Kari Wahlgren, a native of Kansas is a voice actress who has lent her voice to many anime titles and video games.   Kari enjoyed our sense of humor as she answers questions about the industry and her  experience being a prolific force in the industry.

OC: Fans want to know more about the woman behind the voices. Where did you grow up and how did it influence your career?

KW: I grew up in a tiny town in the middle of Kansas.  I think growing up there really helped me develop a ‘Midwestern work ethic’….I credit my success to just knowing how to work hard and hopefully stay humble!

OC:What kind of pop culture influenced you during your formative years?

KW: I was definitely into the Disney movies as a kid–I had a sense from an early age that someone was doing those voices in the cartoons and that someday, I could do them, too! When I got a little older, Batman: the animated series had a big effect on me.  It really deepened my love of animation and the voice acting behind it.

OC: Any special film or TV characters you could mimic as a child?

KW: I could act out the entire “Cinderella” and “Sleeping Beauty” movies as a child, complete with songs.  My poor family sat through that more than once….

OC: When did you first realize you had talent in changing your voice? And what mischievous tricks did you play on your parents, teachers or friends?

KW: Good question!  I do a pretty dead-on impersonation of my mother, so I’ve used that on the phone more than once.  I also used to work at a children’s karate school with my best friend.  When I wasn’t working, I’d call her pretending to be an interested parent and see how long I could go before she’d realize it was me….my questions would gradually get creepier and creepier until there was a long pause, and she’d say: “Kari, is that you?”  I’ve never laughed so hard in my life!

OC: How did you get your “foot in the door” in voice work?

KW: I got a part in a radio drama when I was 11, which was my first taste of voice acting….I loved it! When I was in college, I got an agent in Kansas City who started sending me out on on-camera and voiceover auditions.  I began booking radio spots and industrials for companies…that was when I really thought I wanted it to be an area of focus in my career.

OC: We know hand models always wear gloves. Do you wear a scarf ☺?

KW: Great question!  Yes, I do wear a scarf, and I’m fanatical about my health.  If I even sense a sore throat coming on, I’ll cancel my evening plans and pump the fluids and vitamins….you learn pretty quickly that when you lose your voice, you lose jobs!

OC: Have you ever been talking to someone who didn’t know who you were but recognized your voice?

KW: No…but I have stood with people in line at the bank or grocery store who were wearing t-shirts with my characters on them…I never say anything, but its kind of neat…

OC: Equally, when you are out in the “real world” do you ever find yourself slipping into one of your many voices when conversing? Is it even possible to have a “normal” voice at this point?

KW: Actors all have a ‘performer streak’ in their personality, to some degree…I sometimes slip into other voices when I’m telling a story or poking fun at myself in day-to-day life….its actually harder in the studio, though: when you have multiple characters or sessions in one day, you start forgetting whether you’re playing the elf princess or the combat soldier after awhile….then the elf starts sounding butch and the soldier starts sounding…well, ‘elf-y’ and everything gets a little mixed up…

OC: When you read a bedtime story to a child, how awesome is it when you change your voice to suit a character?

KW: (laugh out loud)  These are great questions!  I love reading stories to kids! Unfortunately, they don’t really “get” voice-acting until they reach a certain age.  So when you read to them and you start to sound like a little boy, sometimes it just really, really freaks them out…that’s why I hate when parents ask me in public to do a cartoon voice for their little kids: there’s a 50/50 chance that the kid will either be fascinated or bury their face in their parent’s leg and start sobbing….traumatic for both of us…

OC: You are the voice behind many video game characters. Do you yourself play a lot of games? Which one is your favorite?

KW: I am a terrible gamer, and I am ashamed to admit it.  I did play “Justice League Heroes” when I voiced Zatanna…I liked turning the enemies into bunnies.  But I was playing with a 7-yr.-old boy, and he got completely disgusted that he had to keep re-starting the game because I was getting killed so quickly…

OC: We see that you have a part in the movie “Aliens in the Attic” coming out this month. Can you tell us about it?

KW: It’s a cute family film starring Ashley Tisdale and Kevin Nealon.  It’s about a family vacation that goes awry when the kids discover aliens in the attic, trying to take over the earth.  I play the voice of the girl alien, Razor.  She’s the tough soldier of the bunch who gets a little disgusted with the guys’ inability to take over the world in a timely fashion.

OC: Any special projects or information about yourself you would like us to include in the interview?

KW: Hmm…there were some fun questions here…I’m curious to hear the MOST ORIGINAL question your readers can come up with…if it’s clean, I’ll answer it!  The challenge is on…

Ok, your heard it.  The challenge is on! Please email info@fancrushnetworks.com and we will pick the 3 best questions to submit to Kari and she will answer them personally on the site.