Reddit AMA Recap: Felecia Angelle

Recently Felecia Angelle occasional ADR Voice Director and voice actress did a Reddit AMA interview where she responded to fan questions, talked about her recent work in voicing Kohaku in Dr. Stone, And past roles such as Alex Benedetto from the Underrated but short-lived crime drama Anime “Gangsta”, Hagakure in My Hero Academia, Okuda in “Assassination Classroom”, Shalltear Bloodfallen from “Overlord”, Asahina in the Anime Adaptation of Danganronpa, The Devil is a Part-timer, Date A Live, and Seraph of the End just to name a few… Along with her voice work in video games such as Borderlands 3 and her love for Fantasy board games such as “Dungeons & Dragons” and her move to Los Angeles.

On If she was ever an anime fan before getting into the dubbing business.
I have watched shows both subbed and dubbed and have watched anime since the late 90’s/the early 2000s. I was a fan of the original Toonami and have watched anime fairly consistently since then.

On information in regards to any possible English dub recorded and released for the My Hero Academia OVA films?
Sorry, no idea! Actors are among the last to know.

On having a home studio before current events and if she likes recording from home?
…I actually started in VO with my own clients and a home booth, so this is an old hat. I prefer to record in person, just so I can focus on acting and not also be engineering and worrying that the neighbor is going to start washing clothes and ruin a take.

On having played any of the Danganronpa games either before or after she was cast in the anime.
I played the first one after the series wrapped! It was really fun and unique.

On anime characters she has voiced and if she’s ever related to them in some way.
This is a tough one because I feel like we find things to relate to in every character we play. But, if I had to look at where I was in my life when a character came into it, I’d pick Nozomi Moritomo from The Rolling Girls. She’s just starting out on her path to be a leader and a good friend, she has more heart than she knows what to do with, and she finds her feet with the help of those she loves.

On what makes an actor memorable enough or draws you to them to possibly work with them again in terms of working-relationships?
I love this question! To steal from Joel McDonald “The most important role you’ll ever audition for is the role of someone we’d like to work with.”. When an actor comes in prepared, polite, and playful, I can’t ask for much more! I’m looking specifically for someone who is interested in collaboration and in serving the character and the story to the best of their ability.

On voice roles, she’s worked on and the favorites she’s done.
I’m super bad at picking favorites! Once I start, I just keep going until I list everything I’ve ever done. But, a few are: As an actor – Cop Craft, Gangsta., The Rolling Girls, Golden Kamuy, Dr. Stone As a Director – Grimgar, Puzzle and Dragons X, Boogiepop & Others. The short answer is I love them all!

On her performance as Alex Benedetto in “Gangsta” and if playing the character presented any challenges as an actress given the character that she is and the shows unfortunate production mishaps.
She was one of the greatest joys of my career. I have, thankfully, never experienced the particular trauma she had to go through, but I have had my share of struggles. To play her as a person coming back to life, learning to trust, and to live again was absolutely amazing. I fell in love with Gangsta. and own all of the available volumes of the manga, as well as the Gangsta: Cursed prequel (and an amazing Worick statuette that one of our Funi engineers gifted me!). I am so saddened that the show didn’t get to continue, but the manga is ongoing and I encourage anyone who will listen to support it legally.

On what’s the best thing a director can do for you when you’re in the booth as voice actor/actress?
Be willing to believe the actor’s take, even if it’s different from what you envisioned. Be collaborative, but also have a steady grasp of where we’re going.

On the Dubbing process of anime, and if she watches the Subbed version in advance as a guide of what to expect.
The goal of dubbing is to adapt the experience to a new audience in a way that feels seamless while still honoring the original. So, I approach it as I approach all acting and do my best to exist in the same moment as the character. We watch every single cue in the original language immediately before dubbing into English for both timing and emotional context. If I have time and the official subtitled video is available before I begin recording, I will often watch it. With simul-dubbing, that isn’t always an option. Our directors, though, have always seen the episode several times, taken in as much information as possible from any source material available, and have a direct translation with translator’s notes available.

On the challenges of finding the transition away from traditional home releases that used to be standard for every show (as both an actor and director).
It’s Difficult on both fronts. Trying to balance the increasing time crunch and maintain quality can be crazy-making for people like most of the actors and directors who are perfectionists. At a certain point, though, I learned to let go a little during the broadcast and save all my nit-picking for home video.

On watching the anime she’s worked on once the finished product is done.
It depends! If I directed it, then I have seen the show no fewer than ten times tip to tail by the time it comes out in its final form. If I’m an actor, I usually do, but it also depends on how big a role I had in the show and how much time I have on my hands.

On moving from to LA from Texas and how much it’s affected her dubbing career.
It’s been a transition, to be sure. I miss my friends pretty tremendously, but there are so many opportunities here that I’m excited to have the chance to participate in. It’s been especially tough to gain momentum with everything going on in the world, but I feel exceptionally lucky to have a great support system here of both old and new friends who are making us feel so welcome. I’ve been working with studios here for about two years, and those relationships are still strong. I’ve also gotten to expand into some new places thanks to the help and referrals of peers (who have all been so amazingly kind!). As for dubbing, I was in the Netflix release of Saiki K: Reawakened. I miss Tex-Mex and Whataburger and the rose garden in our old house. I’m not originally from Texas (Louisiana born and raised), so I’m pretty used to missing things, but making them a treat when I go back to visit. 🙂

On the most memorable moments, she experienced while being on the set.
Man, there are so many that it’s hard to choose. Instead of a moment: There was a chunk of time after the night shift picked up again at Funi that a big group of us would go out after the shift was over and get food at a place around the corner and just talk and laugh together. It’s one of those instances of not knowing you’re in the good old days until they’re over and just thinking about it makes me happy. So many that it’s hard to count! I did get to do a callback at the Disney Creative campus a couple of years ago, and still have my visitor’s badge hanging in my studio.

And finally, what directions does she see the dubbing industry heading next?
Hopefully, mainstream! There is such a broad audience, I’d love to see us take on properties from around the world.