1. Did you want to be a voice actor when you were a kid?

I always knew I wanted to be an actor and I always loved cartoons but when I was a kid, I didn't really know about voice acting as a category. In fact, it wasn't until I was in New York doing a theatrical show when I heard about an audition for a new cartoon and I went. I booked it. It was ADR (dubbed) which I had never done before and I almost lost my mind at first trying to figure out how to memorize the line, match the flap and still have it come to life. But I loved it and I started doing it more and more. I feel really blessed to have this in my life and I really love the people I work with.

 

2. What other roles have you performed as an actress?

I have a pre school show called Ellen's Acres in which I play the mom. I have done guest spots on Pokemon, Yugi Oh GX, Winx Club, Magical Do Re Mi, Mew Mew plus I played Mokuba (Kaiba's little brother) on Yugi Oh. In terms of Anime, I was Lind in the new Oh! My Goddess series, I played the lead in Gokusen as well as voices on several titles including Midori Days, Space Pirate Mito, Ninja Nonsense and The Piano to name a few.

 

3. Is Mitsuki your real voice?

Mitsuki is higher and a little breathier than my normal speaking voice. I love this voice because it is so bright and clear and it is super easy as it is right as my voice opens into my head voice. I love performing her because she has such an open heart. I do admit that off mic I am a bit of a Pollyanna and quite like Mitsuki in many ways.

 

4. What do you think of Kappa Mikey in general?

I love it. I think it's really funny. I adore Guano and want my own little guano doll. Plus, Gonard cracks me up and a lot of the time his antics remind me of crazy things Sean Schemmel actually does. Michael Sinterniklaas and I have known each other for years and it was great to work on the show together. Annice Moriarty and I met recording this show and have become good friends. She's like my little sister in real life. Ozu cracks me up and I love to imitate his voice in scenes when his characters appear and he's not in the booth with us. Jesse Adams who plays Yes Man is totally nuts and I love him. It has been great working on this show as I absolutely adore the cast and our director and the writers who have stopped by and sat in on records. Everyone just cares so much and wants to do a good job but likes to have fun with it. Plus I get huge props from my nieces and nephews for being on this show.

 

5. Did you watch any Anime to get prepared for your role as Mitsuki?

I had been recording anime for years prior to booking Kappa Mikey so I was already really attached to and in love with the concept from the get go. Actually most of the cast comes from a strong Anime background which made it easy for us to understand what the feel of the show would be and what kind of animation they were going to do based on our previous experience. It's funnier, I think, when you know where it comes from.

 

6. Can you relate to your character, Mitsuki, in any way? If so, how? What do you like, or dislike about the character?

Oops I sort of started to answer this in an earlier question. I love Mitsuki. She's honest and earnest and open about her feelings. Plus she really has a broad understanding of the group and is very considerate and accepting of others. She is the heart of the show and a bit of the moral compass. In real life, I think I am often the person people look to to get things done or get support. I have deep love and affection for my friends and the thing I enjoy most about people are the things that make them quirky. I love all the little idiosyncrasies in people. Plus I am quite the problem solver. The one place we differ is that Mitsuki lets a lot more slide than I do. When someone hassles me or teases me in life, I go head to head with them. I think if you combined Mitsuki on show and off show into one person, you'd be pretty close to the core of who I am in the world.

 

7. Do you enjoy working with the rest of the voice acting crew? Are there any crazy Kappa Mikey bloopers you can share?

Oops, I already answered this one too. I adore the cast and crew of this show. I absolutely adore them. And we are very close as a group. Some of us knew each other before but being booked together for a whole day every week and having time out of the booth to chat has really strengthened our relationships. We have been like a big family going through everything together. Moving, working, dating, breaking up, struggling, rejoicing; it has really been a community.

We have had so many bloopers and Anthony (our sound engineer at NYAV Post) often leaves the record button on and captures a lot of our in booth dialogue. Mostly I would say that we have a lot of 80s songs and movie quotes. Of course, one story I can share that is pretty typical: One day it is Gonard, Guano, Mitsuki and Mikey in the booth. I have a scene with Mikey so Gonard (Sean) and Guano (Gary) are just waiting until their next scene but are still in the booth with us. Well, Sean gets bored and decides to entertain himself. He is going to show Guano how he can fit his mouth around the whole top of a Coke can. Just as he gets the Coke can in his mouth he taps Gary on the arm but is so amused with himself he starts to laugh and guano and I both turn in time to see Sean drop the can out of his mouth, catch it in his hand and have Coke go exploding all down his shirt and Gary's sleeve (luckily not on any or the equipment). So during that take you hear in the background muffled giggling, snorting, a soda explosion, the tink of the can as it gets caught in his hand and slightly crushed, gary's shocked scream, Sean and my laughter and then you hear Michael (who was still doing the scene) drop character and go "what the hell" to which we all burst into hysterical fits of laughter and fall on the floor. A classic Sean moment.

 

8. What are your favorite Kappa Mikey episodes, and why?

I love the wizard of Ozu because it was so fun to parody The Good Witch. I loved loved the Christmas show in season 1 as it is so heart warming and I think shows a very rare and special side of Ozu. I love the episode with Dadzuki because I love doing Father/Daughter stories. And there is a special episode in season 2 I can't talk about yet but it is amazing and you will love it!

9. Have you voiced any cameo characters on Kappa Mikey?

Because Mitsuki is such a pure version of my voice, I can only do really really different sounding characters. I did the rich lady in the episode where Gonard finds out he is a Prince. I play lots of little boys that appear in different episodes plus I played the smarmy gossip reporter in the episode where Ozu set up Lily and Gonard as a pretend couple. My favorite was doing the kappa voices. We try to fill in as many of the additional voices for the original records so the animators have something to work with in terms of timing and then it is up to them whether they keep us or replace us.

 

10. Is there anything special in store for Mitsuki in season 2 that you can share?

Not really. Just the same old same old in love with Mikey and trying to keep everyone together. In actuality, I sometimes have trouble remembering what shows were in which seasons. That's why I have to be careful here not to reveal anything…. am maybe perhaps I already did.

 

11. In future episodes, will there be any moments where Mikey and Mitsuki seem to fall in love? Why do you think Mitsuki loves Mikey, and do you think Mikey loves her back?

I think the idea of Mitsuki's love for Mikey is always present though not as openly as much of a 'crush' as it was in the beginning. She definitely doesn't leverage her friendship for the promise of some future relationship. There are times when the emotions come forward more and she has to deal with them, but in a way they are already in a relationship through their friendship. I think she loves his quirkiness. Mikey is so childlike and unpredictable that I think it appeals to her free spirit and accepting nature. Never a dull moment with him. I think Mikey is too involved with his new life and finding who he is in the world to really turn his attention to relationships. Overall I think he does have love for Mitsuki but more in terms of a deep friendship. In the end, whenever he realizes he has disappointed her, he does his best to make it up to her. Underneath all that spazz, he has a heart of gold.

12. Recording with the kappamikeyfans.net cameo contest winner must have been fun! Can you tell us about that experience?

I am the last to know about everything (just like Mitsuki) and I didn't even find out about the contest until I was told the fan was coming by. So I didn't get a chance to prepare anything for her, but she was super sweet and brought me some beautiful flowers. I put the in vases in 2 studios, and on my desk. My recording was running over so she sat in on the tail end of some pick ups (re-records). Plus she gave me a drawing of my character with her and Lily and a copy of the cartoon which won her the contest. I was really impressed. I don't draw at all. Plus, recording in a booth a year before it ever airs really distances you from the idea of 'audience' so to actually meet a fan was really cool because I think "Oh yeah! That's why we do this".

 

13. What do you think of the current cartoons, Anime, etc?

I still love watching cartoons. I have to admit that these days it is either adult cartoons (Family Guy, Venture Bros.) or preschool stuff with my niece and nephew so I kind of miss out on the generation of cartoons I perform in. I have been excited by the level of work I have seen in anime lately; though it does really bother me when I see dubs where the people don't really come to life. I am not a fan of "just a good voice". I really like when you can hear the human behind the cartoon struggling through whatever they are struggling through. I mean if ultimately we aren't saying something about life and ourselves and what it is to be human and how we achieve our goals then its just a bunch of pretty colors.

 

14. Aside from Kappa Mikey are there any Anime, live action, or animation you will appear on in the future?

Nothing I can release at this time. Just supporting characters on Yugi Oh GX and things like that.

 

We want to thank Evelyn Lanto for granting us this interview
and Kappa Lizzy for supplying us this interview.

 

 

 

 

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