Anime Omnitude: Here we have Steve Prince, the voice actor for the English Bleach Anime playing Ishida
Anime Omnitude:What does it take to become a professional Voice Actor?
Steve Prince: Yikes, there's no way I can give a short answer. Sorry.
Anime Omnitude: Do you prefer his character to that of keitaro urashima?
Steve Prince: Too soon to tell, as I haven't had the chance to record an episode yet.
Anime Omnitude: Ishida is kind of a discreet, geeky, lacking confidence at times, kind of person. What kind of voice will you use for him, something like Keitaro's or what?
Steve Prince: No, not Keitaro. If I remember from the audition, it was actually very similar to Ken Ichijouji. But more mysterious. I think that's the direction they're going to go with him, considering his past history of him being one of the last of the Quincies, and I think that by the time we're seeing him in the series, his grandfather has died and he's at odds with his dad. I'm not so sure he'll be geeky, but that's up to the director to decide.
Anime Omnitude: Seeing as you've done a few lead roles, how do you find Ishida's character to those you have done?
Steve Prince: I think it will be another great opportunity to help breathe life into a character that will hopefully stand out in the show. I'm not a scene stealer or anything, don't get me wrong, but no matter what character I do, I as an actor HAVE to breathe life and humanity to what I play, and I think in that sense, that's why people remember me. Look at Impmon and Beelzamon for example. They were not integral to the overall storyline in Digimon, but hopefully you remember them.
Anime Omnitude: Do you think/feel like Ishada in real life ? You know when you get tired of your job and want to study or just go on a bow and arrow rampage
Steve Prince: Well....first off, I haven't shot an arrow in I don't know how long, so I usually don't get that urge. After a long day, I do usually wind down playing video games. Anything shooter, action, platform or role playing oriented I LOVE. As far as feeling like Ishida, there are some things that I can relate to and that I feel I can bring to the table from my own life that mirror Ishida's when I was 15.
Anime Omnitude: You have a VERY busy schedule with the voice acting you are doing at the moment. How will you deal with another, yet great anime you are voice acting for?
Steve Prince: Milezy, voice acting is not what keeps me as busy as my regular work schedule. I have a regular job as a mortgage loan originator, in which I work 45-50 hours a week. I just manage to squeeze in the voice overs when a production company can accommodate my schedule. This period of my life with voice overs is that it's great when it happens, but it's just icing on the cake of work for me. I'm glad to be a part of this project, because of all the hype and because I think it will be rewarding to me to voice a character like Ishida.
Anime Omnitude: Have you researched or watched a bit of Bleach in Japanese, what were your first impressions of it?
Steve Prince: The research I've done so far has been what I've read on Wikipedia. It's been very helpful for me, getting a grip on Ishido's history prior to recording.
.
Anime Omnitude: How is your relationship with the crew working on the dub? Is it pure business as soon as you get into the studio, or do you know some of the guys already and have a few jokes?
Steve Prince: Anime in Los Angeles is a VERY tight nit group of people, as far as the producers and directors I've worked with. Actors are popping up all the time, and as you may already know, I know some actors, but not all of them. There are times I've worked on a show and never met some of the main characters the whole time I recorded. But as far as the people behind the scenes, they are great. We all get along, and it isn't just about work, it's about having fun while doing it. You'd be surprised about some of the takes we do that never wind up in the show OR in the bloopers, but we do them for laughs all the same.
Anime Omnitude:Why did you pick Ishida? Or you were "forced too"? And when you picked him were you familiar to him his shyness at all?
Steve Prince: Gee, wouldn't THAT be nice to pick my own roles. Sorry guys, but it doesn't work that way. When auditions happen, the producer and director have already decided on what role or roles they'd like to hear you audition for. They then pick, out of the sometimes 10-25 people that auditions for the same role, maybe the top 4 that they feel best match what they picture the character should sound like. Then they send those top 2-4 to the main producers, and it is up to THOSE people to decide who they'd like to voice the role. I have no say whatsoever. As for me getting in touch with my shyness: Yeah, I can definitely relate. I am an introvert at hear, although I can get along in a group too. But I can definitely bring that to the table, if that's the direction they want me to go with.
Anime Omnitude: How does it feel to be working on two the the biggest anime shows in recent times, Bleach and Naruto?
Steve Prince: I am honored. Blessed and honored.
Anime Omnitude: And how will you aproach Ishidas voice differently the Shino from Naruto, who doesnt talk all that much?
Steve Prince: Hmm. Not sure yet. That's a questionf for later.
Anime Omnitude: Do you read or own any anime or manga titles?
Steve Prince: No, but I have lots of comic books.
Anime Omnitude: You've been voice acting for many years, what first got you into voice acting?
Steve Prince: It was more of a transition after roles on camera started dwindling. I had a stint on ER, Saved By The Bell, the movie Why Do Fools Fall In Love and a couple commercials, but the work was not busy. So I took a class at the SAG Conservatory about voice acting. I had some experience in college, but not a lot. Bob Bergen (current voice of Tweety Bird & Porky Pig for Warner Bros.) taught the class, and commented on my ability to do voices, and felt if I kept up the good work and took classes, that I'd be able to have a career. Well, not only did I take classes, but because I feel I have good business sense, I started marketing myself to ANYONE who'd be willing to listen to me, even though I didn't have a demo yet. Well, I happened to be in the right place at the right time when I asked Saban if they would be having any open calls for projects coming up. They happened to be casting for MMPR. That's how I auditioned and landed the role for Elgar. Part luck, part talent.
Anime Omnitude: Your show, please tell us about it
Steve Prince: Gee, I thought you'd never ask. It's important for us actors to always stay fresh, think on our feet, take classes. Keep our instruments tuned so that when we are called upon to audition, we can hopefully nail and land the role. When things slowed down for a while a year ago, I had always wanted to do radio work, and thought that by having a weekly show, it would keep me active, and allow me to still do vo work, even if only DJing. So I came up with the concept of WordPlay, where I host it, and have people email me song suggestions, based on the word or letter of the week. So people find out about the word/letter of the week by going to my website at www.steveprinceproductions.com/WordPlay.html, read about the show and how to make a suggestion, then I do the show based on audience participation. It airs every Friday night from 7:30-8:00 PST on www.ktstfm.com. You can also listen to previous shows by going to my website and clicking on one of the previous show links. I also like it because I will sing on occasion, as well as sing the theme song every week. Please feel free to pass on the website to fans so they can hear the show, and participate if they so choose.
Anime Omnitude: Thankyou for answering the questions for the fans and I hope your role on Bleach will be a success
Steve Prince: You and me both, Milezy, you and me both.
Anime Omnitude: Thanks a lot for taking the time out to answer the questions, I wish the English Dub success
Miles Benjamin (Milezy) - http://www.animeomnitude.com