Reddit AMA Recap: Kristen McGuire

Recently, voice actress Kristen McGuire had a Reddit AMA where she responded to fan questions about her most recent voice roles, along with her credentials as an English script adapter and ADR director who works primarily for Funimation who was also involved in the English dub of several dubbed anime scripts for shows such as the respectable but underrated Astra: Lost in Space.


On shows that inspired her to get into voice acting.
I watched Fruits Basket, DBZ, Wolf’s Rain, and so many more. I’ve always loved anime, so it’s been such a blast getting to work on anime for a living! I feel really fortunate.

On how she got into the voice acting industry.
I did a lot of acting in middle school and high school. (Not to brag, but I was Toto in the Wizard of Oz, so y’know.) While I loved it, I never considered doing it for a living. I wanted to draw comics. As an adult, I got a degree in Visual Arts and Communication and proceeded to self-publish my own manga that I would go on to sell at cons. (Surprise! I’ve been an anime fan since I was 15.) After a few years, I developed a small fanbase and was invited to a con as a guest, where I was then introduced to a voice actor. He and I got to talking, and like many people, I asked how to get into voice acting. He told me since I had theater experience, I should try and get onto Funimation’s open call list. I googled it, found where to submit my info, and didn’t hear anything for five months. Then out of the blue, they asked me to do an open audition, which is where they have you read for shows that have already been cast. They’re really just testing to see what you can do. I read everything I could about voice acting, practiced by reading out loud for two weeks, and then did the audition. I never expected to hear back from then, but two weeks later they called me in to do additional voices on Haganai Next. I fell in love with voice acting so much that I dedicated myself to studying the craft. I’ve taken dozens of workshops, ranging from voice over, directing, improv to acting for film and television. I try to take 2-3 workshops a year to keep my skills sharp and so that I can continue to grow as a performer.


On her favorite part of the process.
I love directing the most. It’s really cool to collaborate with the actors and engineers to make something really special. Every show is somebody’s favorite, and it’s so awesome to get to bring that to life for someone.

On having to choose desired characters to voice and characters she has the most personal connection to.
I actually don’t get to choose them at all, the casting director does, haha. Sometimes when I audition, I’ll read for characters I would love to play but feel like I have a long shot at, and sometimes I get cast, so it’s a really pleasant surprise! As far as who I feel the most connected to, probably Senko. I’ve been taking care of people my whole life, so stepping into a role that was all about taking care of others felt really natural for me. She’s a very special character to me because I feel like she represents the best parts of myself., like always trying to be positive or being selfless.


On maintaining a positive attitude.
Real talk, I struggled with negativity just a few years ago, and I hated the way it made me feel. I wanted to be the kind of person that people loved people around, and being so negative made me feel awful. I was listening to a podcast and something they said was, “If you only have ten followers on social media, then that’s ten people that are interested in what you have to say.” It really had an effect on me. I had around 4K followers at the time and I thought… Man… 4,000 people care about what I have to say… and I just felt like I should really do something with it. So I decided I wanted to be a source of positivity for those who needed it. I just want my Twitter to be a place that can help people. I don’t know if that’s what I’m achieving, but it’s what I’d like to do, and keep doing. =) I hope that makes sense!

On encountering times when feeling unsatisfied with her work.
When I feel unsatisfied with my work, I just try and use it as a learning opportunity. I try to figure out why I don’t like it, and then what can I do to improve it. I’m always learning and studying, so I feel like I often look back on my past roles and think about what I could have done better.

When it comes to voice acting, I just try and be easy to work with and maintain a positive attitude in the booth. My job is to make the director’s vision come to life. I have to trust in that vision and adapt to meet it where necessary. I usually try for more naturalistic reads unless the show calls for something more dynamic.

On current Anime Trends in Japan such as the Isekai genre and how they affect the industry.
It has been interesting to see the trends of anime in the past few years. I’m also seeing a lot of detective shows. It’s hard to say where it will go, but I sort of hope we get back to a Slice of Lifetime period. I think those are a lot of fun.

On her past experiences with Toonami and her works being part of the Toonami block.
Yes, I watched Toonami growing up! (My favorite show was Wolf’s Rain) It’s really cool, and surreal in away. I love to live tweet with everyone. The Toonami fan base is so welcoming and fun to hang out with.

On touching up scripts and having to re-record, re-direct or re-write lines.
As a writer, I don’t really do anything with the home video reviews. As an actor, if the animation has changed, you may have to go in and do what we call “pickups” and re-record a line that no longer fits the final animation. As a director, you have to go through and rewatch everything for home video and mark any changes. If a line no longer fits due to new animation, then the director has to rewrite it and schedule the actors to come back in for re-recording.

On her professional challenges as an actor, a director, and writer for Funimation’s English dub scripts.
Writing – Astra: Lost in Space was pretty challenging as a writer because it was so different than anything I’d ever written, but I had requested it because I wanted a challenge.

Acting – Probably Fighter in Goblin Slayer. I can’t go into why because that show was pretty graphic, but if you watched it, then you know why.

On her favorite aspects of doing the show, Dr. Stone.
I like that there’s so much problem solving and that Senku is a shonen anime protagonist that uses science instead of muscles to make the world a better place. He breaks everything down into steps, and I feel like achieving our dreams in life is the same way. Breaking things down into small, obtainable steps. I just think that’s really cool.


On which coaches/classes she took for voice acting and recommendations to newcomers.
I loved the 5 Steps to VO Success with Richard Horvitz and highly recommend it. I also took the Adventures in Voice Acting workshop with Tony Oliver, Sonny Strait’s Voice Acting Workshops, Chris Rager’s Voice Over Workshop, Joel McDonald’s Auditioning for Video Games, and finally one of my absolute favorites is Acting for Film and Television with Steven Anderson.

Do as much acting as you can. Whether that’s stage acting, commercial VO, or acting for video games. Take as many workshops and classes as you can. One thing I always wish I had done when I first started was to have been more prepared. I’m convinced my career path would be way different if I had studied acting more before I started. Also, practice reading out loud. It’s free and easy to do in your own home and is a critical skill when it comes to cold reading.

And finally, her proudest moments within the voice acting industry.
I have several, haha, but for different reasons. Assassination Classroom was my first reoccurring role. I was so excited I had trouble sleeping because I kept thinking it was a dream. Booking Senko in the Helpful Fox Senko-San was particularly special to me because she was my first title character and I don’t typically book characters like her. I was so happy that I ugly cried.