Gender

Male

Location

LA, CA

Birthday:

May 28

I WORK IN THE VOICE OVER INDUSTRY AS A(N)

Voice Actor

HERE'S A LITTLE ABOUT ME AND MY VOICE OVER EXPERIENCE

Spent 10 years from '74-'84 bouncing around as a DJ/Production Director at a number of Cleveland radio stations. Put together my first (dummied) VO demo in '75, got lucky and started free-lancing pretty steadily. Also did lots of theater, modeling (for tighty- whiteys?!?) and on-camera commercial work... even pulled the Ohio Lottery numbers on live TV every night. Turned 30 in May of '84 and by that time was making more money doing VO than I was at the radio station, which wasn't hard. I dumped the radio thang (best decision I ever made) and with a wife and 3 kids, decided I wanted to take a whack at the 'big time' to pursue an acting career. So, we packed up and moved to LA in September and amazingly, I got my first commercial agent within a week. Thinking VO and commercials would just be a way to help pay the bills while I got my theatrical stuff rolling, I didn't give it much thought, until about 6 months later when I auditioned for a role on "Inspector Gadget", and got it. I booked the part of Corporal Capeman, Gadget's nerdy sidekick (the other actor they were considering was some guy named Jim Carrey)... and with that, fell into cartoons. I'd never considered doing animation, but had such a blast, that within a few short years it became a sizable chunk of my career... Gobo on the animated Fraggle Rock, Scott on Teen Wolf, Riot on Jem, Waldo on Where's Waldo?, Scratch on Spacecats, Wayne Gretzky on ProStars, 10 years as Michaelangelo on the original Ninja Turtles, the voice of The Tick, and Sentinel Prime on the new Transformers. At the same time, my commercial VO was plowing along with a number of high-profile accounts... Home Depot, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, Mattel Hot Wheels, Sunny Delight, Colgate, Jenny Craig, AT&T, Taco Bell and "Spot", the precocious red 7-Up dot... even a few "Keebler elves" and "Raid bugs". In the same way that I'd never really planned on a career in animation, network TV promo was also not a realm I pictured myself in. I always figured that was for the 'big boys', you know, the Danny Darks, DLFs and Ernie Andersons... the gods of the biz. But in the summer of '93, I found myself sitting in front of a mic at NBC studios in Burbank, doing a last minute, fluke audition for something they were launching called "Must See TV". We played around with the spot a bit, and much to my surprise, it went on the air that night. Suddenly, like cartoons, I found myself swinging on the monkey-bars of the promo playground... and wound up being fortunate enough to become a signature voice of one terrific, iconic network for the next decade and a half. But, this was special to me for more than the obvious reasons, because it was while working together for NBC at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in the early '50s that my parents met, married, and had me. Must just be in my DNA. But now, after 16 amazing years of yakkin' away in that basement in Burbank (and my luxurious studio in my closet at home), voicing all of the Peacock's "Must See TV" and "Comedy Night Done Right" prime-time promos, from Seinfeld and Frasier to The Office and 30 Rock, plus the late-night spots for The Tonight Show with Jay (then Conan), Late Night with Conan (then Fallon), Last Call with Carson Daly and Saturday Night Live, I sadly find myself at the end of a long, wild, wonderful ride. Yep, creative changes, new branding, etc. It happens, I get it. Don't like it, but I get it. So... here I is. And as NBC becomes 'More Colorful', all I can say is a heartfelt thanks to God, and to all the kind, creative and generous souls I had the privilege of working with, and working for, for so long... a 'family' I came to know and love, and one I will deeply miss. And thanks beyond words for the very gracious and thoughtful going-away gathering... you truly are the best. So, now, on to the next great adventure, whatever 'tis. And knock on formica... I'm still the lucky stiff who voices the promos for "Live with Regis and Kelly". Every morning. At home. In my jammies.

LANGUAGES

English... mostly.

VOICE DESCRIPTION

Youthful with range, energetic, versatile.

DIALECTS, Character voices and vocal impressions

Kinda sorta, in a cartoony sorta way... not great at 'em.

VOICES I AM ABLE TO PERFORM

Senior Male, Middle Age Male, Young Adult Male

AUDIO DELIVERY METHOD

ISDN, Source Connect, FTP, AIF, MP3, WAV

EQUIPMENT

BLUE "Baby Bottle" mic, Sennheiser 416 mic, TC Electronic Gold Channel mic pre, ProTools LE 7.4/M-Box on Mac OS 10.5, closet.

WEBSITE

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0171243/