Lauren McCullough

Female Voiceover Talent

717-281-1991‬

LaurenMcCulloughVO@gmail.com

Voiceover Industry

Why Voiceover Communities Matter

Voiceover Industry

Why VO Communities Matter

Are VO Communities important to your work life? They can be! There are a great many options for voiceover communities now, far more than existed even ten years ago. There are in person groups in many locations, as well as a plethora, and endlessly growing number of groups on social media. It’s easy to find these groups overwhelming and not want to bother with finding a good place to hang out and find community. 

Our industry can be extremely isolating since there is no automatic group of co-workers nearby that you can talk to and share with. If you’re going to have an ‘office environment’ you kind of have to make your own. A good component of work/life balance is to find people to share with and discuss work elements with. VO communities can be tricky, so first I’m going to give you a couple cautions. 

Vet your communities

  • If there’s one thing true in voiceover, it’s that there are more groups for the industry every single day. The vast majority of these will be a waste of your time, even if you’re just starting out. Most groups are little more than captive audiences for various sales and coaching pitches, or stadiums full of ignorant cheerleaders who will send you off into the weeds for bad advice. A little googling will give you a quick idea who is who and what their backgrounds and experience are, and who is full of crap. There are plenty of people out there with a moderate amount of knowledge who will present themselves as an expert, but they’re not. Or if they have good knowledge in one area, they might be lacking where you ask the question. 

Expect Ignorance

  • In all but the most carefully curated communities, ignorance can make its way inside. Expect that sooner or later you will encounter someone who thinks they know better than you, or who thinks that your experience doesn’t mean anything against whatever they want to believe. A good group moderator will send them packing or school their attitude before they can cause harm. 

So enough with the cautionary tales. You can and will find friends, teachers, and helpers through the communities you can connect in person and on social media. Like any online group, there can be a lot of okay people, a few great ones, and some that you don’t have much to do with. But the overall quantity of helpful people you can turn to is pretty great! Everyone understanding the ups and downs of a freelancer’s life make things much closer than they might otherwise be. Here are some benefits to your VO community both local and worldwide!

Get together in person

  • Depending on the group you find, this can be easier or harder. There are always conventions to meet up at, but these aren’t necessarily within everyone’s budget. If you’re in or near a major city, you can often find local meetup groups to hang out with, but these can be kind of hit or miss depending on the group expertise and what they’re interested in looking into or talking about. If you’re outside of a major city, well it’s something to save for to find a place or time to meet with your friends–and hey depending on the nature of the trip, it can be a tax deduction too! 

Industry news

  • Our industry, although one that affects more and more people every day, is rather a niche one in terms of news. Voiceover groups are a great place to find the sifted news that’s most relevant to us. There are voiceover specific blogs and news sites, but hearing news from colleagues can add a personal touch. For example, the recent suing of app giant TikTok by Bev Standing for using her voice without permission or compensation. Or the latest trends and concerns over AI voices, and who’s done a cool project or was able to win an award. 

Referrals

  • Making friends and community in the industry is a great way to get referrals for jobs! Not only will colleagues recommend you if they know that you’re a good fit for a part from time to time, but you can also get casting notices from colleagues. 

Borrowed Studio

  • Traveling is the greatest trick to get urgent work for a voice talent. Many people set up makeshift pillow forts in hotel rooms. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you can also look to borrow a treated space from a colleague. This can be a better option than balancing pillows on a luggage rack and hoping for the best! We all know that consistency in delivery is one of the better ways to keep good clients. 

Who to watch out for

  • Unfortunately, in recent decades, voiceover has been framed as a get rich quick industry in some quarters. This has ramped up the number of snakes and other dishonest folks who are looking to make a buck off of voice talent. A good community group can give you a heads up to avoid this type, and tell any newbies you know the same. And as any industry, we have our bad apples. Thankfully there’s lots of folks willing to watch your back, and give you a heads up. 

Water Cooler Time

  • When you’ve spent days or weeks locked in your little room on a deadline, isn’t it an incredible joy to share with people who truly understand? It’s hot. The neighbors won’t stop mowing the lawn. Seventeen trucks passed by today. Oh and two airplanes. 
  • Or the complicated array of equipment that’s needed to create a recording space. There are so many things that can go wrong or get confused, someone will always be around that you can get techie knowledge from. Software updates can throw things off, and driver updates can mess them up further yet. Someone will know whether or not you should hit that button, or if things suddenly broke, what you might be able to do to reset and get back what you lost. 
  • There are a hundred ideas on how to stay cool in your tiny hot box, and different strategies to minimize noise and maximize breeze. And every voice talent has to deal with a family or home that will be roasting while they record in hot summer temperatures. 

When you join a new group, it can be pretty intimidating. But well established groups and boards often have archives that can give you a hand up. It gives you a chance to get familiar with the types and flows of discussions that happen. You also can answer any questions you may have before you even start. (Plus it’s a bit of an etiquette thing to at least try and search archives before popping yet another question up about v dot com or another voiceover perennial!) Reading will give you ideas of who you might want to approach. Or what events are coming up on the calendar where you can have a chance to meet people in person. Just remember that giving people the benefit of the doubt goes a long way for first impressions. If someone tells you you’re wrong, or not making the best effort, doubling down will start your community life badly indeed. 

Tips For Creating The Best On-Hold Messages

Business, Marketing, Voiceover Industry

Tips For Creating The Best On-Hold Messages

Great on-hold messages can be a critical component of both your marketing and sales funnels. On-hold messages keep callers engaged with your brand and more likely to stay on the phone, rather than hanging up before they can speak with someone. An on-hold message can be leveraged to share your latest sales and initiatives, opportunities, and upsells. They can also be used to share your story as a brand, spread the message about what you’re seeking or generally cultivate your company culture. 

Even though we live in an internet age, phone communication is still very financially relevant. In fact, click-to-call is ever increasing, as people use their mobile devices to search and find businesses about which they want to learn more or with which they want to do business. 

Over two-thirds of customers who call a business or company are put on hold at some point in their interaction, according to this Spectrio blog. That’s a lot of business just waiting to be mined – or potentially being lost, if the customer hangs up. This Mitel blog post purports that 60% of callers that are kept on-hold without a message, in just silence, hang up before speaking with someone. An on-hold message can change that. 

A great on-hold message can keep them interested and engaged with your brand, while also reminding them that you are still there and that their call will be answered in due time. An on-hold message can also provide valuable information, such as your hours or location, which may answer your callers questions before they even speak with anyone. 

What Is An On-Hold Message?

An on-hold message is the message that callers listen to when they are put on-hold through your phone system. A truly great on-hold message takes advantage of those audio spots to inform, educate, and potentially upsell your callers. 

You can create a series of on-hold messages that loop through while your customers are waiting to speak with someone. Many of these messages begin with a short musical start and some musical breaks in between each message. According to this Mitel blog post, most messages are 3 to 4 minutes in length total, made up of a series of shorter messages. If you are typing out a script, this tends to be about 300 to 400 words. 

What Are The Best Types of On-Hold Messages?

There is a lot of opportunity in that on-hold message series. Don’t miss out on the variety of chances you have to engage relevantly with your customers. 

  • Facts and Info Often people are calling to get basic information about your business. Go ahead and share the basics on your on-hold message. Don’t forget your website, hours, location, social media pages, and basic product and service information. 

  • Sales and Initiatives Got a great deal going? Now’s the time to share it, especially for new or returning callers who might be interested. Consider seasonal or timely initiatives that your customers may not know about, but may want to add on to their purchase.

  • Brag Time Callers call to find out more about your business. An on-hold message is an ideal time to tell them what you’re all about. Share your story and brag on the achievements or accomplishments you’ve gathered. 

  • Have Fun!

Now’s your chance to get a little silly or have a little fun. Humor goes a long way in easing the pain of sitting and waiting on hold. Take a note from these Southwest Airlines on-hold messages from the past. Offer some tips, some trivia and some jokes to keep your customers smiling while they wait to talk with you. 

What Technology Can Be Used To Create On-Hold Messages?

There are really two main options for creating on-hold messagings.

  • Legacy or Traditional Phone Systems This is the way you always remember phone systems of days gone by, with a boxes and recording equipment and technicians who need to set the whole system up throughout the office. There are a number of reasons to abandon this way of doing things. Here is a great list of reasons from Intermedia. 

  • Cloud Based Phone Systems This is the way of the future and definitely the way to go if you are setting up your on-hold system or just want to upgrade. Here’s a list from TechRadar with some of the best options out there, according to their writers. The advantages of cloud are endless, but as a voice over actress, my favorite parts are the ease of updating and creating new messages. You can keep your on-hold messages relevant and up to date much easier with a cloud system. 

Who Should Record An On-Hold Message?

When you are deciding who to employ to record your on-hold message, remember who your audience is. Your listeners are your customer base. Where do they turn for advice? What kind of social media influencers do they follow? That’s the kind of voice you want for those messages. 

Don’t forget to consider the tone of the on-hold messages. Should they be serious? Upbeat? Fun? Inspiring? Make sure that you employ a voice that conveys the emotion and spirit that align with your brand. 

For these reasons, we would recommend checking out the services of a voice over talent. A voice actor can provide consistent sound and messaging throughout your on-hold system. They also bring a level of professionalism, with the ability to maintain a certain tone, upbeat nature even after a number of recordings. An amateaur recorder’s voice may start to tire or drop off with each recording, which may not keep your callers engaged throughout their on-hold time. 

Interactive Voice Response Messages

Overall, in this article, we have spoken about the 30-second commercial or informational “spots” that can play, in loop, while your customers are on-hold. These can be informative, and real value adds, for your callers, and can even upsell them. However, if you use an Interactive Voice Response (or IVR) system, you don’t want to neglect the action messages that will be required throughout the process. Things like “To speak with Bob, please press 3” or “To learn more, please hold” or “To access your accounts, please say ‘accounts’.”

If you choose to hire a voice actor, or use one of your own team for your on-hold messages, you will want to also use a similar or same voice for your IVR message system and your on-hold messages. Working with a voice over talent means that your on-hold messages will be clear, crisp, audible, and engaging to keep those customers on hold even longer – until you can talk to them and make your sales.  

How to Find a good Voiceover Coach

Voiceover Industry

If you had a dollar for every Facebook post in a voiceover group about a coach, you’d be a millionaire before the week was out. From every possible angle, the questions come in a flood: how to find a coach, who’s the right coach, do I need a coach? And much more. Finding the perfect person to guide you into better performances is a challenging task! (Though here’s a tip if you’re in one of those groups, use the search bar first! You’ll make a better impression than if you ask the same question a thousand-literal-other people have.) This guide will help you find the right questions to ask, who and what to listen to, and some red flags to look for. 

Why you need a coach

Voiceover is a very specialized craft. There are many nuances that are different from any other kind of acting. If you’re an actor, think about it like this. Consider the possible tools you can use to convey your message. With on camera acting, you have voice, gesture, face, and movement all to convey your message. With voiceover, you have just one. Your voice. Some of your skills will still crossover, of course. But the emphasis is very different. You’re going to have to exercise “muscles” you haven’t used before. 

If you don’t come from a performance  based background, you’re starting from scratch. While you’re looking for a coach, practice reading aloud. It’s a great first step that will help you get yourself used to speaking at length, and maintaining tone and flow throughout the reading. You probably have great skills for some other part of your voiceover business, but you need training to get “fit” for this type of work. A coach will help you polish your product-your voice-to the best it can possibly be. 

Define your Goals

When the list of coaches is overwhelming, a great place to start is by narrowing your list. Ask yourself questions! What genre of voiceover do you want to pursue? Do you prefer to learn in person, or online? What kind of personality are you looking for? Meet with several coaches to get a feel for the options available. All are different. Need a demo? Better get listening to what your prospects have created. This will give you a feel for industry standards, and an idea who creates a sound you want to represent you. 

Group vs. Solo 

Depending on your personality, either group or solo coaching could seem scarier, but there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to coaching choices. One of the benefits of group coaching is learning from others and building a network, while solo coaching can help your deep dive into your performance. Don’t forget the previous section and make sure that you define what you’re looking for and what they’re offering. If you’re just looking for a general skills polish, a group session may set you straight. If you’re having a harder time booking, or you want to explore a new genre of the business, you’ll probably want to pursue one on one coaching. 

Vet your experts

Unfortunately, Voiceover, like many other industries has its charlatans and its short changers in business. In the digital age, it’s easy to make yourself look and sound very professional without the resources to back it up. Marc Preston has some great ideas of things to check into. Some of these ideas include–check that your prospective coach is actively working and displaying their work. Ask for references for their successful students. A reputable coach should have no problem finding people willing to speak about them to you. Listen carefully to what they promise. People who promise immediate high income and perfection in a short amount of time are waving a big red flag. Building a business takes time, money, and plenty of hard work.

Create a network

Although you’re the ultimate decider on who to go with, friends and colleagues can be a great resource. Using online and when available, in person groups and meetups, can provide a unique perspective on coaches. Your fellow talent will have some of the in person nuances that a coach brings to the table that you might have trouble finding anywhere else. If you find a local group, this can be a specifically valuable outlet on nearby coaches. In medium to small market towns, local coaches can be kind of tricky. I know many voicetalent that have created their own online workout groups from people they have met at events and they also become excellent resources for finding coaches.

Don’t put the brakes on because of price

Money is a challenge for a great many people these days. It’s understandable that you’d want to save your pennies for a career that requires some financial outlay before you can make money. But when it comes to coaching, as Kate McClanaghan says for Backstage, the cheapest option isn’t always the best option. Comparing prices is both needed and good, but make sure you don’t pick the cheapest just because it is. Quality is a far better bar to aim for. It might sound counterintuitive, because in many industries you can start out with low cost things and replace as you improve. But with voiceover, the sound you produce IS your product along with your voice. Poor sound will lead to your name being associated with that, and producers do talk!

Don’t be afraid to make a change

If you’ve gone to 3-4 sessions with a specific coach and you don’t feel quite right about it, stop. Take a little time and evaluate. There’s some great questions to ask yourself here. Some of the list is, are they exposing you to the work of other experts? What do they talk about more, you, or their own experiences? Do they want you to stay current, or are they more interested in how things used to be? Do they make sure you’re having fun and encourage you? Unless you’re seeking coaching for a specific element, do they stress the fact that there’s much more to learn than just what they’re teaching you? (For example, recording, recording space creation, editing, marketing, all the business aspects and so on.) If someone’s not working out for you, don’t be afraid of moving on. 

Whether you’re a raw newbie diving in, or a pro who needs to add some polish, coaching is always a useful tool. Finding the right person for you can be challenging. Take your time, listen to others and do plenty of research, and before you know it you’ll be sitting with someone just perfect for you. Whether you go through a few or many coaches in your voiceover career, some extra attention, time, and care will help you make the best decision possible. 

When to outsource editing as a VO

Business, Voiceover Industry

So the first thing I need to recommend about when to outsource your editing is a mindset change. It’s understandable that when beginning a voiceover business, money can be at a premium. Between classes, equipment, coaching, and marketing, there’s a hefty dollar cost before the money comes flowing in. Any additional expenses can feel dangerous or maybe unneeded. Jobs you get at first may not have ideal rates or client relationships. In fact, there is some benefit early on in your career as a voice actor to editing your own work because it’s a crash course in audio production.

However, at some point, there’s an important fact about what you’re doing that you need to think of. Business takes investment. In order to grow, you need to put money back into your business, and one of the best ways to do that is concentrate the most on what you do the best.

Talk. Your voice is one thing in your business that only you can do. Your voice is the centerpiece of your ability to make money in general. And the more you focus on what you do best, the more of it you can do. Obviously there are limitations with needing breaks to rest your voice, but outsourcing your editing also gives you more time for marketing, invoicing, or any of the other business elements you may need to catch up on. 

As an added bonus, you’ll also have more time for family or personal needs, which is easy to lose in the entrepreneurial mindset. So although it can seem like an unnecessary expense to hire an outside editor or proofer, it’s a worthwhile investment to help make your business more effective and sustainable for you. And cost isn’t the only mindset worry that you need to change–some people enjoy the process of editing and figure that why shouldn’t they just take care of it themselves? As an established talent, this can also hold you back because like it or not, you could have a better or more efficient use of your time. Give yourself the ability to have a greater flexibility in your day. It might be a scary jump to make, but it is worth it to make your business run like a business. You don’t have to-and shouldn’t-wear all the hats yourself.

Here are a few things to consider that will help you decide whether it’s time to outsource your audio. It’s important to make sure that not only are you ready, but that you’re ready to put forward effort on your part to make sure that hiring out not only is but stays effective as a business choice. 

  1. Length of audio. Are you working on shorter or longer audio in general? With shorter pieces (like less than 10 minutes) you may have a better ROI by doing the editing yourself, if you’ve got enough experience to make it work smoothly. It’s not that you can’t outsource shorter work, but by the time you send it out and wait for the audio to come back, you could have probably just had it done yourself. Many people do a good variety of work, and some much longer than that, but your auditions and short pieces are probably worth it to take care of in house. ***Though if you are in the position to hire an in-person assistant, audio editing for short narrations is a great task for them to handle. See number 5 & 6 on this list
  2. Finances ROI/income. I would never advise someone to take bread out of their families’ mouths, but it’s important to think about as you build your business that for some time after you start you may need either savings or a second income to help cover start up costs. Long term, editing will emphatically pay for itself, especially with longer work. Not only does it involve cost savings to focus on what you do best, it also offers benefits in terms of workflow smoothness, and the psychological benefit of having one less thing to worry about. But in the beginning when you’re still paying out more than you bring in, outsourcing may not be a good fit. When you are the sole person responsible for your business it’s easy to fall into an individual mindset, but shifting to a collabrative/team mindset can open up a lot of freedom for you. Lots of people come into voiceover from creative industries, where that kind of thought can be hard to set down for yourself. But it’s a necessary part of being successful, and sustainable. 
  3. Expectations. You should know what you’re looking for in an editor. What kind of turn around do you want? Keep in mind that what you do in your own life is not necessarily how someone else is going to think or operate. It helps to think carefully about your needs, and write them all out so that you can speak clearly about them and make sure that you get what you’re looking for. But also, particularly, if you have an acting or non-techie mindset, it can be a good thing to be willing to listen if your editor has experience that can help you learn what is reasonable from their end of the business. A good editor will be a strong support and aid in your work. 
  4. Friends in the business. One of the best ways to find a good editor is through word of mouth. Experienced talent often have an editor or two as a go to person, especially in the audiobook world. Sometimes end clients do the editing on their own, but even in such cases, talents will often hire a proofer to help make sure their narration is as polished as possible before they turn it in. And when you have a variety of clients, having an editor will help you be ready no matter what end client you’re working with. (Or whether or not they need editing.) 
  5. In person or at a distance. Another good question to ask yourself is whether you’d want to be physically near someone who is working for you. Some people would rather be able to see and talk to their employees face to face, and some don’t mind if the communication is all online. It’s a good idea to figure this out before you start looking so that you don’t end up in a situation you’re uncomfortable with. 
  6. Training. If you’re an experienced talent who knows the ins and outs of audio, sometimes you can get a little bit of a bargain by training someone-a friend, relative, child, or intern-and work with them. That can have upsides and downsides though, since the person doesn’t have your years of experience and getting good with audio takes a lot of time. Hiring a freelance pro means working with someone who already has the experience and knowledge you need-although you should make sure that they have recommendations or experience like you would with any contractor. 

At the end of the day, handing off your long form narration editing can free you up to tackle things in your business that otherwise would be pushed to the wayside. It can be scary to give up control, but prioritizing the things that need your direct attention is an important step in growing, and thriving in your business. Investing in a reliable, skilled editor can do wonders for your career if you give it a chance.

Amplifying Diverse Voices

Voiceover Industry

The business world has gone through some significant shake ups with social movements in the recent past. #MeToo shed light on the way that so many women have been treated. Black Lives Matter has lifted up Black voices and shown how much they are hurt and harmed. The killings of Asian people in connection with COVID-19 related racism. The striving and sacrifice of Native American water protectors fighting to keep their lands clean. Mexican and South American families getting ripped apart in a hideous border policy. All of these movements and many others have intertwined with social media. And being connected with social media means that the companies who interact with those groups are also in the spotlight. 

Here’s the thing. Even if you don’t understand why people are riled up, and what all of these folks mean, diversity is the way of the future. The planet is changing, and mass movements of people are only going to continue as time passes, meaning more diversity and mixture of folks. It can be hard and complex to take a good look at yourself and your company, and the way that you interact with BIPOC employees and outside people. It is uncomfortable to hear, and may make you or others in your organization feel very defensive.But making an effort to foster real, top down change will set you up for success both now and in the future. In addition, you’ll be giving yourself a far wider scope to find truly perfect people for your company. It’s a well documented fact how many organizations avoid ‘ethnic’ names on resumes. You may not even realize that you do it! That’s how sneaky internal biases can be. Or if the company does hire a BIPOC candidate, they’re the only one in the office. Show the kind of values you can be proud of both inside and outside your organization and look for the kind of people you’d overlook before. 

Plus, it’s the right thing to do. 

So what’s the fastest way for a company to jump on the diversity train? Start with inside hires. If you want to hire consultants to help shift things, make sure that whomever is on that team is BIPOC. Too many times there will be a table full of white folks, and 2 people of color. The norm isn’t enough any longer. Yeah, there’s lots to learn, but it’s the difference between keeping an unfair system and making a true difference. 

One of the first things to learn is why being colorblind is wrong. That probably feels strange to read. Most white folks were taught as kids that we should “not see color” and just treat everyone the same. But the reality is when we are ignoring color, we are missing the unique challenges and pains that BIPOC are going through. Justice and good values means that instead of colorblindness-equality, we should strive for equity.  Equity means giving resources to the people who need it so they can have the same opportunities as everyone else. 

Ask the BIPOC folks in your company what their specific needs are, and just accept them. If a Black women doesn’t want questions about her hair, or an Asian woman doesn’t want people mumbling pretend Asian language gibberish at her, those requests are valid and reasonable. There are a hundred examples like the above, some more racist in the way that white folks are used to seeing, some harder for the average person to understand. But all of them are just as real and valid as anyone else’s issue. And just the same, don’t make your BIPOC employees explain racial justice to every white person in the company. Ask who has the space and time for that kind of conversation and then PAY them or another BIPOC teacher to educate your company on diversity and racism in the workplace. For white folks, it’s a topic of hot topic or interest, for a BIPOC person, it’s about their every day life itself. It’s about the harm done to them personally, or to people they know. It’s neither a light or an easy conversation.

It’s not possible for white people to completely understand the BIPOC experience. Sadly, the kind of hurts that those types of actions can cause are things that get dismissed far too often. You don’t have to understand how someone is feeling to accept that they are being hurt–and that is the core of what can help people understand the kinds of changes needed. Company values should be to encourage understanding and cultural exchange, but to accept that regardless, if someone says ‘please don’t do this’, to accept and move on. This is also a conversation that will never truly be over. Race is an extremely complex issue, and the nuances of policy and company life will always need revisions to greater understanding. 

The second major way your company can get on the diversity train is to connect with diverse voices! Social media influencers are of as many backgrounds and perspectives as there are people. Recent social media campaigns like #sharethemicnow have given you an awesome way to start. Turn over your channels to influencers that are BIPOC and allow them to highlight their movement, their work, and they in turn will draw attention to your company simply by being there. It’s likely that you can find an influencer that relates to your company in some way in their project or interests, so you can cultivate that connection. There’s no limit on the kind of partnerships you can create. More well known organizations like the NAACP and many others are out there for you to build bridges with. Make giving a company value-and lead from the executive level, not an employee drive.

The most important thing about these actions, both internal and external in your company, is truth. These days people care about companies doing what they say they will, and displaying their values in action as well as with words. If you make a big statement about making diversity a part of your company, actually make the change. News and information can leak out any time and anywhere, and with how easy it is to be anonymous, you can never stop it. (You’ll look even worse if you try.) Whether it’s internal experiences as an employee, or an external one as a customer, when you don’t take action, people will notice. And the longer it takes for any real action to occur, the more people will notice. That’s the way that reputations are changing as time passes. Make the changes now, and stand up for what’s right, and make it top down truth. 

When you’re looking for organizations to connect your company with, make sure that the leaders are of the population in question. It’s unfortunately not uncommon for organizations to say they are for this or that group, but to have no real connection with the minority in question. Influencer’s aren’t immune to this too, more than one has collected money that didn’t end up where they said they were going to send it. Thankfully, online research is easy, and just like with your company, these people will have backgrounds and information available online also. The following links are some BIPOC organizations that will help you get started making your diverse connections today.

Iconic Voices: Tim Curry

History of Voiceover, Voiceover Industry

“Anticip-”

Tim Curry, born Timothy James Curry, is an icon of stage and screen, and the recording studio. Participating in productions as diverse as Annie and Spamalot, every turn he makes is an indelible memory.

EARLY LIFE

Born in Grappenhall, Cheshire, England, on April 19th 1946. His parents were a school secretary, Patricia, and a Royal Navy Chaplain, James. He also had an elder sister, Judith who was a concert pianist. His parents met in Malta during World War 2 and married in Egypt. Judith was born there, and Tim was conceived in South Africa. He was born in England, but before he was a year old the family had moved to Hong Kong. The Curry family moved like any military family until Tim’s father suffered a stroke. Then they moved to Plymouth, near Tim’s maternal grandfather. The stroke did not still James’ efforts, he received an M.A from Bristol University in 1956. Sadly, after another stroke and a bout of pneumonia, James Curry died in 1958. 

EDUCATION

After his father’s death, Tim attended boarding school. After that, he got a scholarship to attend Kingswood School in Bath, England, where he began to act in plays. He also developed his singing voice. For a while, he went back and forth trying to decide which art he wanted to pursue. He spent a gap year traveling around Europe with a friend, and decided to focus on his acting. Tim chose the University of Birmingham for college. At the time it was one of the only schools in England to offer a drama program. 

Academics weren’t Tim’s passion in school. He went through his classes putting the minimal effort. The majority of his time and passion was spent on stage. He participated in as many extra-curricular productions as he could. A story from those days is that one of Tim’s professors wouldn’t let him sit for a final exam because Tim had been absent so often that the professor didn’t recognize him. 

THEATRE

After college, Tim wanted to break into the theatre scene in London. But he faced the classic college grad problem. And in the unique flavor that actors deal with. In order to be in his first professional show, HAIR, in 1968, Tim needed an Actor’s Equity union card. In order to get the card, you need professional acting credits. And in order to have professional acting credits, you need to have the card. 

Tim decided to fudge his resume. He lied and said he had both an Equity card and professional experience. By the time the producers caught on, they were so impressed with Tim’s talent that they allowed him to stay in the show, and helped sponsor him to get his card. During the run of the show, Tim met Richard O’Brien, who would change his life just a few years later. HAIR palled for Tim quickly, and he managed to get out of his contract. 

He moved on to AFTER HAGGARTY with the Royal Shakespeare company in 1970. After that, the next three years were a mixture of small television roles, various productions in the West End, the Glasgow Civic Repertory company, and the Royal Court Theatre, where stardom waited under the spotlight. 

British great Ian McKellen recalls how Tim would come to his Christmas parties in the early 70’s. Tim was mixing with the London theatre crowd at the time. Ian recalls Tim as “the quiet lad in the corner who was a little hard to understand because he never opened his mouth.” 

ROCKY HORROR

In 1973, Richard O’Brien invited Tim to audition for his experimental musical project, called THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. This production would be produced at The Royal Court Theatre upstairs. Tim’s audition song was Tutti Frutti. Originally, the director had another actor in mind for Frank-N’-Furter, but once Tim auditioned, there was no other choice. 

Rocky Horror was an enormous hit, setting off fireworks in the London theatre scene. The show moved to progressively larger venues, attracting celebrity attention. Mick Jagger and Tennesee Williams were two names interested in the show. After several location changes, the show moved to Los Angeles, where it enjoyed a very successful run at the Roxy. Next, the show moved to Broadway, and for some reason, did not enjoy the same success. It closed after only 45 performances. 

Tim was enormously crushed by Broadway’s reaction to Rocky Horror. He retreated to his apartment, and dealt with his first real failure as an artist. He said about that time, “‘I think that was really one of the most formative things that has ever happened to me. I just went home and took out a bottle of vodka for about a month, actually. I sent out for submarine sandwiches and drank and got hugely patched, and then started work again. And I think once you’ve had a really serious failure, nothing can ever be as bad as that again. So you might as well just go for it, because they can’t make you feel any worse than they did before.”

BEHIND THE MIC

Tim Curry didn’t let his failure keep him down. To detail his career over the next four decades would take a far longer article. He was in numerous plays, television shows, movies, and also moved into voice acting. Interestingly, Tim particularly enjoyed voice acting as it gave him a chance to practice American characters. He is so well known as having a British accent that producers wouldn’t hire him for onscreen American parts, so voiceover gave him the opportunity to stretch his craft in a new direction. His credit list for cartoon voices is just as diverse as the rest of his resume. Tim also worked in video games and audiobook work. One of the biggest markers of Tim’s career has been diversity. He has said about his choice in roles, “I want to establish a wide range and play all kinds of parts. It’s that sort of acting career I really respect. I like to turn a sharp left from whatever I’ve done before because that keeps me awake. That’s why I want to be an actor — I don’t want to play endless variations on one character.”

In addition to his incredible range and talent on stage, screen, and behind the voiceover mic, Tim also was able to produce several solo record albums. His youthful ambition to be a singer was given an open door by the success of Rocky Horror. He was able to work with A&M records and produce three solo albums between 1978 and 1981. Tim didn’t find as much success as a singer as he did as an actor, later saying they couldn’t make a ‘greatest hits’ album for him because there weren’t any. 

VOICEOVER AND RETIREMENT

In more recent years, Tim’s health has begun to decline, and in 2012, he suffered a stroke. The stroke left him using a wheelchair He has remained more out of the public eye since, but credits his sense of humor for helping him get through his recovery. “Maintaining my sense of humor through rehabilitation was absolutely vital but not tough. It’s just part of my DNA.” Tim has attended a few comic conventions, table readings, and premiers as he has slowly recovered. However, voiceover remains a way for him to continue to perform.

Tim’s long career and many iconic roles across all media render him an iconic cultural voice. One can’t help but admire the passion and craft that has driven him to choose such a variety of roles from the silly to the most serious. The world will always be grateful for his contributions to the entertainment field. 

“-pation”