OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

Voice actors play characters using only their voices. They do not appear on screen, so they have to show all of a character’s feelings just by how they talk. If a character is scared, the voice actor makes their voice sound shaky. If a character is excited, the voice actor talks fast and loud.

Voice actors work on many different things. Some give voices to characters in cartoons and animated movies. Others read stories out loud for audiobooks so people can listen to a book instead of reading it. Some voice actors even record the voices you hear when a toy talks or when a phone gives you directions!

• Tom Hanks is the voice of Woody in the Toy Story movies. He records his lines in a studio, just like other voice actors!
• Some voice actors can do many different voices. One person might play five or six characters in the same cartoon show!
• Voice actors sometimes make funny faces and move their bodies while recording, even though nobody can see them. It helps them put more feeling into their voice.
• The person who voiced Mickey Mouse for many years, Wayne Allwine, was married to the person who voiced Minnie Mouse, Russi Taylor.
• Before cartoons were on TV, voice actors performed in radio shows. People would listen to stories on the radio and imagine what the characters looked like.