08: WGE MAG


WGE MAG: 09


years later. You never know where opportunities are going to take you in life. Frankly, I chose this because it was the area of show business where I was able to find the most consistent work and it didn’t require me to be on the road half of the year to make a living. I have a GREAT face for radio!


Do you have your own home studio? I have a home studio with an extraordinary story... It’s just a converted closet with $40 worth of foam on the walls from Target - and by a quirk of lucky acoustics it sounds as good as any studio I’ve worked in out in the world!


In terms of what you could bring to the Character you played, which was your favourite character to VO? I hate to play favourites since I’m fortunate to have played so many good ones, but I tend to have enjoyed the delicious intelligent villains a lot like The Arbiter in Halo Wars and Darkseid in Justice League Heroes, and does anyone remember Malebolgia in Spawn? That was a really fun one. Lately I seem to be booking more characters with


known. I expect Diablo 3 should make quite a splash too, but I can’t say much about it yet.


What are your own favourite video games to play? I love what I do and it’s fantastic that so many people get excited about the work that voice actors do in general, and although I’ve acted in almost 50 video games, I’ve rarely actually played them! I just got an X-Box 360 so maybe your readers could suggest a great first game to start me out available on that system. When I visited the Quake Wars Enemy Territory booth at E3 a few years ago they wanted to shoot a video of me playing my character, but the game was


Interview:


David Sobolov Voice over actor


heroic characters that require a bigger than life performance. They sometimes also have moments of nuanced emotion and intensity that need to be quiet but compelling. Performing in front of a live audience in a theatre gives the voice actor a great tool kit to work from emotionally and technically, but most importantly, the ability to give the director a characterization that’s ‘large’ enough so he/she can dial down the intensity if necessary.


Y It’s


far easier in the fast paced environment of a studio session to ask an actor to pull back on what he/she is doing than try to get them to give more.


How did you start in Voiceovers? What was your first paid Gig? My first paid voice gig was unusually juicy for a voice actor’s first time out... it was a radio play where I was playing a teenager who had committed a terrible crime and was insane. Fun!!


What was your first video game voiceover? I played several characters in what was reported to be one of the first games ever to feature an extensive amount of voice work, Homeworld in 1999.


ou started out in the Theatre - is this a good grounding for a VO Actor? Why? I mainly voice evil villains, creatures, and


What do you consider was your big break? That’s a great question, because at the time I thought playing Robocop in Robocop Alpha Commando for 40 episodes was my big break, but here’s the catch 22 in a voice actor’s career, over time your resume and reputation grows and you get to know people who believe in you and enjoy your work who will continue to hire you when they can. It’s always a process of working and auditioning for more work, you can’t rest on your laurels. There are times when bookings are plentiful and times when they’re not, no matter how much experience or talent we have.


more emotional levels, especially one I’m just starting for an animated series called Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters.


“ Do some community theatre... take some acting lessons...


and never let anyone squish your dreams no matter how many people try - and they will!”


Did you imagine that you would earn your living from VO?


When I was a student at the Neighborhood Playhouse acting school in New York when I was 19, I had no idea I’d be making my living this way


Which other Voice Actors do you most admire? I work with so many amazing performers. John DiMaggio is working with me on a tv series now and he’s one of the most talented voices in the business. I also love the work of Scott McNeil. If you enjoyed his performance on Beast Wars, you should have heard him 3 feet away working on the next - Brilliant.


What current projects are you working on? On TV, I’ve just started recording a series called Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters for HUB Network and Hasbro, I also did a guest role on Young Justice Invasion for Warner Brothers, and there’s another series in the wings yet I can’t talk about yet. In the gaming world, I’m working on Diablo 3 for Blizzard, Guild Wars 2 for Arenanet and NCSoft and another one that’s so secret, they haven’t even told me the title of it!


What are your ambitions for the future? I just want to keep working! I’d eventually like to get more involved in directing as well as voice acting, too.


Do you get recognised by Game Fans? For Which Characters?


Of course, only a few fans know my face, but I’d say my voice work in Call of Duty 4 (Lt. Vasquez), Halo Wars (The Arbiter), and perhaps Justice League Heroes (Darkseid) are fairly well


too tough for me to attempt!!!


Have you ever thought about making your own game? Where you play the lead character, as has become popular with actors in Hollywood? I’d enjoy doing that with a team, I couldn’t imagine attempting something that huge on my own. You should see the script for Guild Wars 2 - several large thick binders!!!!


If so what would the game be about? I can’t tell you that, someone might steal the idea!!!!


What was your last project? How did it go? My last session was the first episode of Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters this week. It was a fantastic experience. Can’t wait for the public to see this show!!!


What advice would you give to any aspiring Voiceover actors? It’s about acting, not just doing clever voices or copying already established characters. Do some community theatre, take some acting lessons, and never let anyone squish your dreams no matter how many people try - and they will!


David’s website recently redeveloped by his niece Anna Sobolov Good can be seen at www.sobolov.com


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