Venues
Events
VideoFilm
Interview: Frank Welker
The highest grossing actor of all-time is also the voice of your childhood
Frank and friends (Photo: Forever Darling, via Flickr)
| | More
Freddy Jones. Abu. Megatron. Totoro. Gogo Dodo. Nibbler. Yoshi. What do these characters have in common? They’re all voiced by Frank Welker, a.k.a. the voice of your childhood. You may not know the name, but you’ll recognize the voice. Welker has done everything from “Spock’s screams” in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock to providing the various growls and hisses of Santa’s Little Helper and Snowball II on The Simpsons. Take a look through his website, it’s fascinating. Oh yeah, and he’s technically the highest grossing actor of all-time. And, most impressively, he appeared in the Head Museum in a recent episode of Futurama.
Encore recently had the opportunity to speak to Mr. Welker about his career and voice he most enjoys doing.
When did you know you wanted to be a voice actor, and why?
I have always wanted to be in the entertainment business as far back as I can remember, but as to being a voice actor per se, that was never a goal, it just happened by osmosis.
In college I began my professional acting career appearing in a commercial, then joined the union and continued to work in commercials and doing plays at school and in community theater. Later, I developed a stand up comedy act, which led to my first voice over job for a dog food commercial. I was doing a dog and cat fight in my act and a director/producer just happened to be in the audience and asked me to do this “voice over” for Friskies dog food. I continued doing many things in the entertainment biz from commercials to on-camera roles in movies and television shows to traveling the country appearing as an opening act for artists like the Righteous Brothers, Ann Margaret, Sonny and Cher and so on.
My first cartoon voice was Freddy in Scooby Doo, which I am still doing to this day. I just got more and more work doing the voice acting that it gobbled up all the other activities and became the monster it is today, not allowing me much time to do anything else. Well, I did just appear in The Informant! as Matt Damon’s father, a quickie on camera! But voice acting and selling secrets about Paris Hilton are my main activities.
Is it tough coming up with new voices when you’ve already done so many?
Yes, after all this time, I do find it a challenge. But sometimes I am hired because of a voice they heard or type cast for sounds and characters directors are familiar with.
What is your typical day-to-day schedule?
Work-wise, I usually average around two sessions a day—maybe Scooby in the morning and then Transformers in the afternoon. Or Garfield in the morning followed by some Kibbler Cookie spots. It does vary and that is nice.
When speaking in public, are you ever recognized, i.e. “Hey, that sounds like Abu!”?
Not often no, but if I bark at people…well, let’s just hope they don’t press charges!
Is there a voice you most enjoy doing?
Right now, it’s President Obama. My friends say my impression is spot on…of course that is why they are my friends. Cartoon-wise, I am too close to my characters to discriminate. I really do enjoy them all. I guess I would have to say bringing back Megatron is a bit of a rush though!
When you’ve spent so much time giving voices to animated characters, is it weird appearing on camera, like in The Informant!?
Yes, I was terrified that I would forget my lines—and there wasn’t many to begin with. I am so use to reading off the script that I’m spoiled. However, I was allowed to ad lib a bit and that really is a fun way to act on- and off-camera.
If someone wants to get into voice acting, what do you recommend they do?
Find an honest profession and stay out of show biz! Really, I would read a lot. Practice reading aloud cutout ads and read them for practice. Try to develop a range. Listen to what others are doing and then try to do something different to set you apart. Then record a very short (no longer than three minutes) audition tape and submit it to a professional agent. Screen Actors Guild has a list of agents.