Meet Renee Lettieri

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Renee Lettieri. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Renee below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Renee with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

I learned at an early age that one of the things I can control in life is how hard I work. Generally, when I work hard at a task, especially if it’s something I’m interested in or enjoy, I have a greater chance for success. I have also found that conversely, if I don’t give it one hundred percent, I tend to fall short of my expectations. My work ethic has come from both the positive influence of people in my life, like my Dad, but also through the trial and error of lifetime experiences. At times this can also be detrimental, that is to say, understanding the difference between hard work and striving for perfection, something I struggle with often. I have learned that even though I have worked hard at something, it won’t always be perfect, and to accept that rather than feel frustrated and upset, which are not feelings or emotions for me that are helpful.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

My favorite part about voice acting is the freedom you’re given when approaching a role. Unlike most projects that require you to be a certain age or are purely based off of appearance, voice acting creates a space that does not pigeon hold you to one certain type of character. In a video game I recently worked on, I had the pleasure of playing a young sadistic witch. Being able to pitch up my voice and tap into a character that was juvenile yet all knowing, was such a blast and I cannot imagine I would have been given a similar opportunity if the project was live action. Similarly, for a YouTube channel spot, I was also a protagonist living in my own fantasy dream land. Seeing the visuals for the character along with the gorgeous scenery in the background made it so much easier to create her voice and live out a childhood dream of mine. Voice Acting is such a great medium for those who have an active imagination like me and like to feel immersed in their favorite anime, video games or tv shows.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

With respect to my Voice Acting journey, the three qualities I believe that have been the most impactful are as follows:

Patience: Although this is important in almost any aspect of life, patience with respect to acting for me has been a learned skill and one that I am not always great at. When I do feel frustration at times from things not moving along as quickly I had hoped, I just think about my passion for the work I do and seek out the next opportunity.

Hard Work / Dedication: These skills are much easier for me when I have passion for what I’m doing. That is why I feel so fortunate that I’m doing what I love. The challenge is having a strong work ethic for things that aren’t as enjoyable, like working out.

Education: Classes have been so important for me to hone skills, make connections, and to be around so many talented actors that I have tremendous respect for and that I constantly learn from.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

In the last year I’ve learned not to take things so personally and to focus on building relationships with fellow voice actors. When I started voice acting, I would send out audition after audition and did not book as many jobs as I thought I should. Also I was having difficulty with respect for my search for finding representation. It would really discourage me and make me feel like I was not good enough for this industry. However, this year I re-examined things and realized that it is all about timing and if you continue to work hard, something will hit at the right time. Some of the jobs I am the most proud of now came when I sent in the audition and six months later I heard back.

As someone who was not very good at networking, I found it really difficult at the start of my journey to reach out to fellow voice actors and ask for advice. However this year I’ve reached out to friends, mentors and even some big names in the industry to learn from their experiences and seek advice. There truly is no downside to sending an email, the worst they can say is no or not answer. It has been extremely beneficial for me personally and professionally to build relationships with those I look up to in this community.