The Talent of Voice Actors

Last updated on May 29, 2023

I stared at the screen, the pictures entrancing me. I say the pictures, but it really was the voices. They brought the 2-D characters to life, helping me understand their feelings.

Live-action movies have voices and people, too. I get it. But you cannot recreate the feeling of listening to a character you know could never be recreated in real life speak. While live-action actors refine their movements so you know how they feel, voice actors refine their voices, which is beautiful.  Voice actors are people who, instead of acting with their full bodies, use only their voices to display emotion. Voice actors are just as talented, if not more talented, than live-action actors. They should be treated with just as high regard.

Voice actors, by most people, are not treated the same way as live-action actors. In films that require voice actors for the film to be successful, they are still paid very little. Backstage states, “Producers of multi-million dollar products will toss out crumbs for the voice actor, even though the final product cannot be completed without it. And like pigeons in the park, when the crumbs hit the ground, a flock of hungry voice actors is waiting to descend upon the pittance. You can find voice actors advertising to perform a 30-second script for five bucks!” Voice Over Extra states that “ The top artists at best have about a 4% success rate for getting the part they want”. Actors do not have it easy. On the contrary, the rate of becoming a successful live-action actor is only two percent. However, voice acting can be just as difficult to make a living out of because of the low pay and the sheer number of them.

The talent of a voice actor fully relies on their ability to show their emotion through their voice, and at times when they can’t show their body to show how they feel, that can be very difficult. An actor’s voice is their tool in the acting community, and it takes time to refine that. Those who can should not get paid such a substantially lower amount than that of a live-action actor. So, directors: next time you need a voice actor for your movie or your commercial, please keep in mind that they are just as talented as live actors and shouldn’t be treated as the lower party.