Voice actor
A voice actor is a person who provides voices for computer and video games, puppet shows, amusement rides, audio dramas, stop motion, and animation works (including cartoons, animated feature films, animated shorts), and radio and television commercials. The Japanese equivalent of a voice actor is a seiyuu. When singing is called for a role, a second voice actor is sometimes cast as the character's singing voice.In a live-action production, voice actors may be called upon to read the parts of computer programs (Douglas Rain; Majel Barrett), radio dispatchers (Shaaron Claridge), or characters we never actually see on a show who give instructions by telephone (John Forsythe) or mailed recording (Bob Johnson).
It is not unusual to find amongst the ranks of voice actors people who also act in live-action film or television, or on the stage. For those actors, voice acting has the advantage of offering acting work without having to bother with makeup, costuming, lighting, and so on.
A common practice in animation voice casting not widely known to the general public is to have young boy-character roles read by women. This goes all the way back to Gracie Lantz as Woody Woodpecker, and continues with Elizabeth "E.G." Daily as Tommy Pickles on Rugrats and All Grown Up today. June Foray, even as a senior citizen, can still faithfully voice Rocket J. Squirrel. This can be especially useful if an ad campaign or a developed series is expected to run for several years, for while the vocal characteristics of an adolescent male actor would change over time, the voice of an adult female will not.
Some notable voice actors