Whether it be famous on-screen actors or those simply providing their voices, most well-known faces and voices these days got their start through some form of training. While some actors have paved their road to success without classes or lessons, most had to work to perfect their skills—and it clearly paid off. Considering this, voice over classes are often a necessity for anyone seeking a career in the industry, as they provide invaluable insight as to how to improve your voice, perfect techniques, and much more.
Though not all famous voice actors took voice over classes specifically, some of the top names in the industry did take some form of lessons. As a result, they’ve maintained life-long careers in the industry and set the standard for many. Now, let’s take a look at some of the most famous voice actors and how classes benefitted their careers.
Famous Voice Over Actors and Their Beginnings
Just like we said, most voice over actors had to get their start somewhere, and while most took lessons other than voice over classes, they all took some form of education to get where they are today. In short, each of the famous voices to follow had to be trained and perfected, which is the case for many. Without further ado, let’s take a look:
Dan Castellaneta
Best known for voicing Homer Simpson and many others in The Simpsons, Dan Castellaneta found a passion for impressions at a young age. By the age of 16, his mother enrolled him in acting classes to help him hone his skills. From there, he worked on a radio show in college, in which he began to further perfect his voice over skills—and the rest is history.
Jennifer Hale
From cartoons to video game characters, Jennifer Hale has established herself as one of the top female voice actors. However, she too benefitted from taking classes. First studying theatre at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, Hale began taking voice over classes and training upon landing her first voice over roles, such as Ivy in Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? From here, she went on to voice various video game and cartoon characters.
Nancy Cartwright
Another Simpsons alumni, Nancy Cartwright is probably best known for voicing the infamous Bart Simpson, yet she’s had quite the career since. Discovering her talent at an early age, Cartwright studied theater in high school while entering public speaking competitions for categories like “Humorous Interpretation”. After doing part-time voice over work for a Dayton, Ohio radio station, she met fellow voice actor Daws Butler (Huckleberry Hound & Yogi Bear), and began training as a voice actress with him every Sunday. Along with her natural talent, it was her studies and lessons with Butler that helped her become the voice actress she is today.
June Foray
Deemed the “Cartoon Queen”, June Foray worked on a broad range of cartoons, including some alongside Walt Disney. Better known for her various roles on Rocky & Bullwinkle, Foray first got her voice over start in radio. Before that, however, Foray got into doing voices at just 12 years old and began taking speech lessons with the host of a local radio program. From there, her teacher (who became her mentor), added Foray to the radio show and her career took off from there.
Get Your Start With Voice Over Classes Today
Clearly, most voice over actors need to get their start somewhere, and for many, that involves taking classes and lessons. However, aspiring voice actors today have an advantage that may not have been so readily available in the past: voice over classes.
If you’re interested in becoming a voice over actor and don’t know where to start, consider taking classes with the Voice Shop in NYC. We offer a range of classes for every skill level, so be sure to check out our options today. For questions, you can give us a call at 212-213-9487.