, get her son off to school by 8, and audition from early morning to about noon. Then comes the laundry, house cleaning, and a few posts on TikTok. 

And then there’s the drywall she’s hanging or some home improvement. In fact, it’s going on right now during this writing. The woman has the mind of a construction worker and can build anything. “Although I do hire an electrician for sub-contracting.”  

As wholesome as a homemade batch of biscuits, Aleesha is an example of how a strong family unit, a great attitude, and a truly God-sent partner can complete you. She’s been able to use her vocal gift to pay for her son’s college. She’s identified a profession that compliments her love of creativity and still enjoys every aspect of family life without distractions from the outside world. So, Aleesha Bake did get what she wanted from life. She became a mom. But the truth is, Aleesha is not just a mom; she’s a voiceover mom.

No Shortcuts in Voiceover…

Every young man who’s thirsty for a great future is searching. Searching for a future that would set him apart. Darrell Brown was no exception, and he began his search at a very young age.

Here’s a fact. No one ever sets out to have a career in voiceover. Time was when we didn’t even wonder who the voice was behind the microphone. I remember clearly - never wondering who Bugs Bunny’s voice was, or Elmer Fudd or Popeye. To me, I was watching the cartoon. It never even occurred to me who the guy was doing the voice. Nor did it occur to me that the voice mattered so very much. Yet, we now know that it can make or break a production.

But now, unlike ever before in media history, the voice behind the mic is considered the ultimate importance. And it’s a full-on career accompanied by respect. To be the right voice takes, as we all know, a “lightning in a bottle” moment for you, the artist, to be selected. The competition is overwhelming. 

There are no overnight success stories. And that’s the entire theme of the world, which is Darrell’s philosophy. www.dbvoiceover.com

Darrell himself is yet another one who tells the long and winding road story of how to achieve excellence in the profession of voiceover. A career he fought hard to gain, getting noticed in. Well, he got noticed, “and this piece I am especially proud of.”

Darrell grew up in San Antonio and attended the University of Texas at Austin. He graduated in 1996. And from that day forward, Darrell began searching for a fantastic and exciting professional life. He started at a now-defunct department store and worked there for three years, with a marketing degree under his belt in recruitment. He then went to Zales, the jewelry retailer, and worked in e-commerce. It wasn’t satisfying. He moved on to Gold’s gym. But nothing quite made Darrell feel complete.

But in 2008, Darrell learned how a beginner could enter voiceover by taking classes. And in the flash of a moment, Darrell saw the future. “Those classes sparked it,” he says. And while working his corporate job, the chief marketing officer of Gold’s Gym was looking to hire a voiceover actor. And in the whisk of a moment, the cliché “right time, right place” took place. “She let me do it, and all of a sudden, I had my first credit.” 

Darrell’s experience was extra special to him. When he went into the studio to record, the engineer took an interest in Darrell and offered to help him produce a demo. That demo ended up in the hands of one of Dallas’ premier agents. And it was then that the smooth, buttery, relaxed style of Darrell Brown would bud and grow.

His hallmarks vary. But no one can argue he’s not a great voice for sports. And sports at the highest level. He’s not a screamer, has no inkling of a play-by-play announcer, and does not push his diaphragm down to get that very familiar “sports guy” delivery we all know. For the type of sound Darrell offers, his voice on its’ own is all right there naturally.

His turning point occurred in 2017 when he attended VO Atlanta. He decided to leave corporate life behind and pursue voiceover full-time in 2018. “Initially, things were very quiet,” says Darrell. “I got a few (vo jobs) but nothing right away.” And that’s when Darrell realized “there are no shortcuts.”

You’ve heard the phrase, “He’s got a great face for radio.”  Well, Darrell didn’t. In fact, he had a great face for television.

And from that face and the buttery voice came on-camera work as well.

But amid the on-camera work, Darrell and his signature smooth sound and relaxed delivery would wind up earning him voicing for the NHL, NFL, WWE, and now even animation. A complete departure from sports.

A self-professed type B personality, Darrell’s daily work ethic is simple. The audition - “Hit it and forget it,” he says. He’s referring to his daily audition ritual, and after submitting, “just don’t give it another thought.”

And after having spent years in an office setting, Darrell’s appreciation for the art form extends to how voiceover jobs are predominately done nowadays. “You can do it from anywhere,” he says. He aligns his profession with the same way a gardener thinks. “All I’m doing by auditioning is planting seeds,” and from those seeds will come a harvest.

And so, in his relaxed fashion, Darrell just cuts his auditions each morning and then waits with no expectation. “From the beginning, it’s been pretty straightforward.”

For Darrell, it took him ten years of other professions to realize where he’d fit into the world. It was all in his voice. In voiceover, there are no shortcuts. And even Darrell’s beautiful voice is proof that there are no overnight successes. His boyhood dream of having a thirst for a bright future has been quenched.

From I.T. to Voiceover, Somehow

He was a quiet little boy. Practically friendless. And above all, he felt alone in the world. Jarret Griffis’s evolution from a sickly quiet child to a voiceover artist occurred through a series of occurrences that most people would never have happened to them. But it all began with an ear problem that had him in hospitals from 2-8 years old. And, at school, no one was interested in this boy. “The teachers did not know how to handle me.”

Jarret is open about his personae based on his childhood. “I tend to be guarded,” he says. “And I spent so much time alone; I never wanted to be an actor, so I have no idea how it happened.”

The truth is it was COVID that initiated Jarret’s entry into voiceover. “I had a friend who asked me to narrate a book he had written.”  So, Jarret recorded the book, and his feedback of positivity knocked him over and got his attention.

Born in Rockwood, Tennessee, Jarret noticed that the deep accent of the Tennessee native made “people think we were stupid, so I adjusted my speech pattern from the people I saw when watching the news.” He’s referring to network news, where the general American dialect is prevalent. Tom Brokaw is famous for having this accent due to being raised in South Dakota. In essence, the general American dialect indicates no regional place where your accent will be telegraphed. It’s the accent that isn’t.

He started designing computers at 17, and “I would write articles reviewing new equipment,” says Jarret. “And in the 90s, you had to fix your own computers, unlike today.” This created Jarret’s niche, allowing him to “enjoy working from home without supervision because I do not like to be told what to do.”

Meanwhile, as his I.T. career took off, he had his eye on voiceover, although “I had never thought I had talent,” says Jarret. “I just didn’t sound like those guys.” But what was brewing underneath the status quo of a “perfect voice” was a need for a voice that was anything but perfect, and that’s when Jarret’s voice found its place. www.jarretgriffis.com

But before Jarret got into other areas of voice work besides standard branding work, he spent an extended period of time taking classes and emulating other successful character voices. Here’s an example of what he did. This is Jarret copying the original script to duplicate the sounds he heard on the original.

Despite his preference for character work, Jarret discovered he had commercial talents.

However, Jarret’s range revealed itself in many other voice ventricles. Here is the result of PBS using Jarret.

“I would have never imagined that my goal in voiceover would have developed so well,” says Jarret. “I’m an I.T. data storage specialist. What does that have to do with the creative arts?”

The answer lies in the evolution of the need to hear natural voices. Unlike the founders of voicework like Don LaFontaine, “the monster truck voices” from yesteryear had aged out of the voiceover business. The internet came into being. And with it came the need for the viewer to hear a voice that sounded like they did, not like the forefathers of the business that had set the standard for what was considered excellence.

This became good news for Jarret and thousands of other talents who suddenly began to realize that Anybody with a unique polished sound could find a place in voiceover. “And I did,” says Jarret.

His dive into character work allowed Jarret to discover that he had been accepted into V.O. work. His preference was character work, and with much surprise, this track came:

“I get a lot of enjoyment out of playing unhinged characters like Bullseye,” says Jarret. “I feel like I have a larger canvas, so I can be more creative with how I deliver lines.”

Character portrayals are my new thing. In “Battle Ballz,” “I’m doing four voices.” And there are other opportunities Jarret discovered in such works as his performance in “Marvel Move.”

So, now at 45, Jarret lives in Austin and still works in field engineering while pursuing voiceover. And as ironic as it is, Austin has become a world hub for I.T. experts, but for Jarret, “I’d rather do voice.”

And in final, “I’m still an introvert, and I do okay in a crowd, but I generally prefer small groups of people or alone.” But he is no longer “practically friendless” but still, just like childhood, quiet. But there is one exception. Add a microphone, and Jarret will be anything but quiet.

THE VOICEOVER MAN ON THE AIR…EVERYWHERE

Sandy Thomas was always around the house “talking into a microphone, and I never thought anything about it.”  Sandy is one of the nation’s most prolific brand imagers of broadcast stations in the country. And for the uninitiated, “brand imaging” is the voice of the station. It’s not the DJ, but instead, the big, beautiful, compressed, and filtered voice that gives the station its’ BIG sound.  Imaging is to radio what movie trailer voice artists are to the VO world, the crème de la crème.  It’s what you strive for, although most voices don’t succeed. To date, Sandy has voiced (400 stations) across the country and continues to remain active, and nowadays, in some cases, with his wife Rebecca, who’s also a voice talent.

But getting into this position wasn’t easy. It was full of detours, delays, derailments, and a whole lot of downright rejection. “I could not get on the air in 1982 on ROCK 104 and was quickly humbled because my problem was my accent.”  Now, at 61 and living on Long Island, NY, Sandy reflects on the road he took to become who he is. It involved multiple relocations around the country, working as a DJ or production director for stations nationwide. “I took a course in 1982 in radio at the University of Florida, but no one would hire me on a major radio station.” 

His self-talk made him think he could just walk in the door, let them hear the aircheck he had made in his bedroom studio on cassette tapes, and just begin to thrive. “But that isn’t what happened,” says Sandy. A long time would pass, including overnight shifts on stations, various attempts to upgrade his status, and numerous pushes toward IMAGING, and nothing happened.”

Just a typical day in-station with Sandy Thomas.

That all changed in 1986 when HOT 105 was doing imaging while scoring his first national campaign for RC Cola.  In addition, he was promoted to production director, and coupled with his freelance career, “I was finally getting what I wanted,” says Sandy. “I made $40,000 that year, and that compared to everyone else, that was a lotta money.”

But how did Sandy do all of this? He did it, of course, with a mentor who taught him just how to become a dominant voice. It would be yesteryear’s equivalent to today’s voice teacher. Same thing. Different period in history.  Connie Zimet was a radio aficionado who had the power to spot great talent and develop them beyond their own expectations. “No doubt she represented the fork in the road for me.” She was probably “the reason I got into SAG/AFTRA because she encouraged me and became an angel unto my life.” She died of Lou Gehrig’s disease at 67, unable to speak.

Things continued to pick up in 1993, and Sandy made the jump to NYC in that same year.  He did so to compete in the big pond for National Union voice work including commercials, promos and anything large scale.  “You had to be in the union, and from the union came Madison Avenue ad agencies that would allow you to voice their commercials.” His first job was for a department store. But things advanced quickly. Eleven years later, Sandy voiced the NBA.

Fast forward to today, and here’s 5% of what Sandy has voiced, much of which you’ll remember having heard.

The ball keeps rolling for Sandy. In total, he has served as the station Image voice for (60) radio stations at one time.  Four hundred stations in total for a career hallmark. The voice of WKIT in Bangor for (30) years. The voice of “The Mix” in Boston for (25) years, Hartford (22) years, and even overseas radio imaging in England, southern Africa, and CORK-FM in Ireland. And then, here comes some television show with some guy named Joe Rogan on NBC’s “Fear Factor.” Sandy was chosen as the voice.

“I have taken a huge gamble all along the way because I have raised (5) children doing voice work,” says Sandy, “And it’s because of divine intervention.”

Sandy’s five children

Now, at the epilogue of his career, Sandy can look back and recognize the need for paying your dues in a business that is guild-oriented. “You can’t have everything you want, but you CAN get close.” Well, he certainly did. “But there are NO overnight success stories.” And there is a lot of luck involved. No one would disagree with that.

Still voicing at https://www.crankinaudio.com, which is the culmination of my life’s work in VO, including my wife Rebecca, who’s also a VO talent.  It’s two voices offered to a station for one price involving a marriage component. They just partnered with WOW-FM 102.7 in Kingston, Ontario. And they’ve just signed “Southern Rock Ride” for iHeart radio.  

Sandy also teaches under the banner of Thomas Voice Imaging. “I’m selective with who I work with, and it is one via Zoom and only one student because teaching VO is a highly unique experience for each individual.”

And so, these days, Sandy Thomas is still very active. He’s a family man with a lot of responsibility and a great deal of expectation when he, or he and Rebecca, enter the picture on any new deal. So much has changed since the beginning. But one thing that hasn’t changed is that Sandy Thomas is still in his home talking into a microphone, but nowadays, he thinks quite a bit about it.

Sandy with his Dad, Eddie.

Emotion – The Missing Ingredient in YOUR Voiceovers

Finding real emotion in voiceover work can be a bit of a juggling act, especially when you’re battling that all-too-familiar “advertiser” voice that feels as flat as a pancake. To truly make a connection with your audience, you’ve got to let your voice do more than just read the script—it’s got to live it!

Start by diving headfirst into the script. Get cozy with the story, get to know the characters, and feel their emotions as if they were your own. Think about how you’d react in their shoes and how you can bring that feeling to life with your voice. Plus, remember who you’re talking to. What makes them tick? What keeps them up at night? Tailor your delivery so it feels like you’re speaking directly to their hearts.

Voice acting students practice reading scripts at The Voice Shop in New York City.

Now, let’s talk about getting your body and mind in sync. Believe it or not, your physical stance can give your voice a serious boost. Stand tall, sit up straight, and don’t be afraid to use gestures to pump up your emotional delivery. Picture the scene like you’re starring in your own blockbuster movie. Visualize everything—the setting, the characters, the action—and let that mental imagery guide your performance. And don’t forget to breathe deeply! Proper breathing helps you control your voice and express emotions like a pro.

Mixing up your vocal variety is where the fun really begins. Play around with your pitch and pace. A high pitch can add a dash of excitement or urgency, while a lower pitch can bring out seriousness or authority. Adjust your volume and intensity to match the mood of the script—louder for big moments, softer for those tender ones. Experiment with different tones and colors to add some spice and personality to your voice-over performance.

To really fine-tune your emotional chops, make recording your voiceovers a regular habit. Listen back and see where you can crank up the emotion. Get some feedback from friends, family, or mentors—they might spot something you missed or offer a fresh perspective. Check out the work of voice actors you admire, pick up on their tricks, and see how you can weave those techniques into your own style.

Embrace your inner emotional rollercoaster and take some creative risks. Sometimes, the best discoveries come from stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new.

If you’re looking for inspiration or to learn from some of the great, emotional Voice Actors, read on:

James Earl Jones

Like the voice equivalent of a perfectly aged bottle of wine—rich, deep, and oh-so-impactful. Whether he’s booming as Darth Vader in Star Wars, making everyone tremble with his authority, or bringing a tender touch to his role as Mufasa in The Lion King, Jones can turn on the gravitas or the warmth in a heartbeat. His voice is a masterclass in emotional range, effortlessly swinging from commanding and formidable to gentle and heartfelt, proving he’s got the chops to make any character resonate.

James Earl Jones voices Darth Vader in Star Wars.

 Julie Andrews

The queen of melody and charm, with a voice that could melt even the coldest of hearts. When she’s singing as Maria in The Sound of Music, she radiates joy and infectious optimism that makes you want to dance in the hills. Then, with her magical portrayal of Mary Poppins, she combines whimsical fun with a nurturing touch that’s hard to resist. Andrews is a pro at flipping the emotional switch from bubbly cheerfulness to touching sorrow, making her performances both enchanting and deeply moving.

Julie Andrews voices “The Queen” in Shrek 2.

 Morgan Freeman

A voice like a warm hug wrapped in velvet—distinctive, soothing, and full of wisdom. Whether he’s narrating a stunning nature documentary or playing God in Bruce Almighty, Freeman’s deep tones exude authority and comfort. He’s got this amazing knack for switching from a wise, reassuring presence to a compassionate, understanding guide, making him a voice that feels both powerful and deeply personal.

Morgan Freeman reveals that the voice that you hear is not original; he was trained by a voice coach.

David Attenborough

His voice is practically a national treasure, synonymous with adventure and wonder. When he’s narrating nature documentaries, he can take you from the thrill of spotting a rare species to the urgent need to protect our planet. His delivery is a delightful mix of awe, excitement, and just the right amount of concern, drawing you into the story of the natural world with both wonder and a call to action.

Phil Hartman

A comedic genius with a surprising knack for emotional depth, Hartman brought a quirky, humorous character to life as Lionel Mertz in The Simpsons while adding a surprising layer of genuine emotion. Hartman could blend hilarity with heartfelt moments, showing that he was as skilled at making us laugh as he was at tugging at our heartstrings. His voice over work was a perfect blend of comedy and poignancy, proving he could do it all with flair.

Remember, adding emotional depth to your voiceover work is a journey, not a sprint. Be patient with yourself and enjoy the ride. With a little practice, plenty of experimentation, and a willingness to grow, you’ll soon be delivering performances that are not just heard but truly felt.

Need a voice-acting boost? Try a voice-over lesson from The Voice Shop online.

#voiceover #voiceacting #voiceactor #voiceovertraining #voicetraining

THE LITTLE KID THAT ISN’T IN VOICEOVER

So, you might think you’re seeing a brat throw a temper tantrum.  You think you’re seeing a little kid having a meltdown. Truth is, you’re not.  You’re looking at a 20-year-old man who’s often mistaken as a child. I certainly thought so. Have a look at his X profile picture.

This is Mr. Ellis Bertrell from Englewood, California.  A prodigy of the arts who knew at a Very young age, that he wanted to be in the performing arts. “And at 6 years old, I began to pester my parents to take me in for an audition,” he says.  And in that audition, Ellis was cast in his first on-camera job as a working actor at 7. The show was NBC’S “Parenthood.”  “I have always had a grasp on who I really am,” he says. “I was eccentric and a ball of energy,” he says. “But I had identified with making people happy when I watched Disney shows, and I wanted to be that person.”

So, the first show led to another show and then another. “I think I belong in front of the camera, and that’s where I want to be.” His influence was his mother, “because my old man is a musician and has to go far away to do his job, but Mom was in education and was always there advising me on the difference between right and wrong.”

Ellis and his family.

During middle school, he took a break from the performance arts. But in high school, he re-ignited in theatre and started with the show Hairspray. “I was super stressed at the idea of performing theatre because I had no idea what I was doing,” says Ellis. But things went off without a hitch, and Ellis would perform in several plays until COVID hit.

All productions were shuttered, and Ellis thought, “I can’t go to set, and I’m losing my mind, and then the option of voiceover entered my life,” he says. And so, he was given an audiobook to narrate, “and I was hooked,” he says. So, at 17, Ellis began in voiceover. “It’s still acting, only in front of a microphone.”

“Oh my gosh,” says Ellis, “This voiceover thing is a real thing. I got my first audition, and that led to my first part in voiceover.”

However, a slight detour to explore the world derailed Ellis for a very short time by moving to Vegas with two other guys, “and it was three of us in one room sleeping on air mattresses.” In doing so, “It just didn’t work out, and it was Never a party, so I took the money I had made doing shows and returned to Englewood and installed a home studio in my parent’s house, and that has absolutely worked out.”

And that’s when the voiceover bookings began to escalate.  “I just kept getting hired.”

The bookings he was getting evolved into video games and animation.  He could do any character effectively and was seen early on as a video game man-behind-the-mic extraordinaire.

“I just kept getting booked and booked and booked,” Ellis says. www.ellisbertrellva.com

And all the while, Ellis is attending voice workshops. “I do two classes EVERY week and if I’m feelin’ rowdy, I’ll add a third.”

Ellis attending a voice workshop.

“Constant training is absolutely necessary, because this isn’t easy, and training helps you to understand the role and how to voice it, and you get honest feedback.”

And uncharacteristic of a twenty-year-old, Ellis does not drink alcohol at all” because it’s against the law at my age.” In summary, Ellis is a man who looks like a child but behaves like a highly seasoned middle-aged man. “VO gives me the opportunity to be who I am, and my looks don’t matter.” 

“I haven’t had one bad experience,” says Ellis. “No bad people, no drug addicts, no bad anything. It’s all been good experiences.”

So, Ellis is the opposite of what you’d first assume. It’s though he’s lived a hundred lives before the one he lives now. “It’s my hope that this will be my life’s work,” says Ellis. And one thing he is not…is a little kid.

The Skater Dude That’s Riding a Wave in Voiceover

The skill of skateboarding affected his early life and still does to this day. He’s Dennis Dietrich, the skater dude. He’s also a voiceover artist. And at 39, he’s figured out the complexity of how to create the future you want. “You must chase your dreams because they’re certainly not going to chase you.”

The sport, born in California in the 1970s, has permeated American youth culture. So, from it came the desire to take a risk on a skateboard for a possible reward. The reward? Nailing the trick. Being exceptional at a very difficult sport. And Dennis was “pushed into it by Cousin Chad at 15.” He loved it because “skateboarding is creative,” Dennis tells me.

He was born to teenage parents who were 18 and 16, but the marriage ended in divorce before he was one year old. Initially raised in a rough neighborhood in Lawrence, Massachusetts, “I developed street smarts in that environment,” says Dennis. But he moved to Manchester, New Hampshire, at 13, “and it felt good to safely go outside.”  His father and Stepmom Gemma raised Dennis as he saw his paternal Mom on weekends. But his overwhelming influence was his grandfather, Jack.  “I wouldn’t be who I am without him,” says Dennis.

But before any of this happened, Dennis discovered television. And he watched a lot of television. “My earliest memories are of TV, and I was so young; I don’t know how old I was, but I was influenced by what I saw and the voices I heard, especially the voices.”   

His ADHD provoked an interest in a wide range of subjects, and sports played a part in his development. And so, Dennis was always involved in some sort of “creative or athletic experience.” It could be emulating characters from TV with his voice or playing an organized sport. All of it was preparing him for what was to come.

Noticing his affection for voices, Dennis’ sister suggested he go on TikTok, and that was where his voiceover presence began because “I have a passion for telling stories, “Dennis comments. And that is where he merged his interest in comic books, skating, sports, and storytelling. Combined with his hyper-focused mind, the “ah ha moment” occurred when his voice coach commented, “Why don’t you seriously pursue voice acting since you have such a love for comic books and video games?” 

In a split-second moment, Dennis, who’d learned the technical art of skateboarding and his love for entertainment, converged into one creative art form. “I didn’t think I could have a career in VO because I didn’t live in NY or LA,” Dennis confides, “I just really didn’t think it was an attainable goal.”  Well, it was.

Entertaining people is a passion of Dennis’ interests which fits perfectly into the wide array of things he loves to do. “It all just sort of came together.”

There are comical aspects to Dennis’ style you can’t help but notice. “I find television to be such an influence,” says Dennis. And so, here’s his comical perspective on the TV game show.

And as all of this was going on, Dennis became the co-founder of Bewildered Business Productions. And here’s an example of the offbeat show.

A devout family man and father of two, Dennis met his wife when he was 11 years old. But years would pass before they’d get together, and as it turned out, his wife Heather understood his affection for the arts and supported it. “And she’s one key person that can take credit for who I became.”

His work ethic is impeccable. “I audition 6 hours every day,” says Dennis. “I take classes extensively because although I approach it from a comical standpoint, this is a very serious business.”  www.dennisdietrichva.com  “I didn’t expect VO actors would be so helpful because it’s not like that in sports. Everybody is Very helpful to me in the voiceover world.”

This ultimate goal of achievement in voiceover has calmed Dennis’s racing mind. “Amid all of my interests, I always wanted to be an actor and I love making people laugh.”  And although his original ambition in attending college was to be a detective, “bad experiences that police must endure was just unsettling.”  In other words, there is nothing funny about it.

So now on the edge of 40 years old, Dennis has finally found the one calling that fits perfectly into his mindset. “Skateboarding is one thing that takes so much practice and falling down, and then getting back up…and VO is like that to a large degree.”  And that, in essence, describes the journey of searching for years to identify a career that would complement all of his interests. And it all began with his love of television and, of course, the skater dude persona that still resides within him.