I've been an anime fan since I was a kid, although it took me a
while to realize that all my favorite animated series were Japanese.
About a year ago a friend of mine discovered my love for anime and told
me that he had done some work for CPM on the Peacock King.  He said I
should check it out since it seemed right up my alley.  I was resistant
at first since I found that I didn't like dubs very much.  I usually
found them lacking the acting skill and the subtlety of the original.
Then I realized that I had gotten into anime through dubs and campy ones
at that!  Speed Racer, Star Blazers (Space Battleship Yamato), Battle of
the Planets (Gatchaman), and most importantly Robotech (Macross,
Southern Cross and Mospaeda).  I realized that I never would've gotten
into anime had it not been for dubs.  They had been my introduction into
anime.  I decided that I wanted to make that introduction as good as
possible for those just getting into anime themselves and make the
experience of watching dubbed anime as satisfying for dub fans as
watching subs were for me.  I also discovered the series, The Vision of
Escaflowne and I have been eager to do the dub of that ever since I saw
it.  Hopefully my experience in the field will help me along.

 
2)  How long have you been acting and/or voice acting?

 
I've been doing it now for about a year and a half for anime, although I
had done radio theater before, both in college and graduate school.

 
3)  What roles are you currently acting in, or getting parts in,
including North American voice acting?

 
I play Zelgadis and Hallas in Slayers (Vol 5-8) and Slayers NEXT (whole
series), I play Touga and Dios in Revolutionary Girl Utena, I play
miscellaneous doctors and older people in Grave of the Fireflies, I'm
slated to play Captain Tylor in the Irresponsible Captain Tylor and I do
script adaptations for Pokemon for Television.

 
4)  Have you undergone any sort of training for acting, voice acting or
singing?

 
Extensive training.  I'm first and foremost a theatrically trained actor
and have performed on Broadway in the Tony award winning revival of
Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge.  I studied acting, singing and
dancing in High School, College (Major: Theater, Minor: Computer
Science) and got my Masters of Fine Arts from Columbia University.  I
take regular singing lessons and I practice Suzuki Actor Training and
Tai Chi.

 
5)  What do you find most difficult about voice acting?

 
Having to do everything on the fly: instantly understanding the
situation your character is in, interpreting his line based on limited
knowledge (you usually don't see the episode before hand), memorizing
your line, imaging the other actor you're talking to (everyone is
brought in separately and you act all by yourself in a studio) and then
trying to sync up your lines to the lip flap.  That actually covers
about everything!  And it has to all be done, RIGHT NOW!
 
6)  How do you feel about the lack of recognition given to voice actors
in North America, while anime actors are equivalent to Hollywood super
stars?

 
The same way I imagine Japanese screen actors feel about seiyuu.  North
America has no tradition of animation for adults so voice acting is not
thought of as worthy of adult attention.  Ever since radio theater died
out, no one really cares about voice acting, we're a very visual culture
in America and don't care much about spoken language (in contrast to
Britain where facility with language is necessary).  That being the
case, I don't expect to get great notoriety from being a voice actor
from the general public.  I just hope that anime fans will enjoy my work
and that I will be able to more anime projects in the future.  Greater
recognition will come as anime as an art form moves more into the
mainstream.
 
7)  What has been your favorite voice acting role?

 
So far, Touga.  He's just so damn slick, although I really look forward
to playing Captain Tylor.  He's a fascinating character.
 
8)  Do you have any roles models?  If so, why?
 

Orson Welles is a role model of mine, not only for his voice work and
facility with language, but also because of his great intellect and his
savvy use of medium, whether he's working with stage, radio or film.
War of the Worlds could've only been done on radio and it frightened the
entire eastern seaboard.  People in Boston got on their roofs to see New
York burning from the attacks of a Martian Army.  Only radio could've
done that and only Orson was smart and talented enough to use the medium
of radio to its best advantage.
 

9)  Are there any roles that you haven't got but would really enjoy
playing?
 

YES!  To be honest, the real reason I wanted to get into voice acting is
because I want to play Allen Schezar from The Vision of Escaflowne.
That is my dream role in my dream series.  I could die a happy man if I
could play him.
 

10)  What do you most enjoy about voice acting and/or acting in general?
 

Hearing my voice come out of some of the coolest characters in dramatic
art.  What could be more satisfying to an actor?  I love transforming
into a totally different character or type.  Animation lets me do that.
 

11)  Do you have any advice for aspiring actors?
 

Practice acting.  Work on your voice.  Study the classics: Shakespeare,
Marlowe, Chekov, Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles, Seneca.  Watch British
actors and their use of pitch in English.  Their technique is superb.
Couple that technical mastery with American heart and you're a
juggernaut.  Especially study Seneca and Shakespeare.  Shakespeare got
many of his stories from Seneca and both are masters of language.  All
you have is your voice.  Smile.  Anime is the bomb.
 
 

 My fan mail addresses are:
 
touga@duellists.tj   and
CaptainTylor@animefan.org  also
crispin@yf19pilot.com