Working in the Arts is recession proof according to celebrated voice actor Billy West.
“ Get into show business, because it is recession proof,” he said a several times adding no matter how bad the economy is, people are still interested in being entertained.
“ You are needed. There are so many places— the internet, television and radio all looking for content,” said West who you might not recognize by face but you would recognize by voice as he is the voice behind several characters in the TV shows Ren and Stimpy and Futurama, not to mention the voice of the red M and M in the M and M commercials.
Even though he wasn’t able to be at the Lethbridge Entertainment Expo at Exhibition Park in person, celebrated voice actor Billy West was there in spirit and on Skype for his panel, Sunday afternoon, Nov. 23. The Expo attracted plenty of people in costume and features several authors, actors, artists and a little something for all fans of pop culture.
The 62-year-old actor, whose speaking voice sounded almost exactly like his beloved Futurama character Phillip Fry, told an attentive audience that voice actors should co-operate with each other instead of competing at auditions and offered the inquisitive audience a few tips.
“ Read everything and read it aloud so you hear the important parts and learn the subtext,” he suggested.
“ You’ve got to connect with people, he advised one youth who was interested in voice acting.
He said there is more to voice acting that just reading the lines. He said not to get discouraged by rejection and not to change who you are, as just because you didn’t get the role, it doesn’t mean you’re no good.
“You just might not have been the best fit for the part,” he said.
“You have to act them,” he said praising the great Mel Blanc who voiced numerous Looney Toons characters.
“ Listen to Mel Blanc. He used to act those characters so well,” said West, who voiced several Bugs Bunny and Loony Tunes characters after Mel Blanc passed away, occasionally breaking into several of his best known voices like Futurama’s arrogant space captain Zapp Brannigan.
He left the audience with a final thought— create their own identity and find the humour in their characters as he noted most places are looking for humour.
“A lot of people get their start trying to imitate someone else doing an impression. If you’re called upon to audition, don’t do someone else’s routine, develop your own,” he said adding the actor creates their own backstories for their character and puts their own unique stamp on them.
“Everybody is counting on you. Your job is to be fearless,” he said, promising to return in person to next year’s Lethbridge Entertainment Expo.
