Meet Jake Johnston

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jake Johnston a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jake, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Actually, it took me a long time to finally realize what I wanted to do. I always enjoyed entertaining. As a kid, I would act out my favorite movies line by line. Same with my favorite cartoons! Soon after, I started doing stage work, and being able to bring many different characters to life was and continues to be a constant thrill for me. I also tried my hand at hosting events, being the MC for concerts and other school functions. Everything I chose to do helped bring me the skills needed to get where I am now, and I can’t wait to see just what my future holds!

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?

I love being able to use my voice in so many different ways! I always wanted to be a voice actor, but I was never really sure how to break in to the business. I would always ask questions to anyone connected to a particular vocal job, like radio DJ’s or sports announcers. I would search online for voice acting tips, attend voice acting panels at local conventions, and consistently practice every day hoping that I would be able to find my way in and live out my dream. It wasn’t until my best friend introduced me to a website dedicated to casting voice actors that I was finally able to begin my career as a working voice actor! Now, I am filled with pride seeing the body of work I have been able to produce, along with the help of some incredible teams through many different projects!

I think the most exciting thing about being a voice actor is the entire creative process itself! Not only do you get to help bring a character and a project to life, but you get to work with some absolutely amazing people who all share the same goal of creating an incredible piece of art. I also love seeing the reactions from listeners, which is always a very humbling experience!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think the biggest impacts on my career came from a couple different places. First, from my best friend. She has been with me since the beginning, and has helped me a lot on this path. She loves to use her experience as a former radio DJ to help me with line readings, giving me tips on how to approach whatever it is that I am reading. I can always hear her in my head whenever I’m reading script!

The second would have to be an interaction I had with world famous voice actor extraordinaire Fred Tatasciore! I met him at a convention a few years ago, and I told him about my dream of becoming a working voice actor. His advice to me was that I just needed a good microphone, a decent computer, and the drive to just do it! So I did!

The third would have to be all the awesome people I’ve gotten the chance to work with along the way. We all help each other out, and push each other to reach new plateaus! I have been very lucky to get to meet and become friends with some very talented people, and I owe them so much!

My advice to anyone looking to get into the voice acting or voiceover world is to always remember that each project is a team effort. It takes a lot to bring a project to life, with many different individuals working together. Also remember to have fun! And in the words of my best friend, “DON’T SOUND READ!!!”

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

My advice for people who become overwhelmed while working on a project is to remember that it’s all part of the creative process. Whenever I am recording a line for a script, I always find myself going back over that line over and over again, searching for any way that I may be able to make it better. That can make my mind work in overdrive, until I suddenly realize that I need to step away for a little while and give my brain a rest! Once I do that, I can come back to it later with a clear head and a new strategy. Trust in yourself.

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