How did you first get involved with voice acting?
Voice acting as a career was always something in the back of my mind up until recently. Growing up, I loved cartoons and acting on stage, but going into voice acting was half an accident. I remember in 2012 I did some minor voice projects here and there as a hobby and one of the people from those communities suggested I listen to a certain horror anthology podcast. I noticed they were accepting auditions for narrators and the rest is history.
Do you have a favourite character that you’ve played?
I’ll tell you what, my favorite character to play so far is in a project that isn’t even out yet. But as far as the NoSleep Podcast, my favorite character would have to be the narrator from “How Did I Ever Get Into This Mess?” from season 7. One of my more emotionally meaty roles, and I always enjoy something I can sink my teeth into, y’know? Especially toward the end of the story.
Do you have any rituals you go through before recording to protect your voice?
I always have a cup of water nearby when I record. Maybe on days when my throat is especially dry I’ll go for a juice drink. I’ve heard around that there’s a special tea that’s literally called “throat coat” and I’ve been thinking of giving that a try, too.
Any projects you have coming up that our readers should know about?
So, that role I said was my favorite but the project it’s in isn’t out yet, it’s called Congeria. It’s coming out very soon! You can catch it’s release via the official twitter account!
How can our readers support your work?
In different ways! They can support the NoSleep Podcast by listening, buying the season passes, buying merch that you can find right on their website, or attending a live show! And though this isn’t very horror exclusionary, I’m also a freelance artist (I’ve even done some art for the NoSleep Podcast). I do a lot of pop surrealist-ish digital paintings and character design. So any readers interested in commissioning a $10 twitter icon or maybe just wanna directly support me and get some art on the side, they can do that, too.
Any tips for people that want to get started doing voice work?
Anyone wanting to start voice acting, I say consider getting your foot into general acting, first and foremost. It’s one thing to act with your face and body, it’s a whole other ballpark to act with ONLY your voice. For those who have acting experience and are jumping into voice acting, I say closets, blankets, towels, pillows, and knick-knacks are your best friends. On top of a decent mic, you need to soundproof EVERYTHING. When your recording sounds like a disembodied head speaking into a void, you’ve got it right.
Any fun/nightmare stories from a recording session?
I remember for one story my character was screaming in fear. I don’t usually scream, so to really push something out of me I blasted heavy metal into my headphones and tried to scream over it (safely, of course. This is why you need acting lessons). In the end it sounded more like someone screaming at a silent concert (and i dont think it ended up being used) but it was fun!
What is it about the horror genre specifically that you enjoy so much?
I love the challenge. Fear is such a basic, primal, feeling in people and for me, exposing myself to scary things is empowering. I used to be SO afraid of ghosts and demons when I was younger. I would be literally paralyzed in fear for hours late at night just seeing a shadow moving slightly around my closet. It’s powerful stuff! It wasn’t until I was old enough to read/watch horror stories and movies that I could start fighting that fear. So the horror genre is something I feel allows people to confront horrifying things without real (or perceived) risk to themselves.
You have a lot of fans (us including and especially us), anything you’d like them to know?
It’s cliche, but I’ve mentioned before now that the NoSleep Podcast is my first job as a professional voice actor. It’s a little bit of a gamble whenever you start something new, y’know? Even my audition with David was nerve racking; every acting audition is but I don’t think I was very sure with my own ability at the same time. I almost expected to be turned down, believe it or not. But against the odds, David had me on to narrate some stories. And then as a regular contributor. I realize this is becoming half for David as it is for the fans, but, I really, really, really, cannot stress enough how much it means to me that there are people here that gave me a chance, an opportunity, and welcomed the work I put out with open arms.
It’s scary to put yourself out there, no matter what you try to do. And while nowadays I do recognize that I do have skill and talent, and that’s part of why I’m still here with the NoSleep Podcast and soon-to-be other projects, i think without the massive support and love from the community I probably would’ve stopped at some point, thinking I was going nowhere. So I wanna thank David, the NSP crew, and the fans for helping me find a home and space to grow here. My voice acting journey began with this community, and I will always be grateful to them.
If you’re interested in telling her how awesome she is or commissioning some art you can find Alexis on twitter Here
You can hear Alexis as a regular narrator on The NoSleep Podcast
You can follow the progress of Congeria on their twitter account here