Tiffany Grant
Q&A!
Of course these questions are answered by Tiffany herself...I just copy her answers and put them here
Send in your questions!
How old are you? 30
What is your favorite color? purple!
What is your favorite character role?Asuka Langley Sohryu
What is your favorite anime?Oooh - a hard one.... Blue Seed, NGE & Slayers
What are your favorite hobbies?
reading Star Trek, watching Star Trek & anime, watching old movies, taking walks
What is it like to actually give a whole new perspective to a cartoon character?
It is SO much fun! I really enjoy the work very much, and I enjoy giving a voice and "life" so to speak to these animated beings. I especially enjoy the chance to portray such a wide variety of characters.
What does it take to be notice by someone like GAINAX to do a voice for a character?
I wouldn't really have any idea. Gainax hired their voice actors, and ADV hired their voice actors. That's what it means when a US company "buys the rights" to a project. Gainax did have some say-so about the transalation, however.
Does doing a voice for a character, like Asuka from NGE, rub off onto your own personality?
Hee hee... Yes, I am afraid it does. This is a fact for actors whenever they play any role, particularly for an extended period of time.
What's it like being a voice actress?
Very unique. Quite different from any other medium I have worked in - stage, film, commercials. It is so remote from the other actors you are "working with", so I think it requires a good deal of imagination.
How are dubbed tapes made? do all the VAs go into a room to record?
We are alone for the recording process. We record our lines one at a time. Much of the time, we never even meet the other actors we are "working with". The exception is all of the Dirty Pair series, where Kei and Yuri are recorded at the same time, and a few other rare cases where both recording booths have been used together.
The fact that we aren't working together and usually never meet makes it all the more fascinating to me how well the finished product sounds.
What was your first role as a voice actress?
Raina in GUY: DOUBLE TARGET (1994). But DON'T watch it if you are under 18! ;)
If you weren't a VA, what would you be?
This question is asked as if "I am" nothing else. I currently hold several jobs - four actually - to meet expenses, because voice acting doesn't pay enough to support anyone. Trust me on this one. I would still be an actor, even if I didn't have the opportunity to do voice acting in particular. Other careers I considered in the past, however, have included writer (done that a little), teacher (only tutoring so far) and editor (only done that for free). Hope that answers your question.
What advice do you have for those who want to become a voice actor/actress?
A unique and versatile voice will definitely be an asset to you in pusuing voice acting as a career. Most voice actors, myself included, have a rather extensive theatrical background, and I agree wholeheartedly with Scott Simpson who declares that there is "no better training." No one inthe US has training specifically for this field, but as trained actors we bring that experience to the mic.
You may be disheartened to find out I have four jobs, and that voice acting is not very reliable work. You also need to live in the area where the work is happening - NY, LA, North Carolina, Vancouver, Austin, Houston. I am not sure if is happening in other places. So, you would need to live in one of those areas I mentioned, or you would have to move yourself there.
You'd also better be sure you have a job there BEFORE you decide to pick up and move yourself there. There is no guarantee that you'd get an audition, and then there'd be no way to guarantee how often you'd work. ADV does have auditions occassionally which I believe are usually posted in a local newpaper less than a week before they happen. They then take the first "X" number of people depending on how long they want to hold the auditions for.
I don't say any of this to be pessimstic. If it is something you truly wish to pursue, you will find a way.
Do you research your characters and the story plot before you go in and record the charcter's voice?
Absolutely! Prep time on each project varies. I always try to see the show I'm working on before I go in to record. I also like to read my script & hi-lite my lines. I feel this helps me in my job. I have always done it this way since my first job, and never saw a reason to change. I don't know if it really improves my performance any, but I feel more comfortable that way. The other thing I always do is ask Matt (or whoever the director is) A LOT of questions, questions, questions! He is incredibly knowledgeable in all areas of anime, and can usually tell me anything I want to know.
I always feel more prepared for the part, when I gather as much information as possible.
How long have you been a voice actress?
For over five years - since early 1994.
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