IamA Rob Paulsen, Voice of Donatello, Yakko Warner, and Pinky, AMA!

are you mad that that character in Fight Club stole your name?

HOWDY! Thanks for showing up! Nah, I prefer to think Meatloaf "borrowed" my name, not stole. :-)

Do you ever get tired of singing Yakko's World, or is that something you're totally into every time?

http://youtu.be/DwNdZcXacWQ, to answer your excellent question!

Can you just reply to this with a "narf"?

Narf!

Will there be a Talkin Toons episode featuring you, Billy, and John Dimaggio doing cover songs as various characters?

Great idea! Let's work on that!

I'm insanely addicted to the reading of Star Wars that you and a slew of other voice actors did at the Emerald City ComicCon a few years ago... How did all of that come together? Who called who? Was it as insanely fun as it looked?

Isn't that COOL!? It was put together by Jeff Zannini, who books many of the actors in that piece at Cons all over the country. CRAZY fun. They're a frickin" blast!

What's your favorite Animaniacs episode?

West Side Pigeons. Steve Bernstein's score was incredible. He won an Emmy for it. Followed closely by Les Miseranimals. LOVE working with Bernadette Peters!

What is one voice over gig you lost out on that would be surprising for fans to know?

Had two callbacks for the role of Phillip J. Fry on "Futurama." The producers TOTALLY made the right choice. Billy's perfect.

I grew up watching all of these cartoons and you were the voice of all my favorite characters, which voice did you have the most fun recording as? each of your characters were unique and awesome thanks!

Very kind of you! Tough to pick one, really. Got kind of a soft spot for "Pinky" but there's not a bad apple in the barrel. I'd do 'em ALL again. Except "Bubsy." My apologies for that one. :-)

You've been the voice of my childhood from TMNT to Pinky and the Brain to Jimmy Neutron to everything, my question is when getting into voice acting who was your inspiration?

Many artists inspired me and continue to. Peter Sellers, Jonathan Winters, Carol Burnett, The Pythons...anyone who's taken their gifts to levels which entertain for decades is inspiring.

Is there any talk of doing more Animaniacs symphony shows?

There is! Lots of talk, I hope we can say more around the beginning of the new year!

TONS!!

If they were to bring back Animaniacs today do you think it would still be as popular as it was, would you reprise your role and if not who would you choose to be Yakko?

Yes, yes and ALWAYS Yakko!

What was it like for you when "Turtle-Mania" hit full swing?

Lucrative :) And a blast!

Hi Rob! I've always heard your voice in commercials and cartoons, and didn't start to put them all together as you until recently. I love your work!

My question: How did you land the role of Donatello, when you were originally Raphael? And how do you consciously play him differently?

Thanks! Ciro Nieli from Nickelodeon thought I had the right elements for his vision of Donnie, so, bingo. I play him differently cuz well, he's a different character. I make conscious choices but hopefully, they're not obvious to the viewer.

Who is your favorite character to voice? If you could voice one character you already don't, who would it be and why?

Love to voice Homer but I don't think Danny's quite ready to give up that gig.

What is the weirdest interaction you've ever had with a fan?

Boob signing. Fun but odd. I'm a voice actor not a rock star.

Did you get to contribute anything to the writing for Animaniacs?

I liked how many double entendre there were in the show, with the humor that shot right over top of the young audiences' heads. I also loved how Animaniacs didn't really speak down to kids.

The writing was STELLAR. Always contributed ad-libs but I don't remember which of them ended up in the show. We NEVER condescended to the audience. Proud of that. :-)

Mr. Paulsen!! I have a question!!

Have you ever called someone using the voice of one of your characters as a joke? If I could do the voice of Yakko, I'd be unstoppable.

100's of times.

What was it like working with the producers of animaniacs? Were they just as wacky as the cartoons they made?

Fantastic. We were and still are good friends. Totally wacky.

Rob! Love your stuff! (Specifically Animaniacs) I hope you to come to Toronto sometime soon!

If you had to confront yourself sometime in the past (doesn't matter what age) what would you tell them?

"Hey, asshole! Don't be one!"

Now, in which voice would you say that to your former self? :P

Most likely Raph, maybe Throttle...

So, what are we going to do today Rob?

Enjoy this experience, Do an episode of "Doc McStuffins" then a live podcast tonight with Janet "Korra" Varney. Fun day!

What do casting/voice directors usually look for when hiring voice actors?

Emileh_R that is a fantastic question, one that is most of the time very nebulous! They want to see your talent, your commitment, your ability to inhabit a character (for instance, being able to SING as the character you have created), professionalism, range, a slew of things which many of the fine people I call my friends happen to have. There are some great stories from other actor's on my podcast talking about being cast in shows and what it took to get there.

What was the weirdest commercial you've ever done?

I was a talking Armadillo for Texas power company. I sounded like Woody Allen.

Dear Rob Paulsen, when will you take Animaniacs Live (with the orchestra) on the road?

Yup!

We've got lots of word out so we're hoping to have fun news about that in the New Year. The first one in Colorado was a BLAST!

How did your kid deal with the whole "Daddy's the voice of many cartoon characters" when growing up? If it was me, I'd be telling everyone and their mothers at my school!

I think Ash dug it. I sure did!

Hey All, 10 minutes and then I gotta hit the road for a recording session. This has been an absolute blast. I am ALWAYS happy to answer questions via my Twitter @yakkopinky, or on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/rob.paulsen.12). We are doing so many cool things, like Shirts (www.cafepress.com/talkintoonsliveshoppe), the Live show (hollywood.improv.com), the Animaniacs LIVE symphony, I can't wait to see what 2015 will bring for me and my fans!

What income do you earn annually as a VO actor? Please stipulate your amounts in # of Lexus, Fords, or Pintos owned :)

HA! When Bill Clinton was the Prez, I used to say, "I earn more than Bill Clinton and less than Bill Gates." It's a nice living for sure.

Hi Rob, big fan and new voice actor here. Question for you: Best advice for a newbie looking to break into animation VO?

Listen to my podcast (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/talkin-toons-rob-paulsen-weekly/id438294853?mt=2), visit Dee Bradley Baker's site about VO Info, buy Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt's book Voiceover Voice actor (http://amzn.to/1ujcjaS). Start there, take an Improv class if you can.

I’m loving Nickelodeon’s TMNT to pieces, and it’s all thanks to you and the rest of that ridiculously talented cast. Since you are my favorite turtle, I have to ask: Is there any particular scene so far that you thought was especially fun to do?

ANY romantic scene with April. I'm loving the romance with "Apritello."

Hey Rob! Thank you, thank you, thank you for being such a huge part of my life. I grew up hearing you and not knowing it, and you played some of the most touching characters. You were my first real podcast, you're so engaging and kind, and ultimately you're the reason that I started doing improv classes, which, in turn, have been a catalyst for figuring my life out and making a bigger effort to be happy. So, from the deepest part of me, thank you for being you.

My question: Of all of your voice-actor buddies, who's your favorite Kansan? Bill Farmer or Kari Wahlgren?

How incredibly kind of you. Thank you. :-) Hmm... tough one. Kari's prettier but Bill's a better kisser. :-)

What gave you the idea for doing Talkin Toons Live? Also, whos been the most fun character or person to work with

It occurred to me that on my cellphone were the numbers of virtually every world-class voice actor and I thought folks might enjoy hearing from them as much as I did. I kind feel like I was right. :-)

Have you had a fan encounter that almost made you tear up because of how nice the experience was?

Dozens of times and every one of them is locked in my heart...which is overflowing with gratitude.

From Steelbeak to Arthur to Major Glory.. What a range you have! Do you actors ever crack each other up the 1st time you use a new voice while doing a show?

You're kidding, right? We STRIVE to crack each other up a lllllllll the time!

Hey Rob! Love all the work you do in the studio AND for all the charities you help out! Thank you so much! I'm a union voice actor planning a move to LA in 2015, my questions is this: What words of advice can you offer regarding landing an agent for tv animation?

First, remember that LA costs a lot...whatever you think you need in cash...triple that amount. Listen to your favorite VO actor's demos (available on their sites or sometimes the sites of agencies) and realize what you are up against (not to say you can't make it, just saying, no who's coming in before and after you to read for the same part). It's a tough road but it can be very rewarding so bring a strong belief in yourself and be prepared to tough it out. Have a strong sense of character and character building so that when someone asks you what you can do you have something incredibly THOROUGH to present. And please don't come out and tell people your Christopher Walken and Kermit the Frog are spot on.

Rob, I have huge respect for voice actors and seeing all of them talk about their craft in "I Know That Voice" was awesome. Are there any characters that you find it difficult to mimic?

I'm primarily an actor and singer, not an impressionist. WAY too many good ones here in town for me to jump in. I'm better at creating my own stuff.

What does it feel like to be a part of millions of childhoods for several decades? Do people often recognize you by your face or just your voice?

AW, thanks. It's such a distinct privilege. I get recognized more and more. It's VERY flattering!

Hi Rob! What was your craziest experience doing voice work? P.S. You've been my favorite voice actor since I was a little girl and I still have my Yakko doll. Love ya, man!

Thanks!! Too many crazy sessions to pick one. some recent "Tough Puppy" gigs got OUTTA CONTROL. Always fun in the booth!

Have you ever jumped in with a great voice on a project only to realize that you can't comfortably keep it going? or what would be your dream role at this point in your life/career? Haven't forgotten our slow dance and singing of Nations of the World together at Calgary Comic expo, hope to see you again :)

Hey! Wasn't that a blast? Yeah, I did a character called "The Mekon" for a project called "Dan Dare" years ago. Tore my throat up. Probably a good thing the show never went anywhere.

Rob! Thanks so much for being awesome! I caught you with the TMNT crew and Maurice in Portland about two months ago, and it was great seeing like, 2/3 of my entire entertainment in the same place - you even led us in song!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wpGOAi00ew

Out of other popular characters that other people voice (John DiMaggio, Billy West, ect), has there ever been one that has so many good lines or great stories that you think "Man, I kind of wish I could have done that character!"?

Everyone of us wants to do more but I've really been fortunate to work on more than my share of good stuff. I'm a VERY fortunate guy.

I saw you and Maurice LaMarche at Connecticon earlier this year. Great time, hope you guys get invited back.

So on that note... how did Doug Walker convince you two to do that bit at the end of his review of The Purge? I was laughing so hard that it drowned out the sound of my childhood innocence being strangled. :)

HA! Yeah, hope we didn't offend too many people. Doug's a great guy and we thought it'd be fun. It was but in retrospect, not sure if it was too much for some fans. We've had more good than bad feedback though. Narf.

During the busiest time of your career, how many voice gigs did/do you have going on at one time? Was it hard to fit it all in?

I've been a regular on as many as seven shows at the same time. Never "hard." That's what we all want. I live for being exhausted from doing what I love.

I adore your work! Animaniacs had great songs that I use in my classroom now. Do you have a favorite song from the series? Also, Donatello has always been my favorite turtle, but I think Raphael still gets some of the best lines. Ever miss being the sarcastic one? Thank you!

Gotta be "Yakko's World" I'm sarcastic in real life, so I'm good. :-)

Hi Rob, Big fan of your work and the podcast. My question is how do you and your VO friends schedule your week to best maintain your voice? Do you have the option of moving a session if the voice is tired? Thank you for your time.. Nicole

Yeah Nicole, thanks for the question! At this stage in the game we are pretty luck to be able to work with very understanding director's and casting people who know that while these voices may be FUN to do, sometimes they are TIRING and can really put strain on your vocal chords. So we do our best to schedule things that might wreck the voice toward the end of the week so you can have the weekend and a few days before you may go about doing something lighter and easier again. Drink lots of water!

Would you ever do Broadway?

In. A. Heartbeat.

You've been in Hollywood since the late 70s and have seen so many changes to the entertainment and social landscapes of LA over the past several decades. What are some of the most memorable changes/events for you and in what influential ways has the voice-acting industry changed (good or bad) in that time?

PS. Loved meeting you at Con-G in Guelph in February 2013! Everyone was tickled that you had such personal experiences with Canada in your youth hockey days :) Honourary Canadian for life!

Thanks! I have such a deep love of Canada and it's people. MANY friends and relatives there. Most of the obvious changes are technical in terms of the process of recording and producing a show. My process hasn't changed. acting is acting. Hopefully, mine's gotten better.

What do you think of the theory that Pinky was actually the smart one and Brain was insane?

Narf! Fully agree, 101% Poit!

Thank you for doing an ama Mr. Paulsen! Do you think that the growth and prevalence of pay to play VO sites is harmful to the business?

Not really, there's such an abundant amount of work out there and more and more talent gets a chance to shine and find its way. I haven't PERSONALLY seen any reason for it to be harmful to the business in general.

Hey Rob. I met you at Comic-Con 2006, you were nothing but sweet. I gotta ask... Do you ever get sad or depressed if you don't get a dream role?

Bummed for about five minutes. Mind you, some would argue I've already had several dream roles, so I'm good. :-)

Do the Turtles return to NYC before or after the midpoint of season 3?

It's a secret.

Hi Rob!

Got the chance to see you in person a few years ago and was thoroughly entertained. Thanks for all that you do outside of the booth.

So I'm decidedly curious: air-cooled or water-cooled rear-engined transportation? :)

HA! Another 911 fan, huh? I've owned 4, two of each. All great cars but my favorite was a 1996 Twin Turbo...air cooled. However, I did have a 2008 Cayenne GTS, obviously front-engined and water cooled. Amazing car. My current steed is a BMW M6. Go-To-Jail fast. Frightening. I LOVE it.

What is your advice for anyone developing characters and their voices based on one drawing or a basic idea?

PS: Your podcast has opened my eyes to what may very well be my passion in life. As someone jumping between acting and singing in my college career it was nothing short of magical to realize that I could potentially take the skill sets of acting and vocal manipulation into one field. Thank you so much.

Thank YOU so much and Good Luck!!

Is there a major event you've had in mind that you would like to do for Talkin Toons?

Always looking for ideas. Send 'em along!

How did you get into the biz?

Moved here from Flint, MI and busted my ass. Also, had a BLAST doing it!

What would be your dream character to voice?

Hopefully, the next one.

Aside from theater/music classes, what other extra high school/college classes would you recommend for someone who is considering a career in voice over?

Improv. Improv. Improv. If you have class available in Comedy in general, as in Standup comedy, how to write material and perform it, these things are all helpful. You never know where putting yourself out there may lead.

[deleted]

How wonderful! SO glad I could help. Keep it up!!

Hi Rob! Huge Fan! Love your podcast, i listen all the time and watch the live streams as well. Question: I am an actor, currently residing and working in central Arkansas. I have worked professionally in the past and at some point want to move back to NY or LA to pursue my career in Acting. I am unfortunately non-Union and would really love to pursue a career in Voice acting. I am finishing up my Demo. As a Non Union Actor How would I go about submitting and requesting voice over auditions? Should I wait till I become Union? Thanks.

Hey dweatherly! Thank you for the question! There are definitely opportunities for non-Union actors out there, but they are pretty rare. Thankfully there are a few sites around the web (not endorsing any particular one, and there could be more so don't take this as gold) like Voices.com or Voice123.com where you can submit demo reels and audition for non-union jobs all over the world from the comfort of your own home. Now, if you want to be in the big leagues and play with the likes of Dee Bradley Baker or Debi Derryberry, then you'll need to get your buns out West (or possibly up to the Great White North...) and get yourself Unionized. There is SO much to talk about on this subject, and I have covered it with the help of my friends through my podcast Talkin Toons Live (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/talkin-toons-rob-paulsen-weekly/id438294853?mt=2), and another good resource would be Dee Bradley Baker's website. Good luck!

Will you ever release a cd of you singing? I'd totally buy that.

Thanks, I might do that. Could you convince a couple million others to buy it too?

What's your wacky scheme to take over the world?

I'm in the middle of it now. Can't tell you any more. Sorry.

how realistic was the lake bell movie, and is it true that all VO actors know each other? How was the trend of celebrities taking over most of the major voice roles in animation received by the community? are there any personal outtakes recordings (like the famous profanity laden thundercats outtakes) that haven't hit the web as far as you know?

I've been in Hollywood for 36 years, so I know a lotta actors, naturally. I've worked with a lot of the same folks in toons for many years and I'd say we are a pretty tight group. I've been involved with MANY shows which have outtake reels I'd LOVE to get my mitts on. Decidedly BLUE.

Hi Rob! I met you at the Calgary Entertainment Expo. I was wondering if you were ever going to be at the Salt Lake Comic Con?

If I get an invite, sure!!

What's your favorite adult cartoon?

I dig Archer and Cleveland Show. And always The Simpsons. :-)

Hows life?

Great! How's yours? Thanks for being here!

Hi, Rob! I was wondering, would you ever do a fan Q&A episode of Talkin Toons? Also, thank you so much for being you and doing the work you've done. You're an inspiration every day, man.

Maybe we'll do an AMA during a live show and a Google Hangout... how crazy would THAT be? I don't know if I can handle all that technology, but maybe my assistant can figure that out!

Thanks for the kind words! I've done a couple but none on this level. Might try that. :-)

Out of all the characters you've voiced, which one would you say you identify with the most?

Probably Yakko or Raphael. Smart asses. :-)

Hello, Mr. Paulsen!

Just wanted to thank you again for coming to ConnectiCon this year! It was a blast meeting you in person!

On to my question, is there a voice that you miss doing? I know there's a lot of them, but which one do you miss the most?

Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain. Totally beautiful experience.

I'm a big and huge fan! I have one question I always wondered. Did you ever add your own "line" in any of the voices that you did? Maybe added something that was not in the script.

Many times. Usually as a result of excellent writing which inspired me.

Shoutout from a fellow Detroiter and die hard Red Wings fan! How fun was it voicing Gordon in the most underrated show Catscratch? Did you like voicing characters on Fairly Oddparents and Danny Phantom?

LOVED Doug TenApel's Catscratch!!! Any show created by another Detroiter, Butch Hartman, is a gas!

If you could be any kind of tree, what kind of tree would you be and why?

Pick one for me. :-)

Do you think it would be possible to have the cast of 'Danny Phantom' on Talkin' Toons someday? So many people love that show - and YOU as Jack!

Whenever Butch and crew wanna come by, they're welcome!

What were some of your favorite cartoons growing up? Hahaha...narf

Rocky and Bullwinkle, Loony Tunes, Jonny Quest, Flintstones...

2nd Question: Any Chance the Animaniacs Concert series could come to Little Rock?

Tell your local symphony! Anything's possible, would love to come!

Are you aware that Sean Astin said that he didn't like TMNT growing up?

I am. He has no trouble cashin' them Turtle checks now though. :-)

To the great Rob Paulsen... If you had a super power, what would you want that power to be?

To make people laugh OUT LOUD for at least one hour per day. And free Chipotle for everyone.

Do you get paid per character or voice? Like if your character has to sound completely different for a scene, do you get paid for that? For example, in The Mask, did they have access to nearly your entire repertoire under one character or each voice had to handled separately? What if another actor voices your character for a scene?

We are paid a set amount per session under a SAG Union contract. We're allowed to do three separate characters for that show.

Hey Rob! Thank you so much for creating such an amazing podcast in Talkin' Toons!!!!!!! I have listened to almost every episode now -- usually while driving from one side of Texas to the other. When you're at the IMROV (haha), sometimes the audio quality of the whole show is just completely lost, and it makes it incredibly difficult to hear. It sounds like sometimes the episode is recorded from within the audience -- such as both of the latest ones with Tress. Was that the result of a technical error, or do better quality versions of those episodes exist somewhere? I'm dying to hear all that Tress had to say!

Thank you again, sir, for making my childhood and adulthood so much better and contributing to making my sense of humor becoming pretty vivid and surreal!!!!!!!

Hey GreyTigerFox, yes we've had a few audio snafu's at the club but the last couple I think have been on point. I have a great team when it comes to getting this done, from Jake and Avery at the club, to my assistant James, to my Podcast man Chris Pope, they all work very hard to make sure its the best it can be. Unfortunately those couple episodes don't have a "better" version that's lying around, but I don't mind repeating guests now and then so we'll see about getting Tress back at some point! Thanks for listening!

Did the Ustream setup become too problematic to continue doing at the podcast liveshows?

We're still playing around with things over there. The club is a great atmosphere, and we're planning on making a lot of things available on YouTube going forward!