We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Culinary

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What does a Voice-Over Actor do?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: Feb 22, 2024
Views: 45,449
Share

A voice-over actor is a person who performs, typically with voice alone, in a variety of media. These actors work in animated films and series, and lend their voices to dubbed foreign films, video games and commercials. They’re at once prominent and behind the scenes. Though generally not in front of a camera when they’re acting, the voice-over actor is the principal talent of many shows or other productions that require acting, and the degree of talent may make productions a success or failure.

Many people are familiar with animated films like those produced by Disney® and these films usually use well-known traditional movie or television stars for major voice acting parts. This tends to be the exception rather than the rule.

In contrast, a person who spends his life being a voice-over actor may never be very well-known or achieve celebrity status, though there are a few exceptions. Some of the most famous actors in Japanese animated series or video games have huge followings, but principally the voice-over actor is known by his or her voice, only. The most prolific actors are probably recognizable when they voice new characters, but it would be their voices and not necessarily their face that would be recognized.

This does not make these actors less talented or skilled in their craft. When they act the part of animated or video game characters, they must rely most on vocalization, inflection, tone, and accent that make up the character in order to be effective and believable. Gone is the ability to gesture, to move, or to use facial expressions, and instead, actors get cues from what is already filmed or animated to determine how the voice should match, or sometimes animators get cues from the actors on how to animate.

Other voice-over actor parts don’t even have these types of cues. People may narrate TV commercials, participate in radio commercials, or possibly be part of books on tape or radio and podcast plays. In these cases, actors must draw from themselves and whatever instructions they’re given by directors to determine how to effectively use the voice to make a point or excite listeners.

Many voice actors have training in acting and they may be especially good with voicing characters with different accents, and in different pitches and tones. Since the actor loses the ability to convey by visuals, honing their ability to turn their voice into a diverse instrument that reaches people is very important. Some people train in traditional acting, others have had specific voice-acting training, and a few people come to the business naturally talented.

Many voice-over actor parts are located near major recording venues, but some actors can make a living outside Hollywood or New York. The need for voice acting in so many different venues means some people make a decent salary in smaller urban or suburban environments. Greater fame typically means living close to television or movie studios to obtain the more high profile jobs.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia...
Learn more
Share
https://www.wise-geek.com/what-does-a-voice-over-actor-do.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.