Have You Ever Used Your Actual Speaking Voice In A Role?
Have You Ever Used Your Actual Speaking Voice In A Role?
Cruel_Sandwich
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/30/05
#1Have You Ever Used Your Actual Speaking Voice In A Role?
Posted: 7/19/07 at 1:31pm
A few times when I was in a show playing a character with no accent, I've always changed my actual voice a bit anyway. The reason is because my true speaking voice is extremely monotone/not very expressive and, as a result, I sound very sarcastic all of the time. So I'd deepen my voice for one show or make it higher for another show and had always thought this was kind of not cool to do.
But then I started watching interviews with actors who have done the same thing. Like how James Gandolfini's actual voice is much different from Tony Soprano's and Bill Paxton actually has a much higher voice than the one he regularly uses for roles. Rip Torn's actual voice is also much higher (The only time I actually heard him use his real voice was in THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH). Then there's Gilbert Gottifried who, in reality, has a quite normal voice in contrast to his obnoxious shouting that he uses all of the time.
So my question is: Do you modify your voice just a bit or use your actual voice?
Updated On: 7/19/07 at 01:31 PM
#2re: Have You Ever Used Your Actual Speaking Voice In A Role?
Posted: 7/19/07 at 1:38pmHey...shut up.
-Benjamin
--http://www.benjaminadgate.com/
--http://www.benjaminadgate.com/
americanboy99
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/06
#2re: Have You Ever Used Your Actual Speaking Voice In A Role?
Posted: 7/19/07 at 1:40pmSandwich.. you like to start random threads about yourself. There an okay read.. but it's a bit annoying.
tinkerscanne
Featured Actor Joined: 6/2/07
#3re: Have You Ever Used Your Actual Speaking Voice In A Role?
Posted: 7/19/07 at 1:41pmIsn't that called acting??
#4re: Have You Ever Used Your Actual Speaking Voice In A Role?
Posted: 7/19/07 at 1:43pm
ANYWAY . . . to answer the question at hand . . . it really depends on the character in which you are playing. For example, I am from S.C., so I have a *mild* southern accent, but if I playing a character from N.Y., I need to modify my voice to where the accent is not present. Or if I am playing someone, like Marcellous in THE MUSIC MAN (which I am currently playing), my vocals are a little more exagerated and bigger than my actual speaking voice because of who that character is.
Now, when I played a character in an one act play where my character was aptly named "Man" and I just sat at a dinner table and talked, I used my actual speaking voice because it wasn't necessary for me to not use it.
"They're eating her and then they're going to eat me. OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!" -Troll 2
RentBoy86
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
#5re: Have You Ever Used Your Actual Speaking Voice In A Role?
Posted: 7/19/07 at 1:59pmNormally I use my own voice. Of course it's a "stage" version because you have to ennunicate every single thing, but it's basically my own voice. I don't see the point in changing your voice that much unless it calls for it in the show. I mean if you're doing "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" I don't think you need some crazy and cooky stage voice. And I hate stage voices. I hate when I see other acting students go up on stage and they turn on this really horrible stage voice. One of the guys here has some weird british-y stage voice.
#6re: Have You Ever Used Your Actual Speaking Voice In A Role?
Posted: 7/19/07 at 3:01pm
On that note ... I was Ling (one of the two Chinese) in Anything Goes, but it was casted pretty funnily because I was the only Asian - my counterpart, Ching, was white. So, the way we were directed, he was the one who could barely string a sentence in English together while I had a borderline British accent, the way I was directed to enunciate and make it clear how educated I was. I guess it's a judgment call on the part of the actor and director and what the part calls for. Like, Jocko in Gypsy just calls for a sort of brash, rude voice that would be the antithesis of, say, Oscar in Sweet Charity, ya know? And if your normal speaking voice suits one or the other ... ::shrug::
Gangway, world, get off of my runway.
- Mama Rose, Gypsy
A bird cage I plan to hang,
I'll get to that someday...
A bird cage for a bird who flew away
Around the world.
- Edie, Grey Gardens
Updated On: 7/19/07 at 03:01 PM
- Mama Rose, Gypsy
A bird cage I plan to hang,
I'll get to that someday...
A bird cage for a bird who flew away
Around the world.
- Edie, Grey Gardens
#7re: Have You Ever Used Your Actual Speaking Voice In A Role?
Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:05pmI only occasionally make conscious decisions about my voice (Truvy in Steel Magnolias, Jack's Mother in ITW, Titus in Titus Andronicus), but according to my mother, who's seen most of the stuff I've done, I never talk quite like myself in any role. There's at least subtle differences that just occur during my discovery of the character.
#8re: Have You Ever Used Your Actual Speaking Voice In A Role?
Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:29pmIf it is appropriate I use my normal voice, but the stage version.
#9re: Have You Ever Used Your Actual Speaking Voice In A Role?
Posted: 7/19/07 at 7:55pmWelcome to Egocentric Thread about Cruel_Sandwich #452. I highly recommend visiting the other 451 for a real kick.
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