To all the many fans of Bleach,
I have loved being a part of the Bleach universe and voicing Chad. It was a difficult decision to say no to coming back for TYBW. But I no longer audition for roles of people of color.
Representation matters.
Access matters.
I have had access to a very wide variety of roles in my career. Actors use their imaginations and their experience to breathe life into the characters we portray. We get to walk in someone else's skin for a time. We practice empathy. We feel. And we learn.
Access to opportunity in Anime has not been equal. But that has changed. By stepping aside now I open the door of Access and give opportunity to an actor who can represent Yasutora Sado with the same love and pride and imagination but with more life experience than I have.
Thank you for all the love and support you have shown me over the years. Please welcome Alain Mesa to the role of Chad.
He's got some big shoes to fill!
Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better - Maya Angelou
#BLEACH_anime
#BLEACHTYBW
#Chad
@CrimsonKaze
Thanks! While I agree actors can play whatever they can, there has been an injurious lack of access to opportunity for POC. That needs to change.
@Nukleon
Great question. imo as we reinterpret the Japanese culture of anime for a western English speaking audience, representation matters more when specifically referenced by the character. How do they identify?
Wow. This has inspired quite a spirited conversation.
Thank you to all who have engaged.
I'm sorry I don't have time to respond to all of you, but, thank you to those who understand my position and have been supportive of my decision.
@elevenlabsio
@akaGhostBird
@inworld_ai
I have been informed that you are using an AI version of my voice as Sojiro Sakura from Persona 5. I have never given permission for my voice to be used to train any AI or to be cloned. I do not give anyone permission to use my voice without my active consent.
@Kon_Doriano
@Nukleon
It's about access.
For far too long white people have enjoyed greater access to opportunity to the detriment of others. That needs to change.
I don't care about the ethnicity of the actor either. But I do care that actors aren't being given equal access and opportunity.
@Stullz84
@MichaelToole
Yes, especially voice acting. But even more than representation, access matters. White people have enjoyed greater access to opportunity for far too long, to the detriment of others.
I carefully examine each role to see if I am blocking access inappropriately.
@cxmer_on
Well, it's not just representation, though that's important. It's also about access to the opportunity to do the job. For far too long white people have had more access, more opportunity, to the detriment of others. That needs to change.
I will continue to audition for roles I feel are appropriate for me, with careful thought as to whether I am encouraging diversity or hindering access for my fellow actors.
Do the best you can until you know better. And when you know better, do better. - Maya Angelou
@Nukleon
Well, as Anime is Japanese and we are interpreting it for a western English speaking audience, as long as the character doesn't rely on their ethnicity I think there some room for casting. But Chad identifies as a POC. Talks of his dark skin and Mestizo blood. That's different.
But it's not just about representation, it's also about access. When I started dubbing those many years ago, it wasn't popular, or mainstream. Few actors wanted to do it. Fewer actors of diversity were in the acting pool. And many who were didn't have access. That's all changing.
is when a character self-identifies in a specific way - dark-skinned, non-binary, Black, Hispanic, or Japanese, etc. or is specified in a way that makes that character trait more important than others. Then I feel a representative actor can bring more to the role.
The nationality is the setting. We are interpreting that setting for a western English-speaking audience. So voicing a Japanese or Korean or French character is not necessarily an issue, it is voice acting after all.
But where it is an issue, for me,
@Jq36C
I will try to answer your question but it’s long and complicated. I am the second English voice actor to dub the voice of Chad in Bleach. When the offer for Bleach: TYBW came to me I initially accepted. However, in the last few years the specifications in audition casting
For those who argue that, by my logic, I should not voice any Japanese characters...Anime is Japanese, the characters are mostly Japanese, the characters in Korean animation are mostly Korean, in French animation, mostly French, and so on.
Thank you ALL for the Birthday love!
You warmed my heart and brightened a working birthday...Ok, I had a little fun, and some Awesome Sushi. Literally, the place is called Awesome Sushi. 'Cause it is.
And so are you all.
Not to garner praise or gather followers or virtue signal. It’s a personal decision and not an attack on all voice acting or an example for my fellow voice actors. It was what I felt was right to do.
President-Elect
@JoeBiden
and Vice President-Elect
@KamalaHarris
! That feels so good to say.
Americans chose Joe and Kamala to lead us forward with purpose and moral clarity.
We’ve got a lot to do. Let's get to work.
Read my full statement:
characters. We develop empathy. I stepped aside to give another, more ethnically representative actor the opportunity to voice a beloved character in a popular Anime title because I no longer felt that it was right for me to do it.
Hey friends, I know AI technology is exciting, but if you see my voice or any of the characters that I voice offered on any of those sites, please know that I have not given my permission, and never will. This is highly unethical. We all appreciate your support. Thank you.
stepped aside for the same reason with little or no condemnation. I agree that, in a perfect world, any voice actor can voice any character if their voice fits. But this world is not perfect. We can make it better.
Actors use their imaginations to experience the life of their
English voice actor some fans wondered why I wasn’t doing it. I made a statement describing my personal decision. Many fans have understood and supported my decision but many others have criticized it. It has become a “hot topic” as you state. Because of the character limit on
diversity. A fan who was re-watching the Bleach series we dubbed which finished airing in 2014 posted a clip which meant a great deal to him. In the clip Chad speaks to Ichigo about the source of his strength, his pride in his heritage. He describes his struggles with his dark
all voice acting. They have said that no Caucasian actor should voice a character in Anime because they’re all Japanese (People Of Color), or that a human actor then can’t voice a robot, or an alien.
I didn’t expect this to become what it has become. Other voice actors have
skin and mixed ethnicity blood. I felt that had the role of Chad been posted today, it would have been one of those roles. And I would not have auditioned for it.
I spoke with the studio recording Bleach and expressed my concerns and asked if it would be possible for me to step
Caucasian. There was less opportunity, less access available for other ethnicities of actors. Anime has become popular and mainstream in American culture and now dubbing actors are celebrated. There is a great number and variety of voice actors available for roles. There is more
accents. But now, in 2022, I no longer match the specifications asked for and I don’t audition for those roles. Times have changed. And so have I.
Historically, dubbing in the United States market has been looked down upon. Few voice actors were doing it and the majority were
Twitter I used the terms “white” and “POC” (People Of Color) which I shouldn’t have as they are broad generalizations and have caused confusion. Some people seem to willfully misunderstand my reasoning, some take it to an illogical extreme, some take it to be an invalidation of
Happy New Year!!
May this year bring us all a little closer to healing our bodies, minds, and spirits. Kindness, compassion, and empathy will go a long way towards understanding each other, our planet, ourselves. But we must act on that understanding and make this world better.
aside from the role and allow another voice actor with more ethnic authenticity to take it over. I was assured that, although they would like me to reprise the role, there would be no problem finding qualified actors to replace me.
When the announcement came out for Chad’s
notices for American dubs of foreign language projects have moved towards asking for “authentic” voices for some characters. Usually for accented voices, or specific ethnicities. I have been dubbing Anime since the mid-1990’s and have voiced a wide variety of ethnicities and
Today, we signed the SAG/AFTRA interim agreement for all future work on Date Everything! This allows our actors to promote their involvement with the game if they so choose and guarantees AI protections moving forward. A pretty big deal, and yet still, somehow so… EASY. 🧐
Voice actors Mona Marshall, Jason Marnocha, Dave B. Mitchell, Jamieson Price, Keith Silverstein, Karen Strassman, Frank Todaro, & Abby Trott join
#AX2019
!
Learn more →
ANNOUNCEMENT - We are officially sold out for
@JamiesonPrice
's Vocal Power & Health online
#VO
workshop for Sat Nov 20th. Thank you to all attendees, Jamieson can't wait to work with you!
Stay tuned to our social media channels for a special announcement on Monday morning!
We've got two amazing daredevils stopping by for the grand finale of our Guilty Gear collaboration!
@NikiLeeTompkins
(voice of Jack-O') and
@JamiesonPrice
(voice of Leo Whitefang) will be doing a meet and greet at our shop! We'll have some goodies as well for the last day!
Hey, all! If you happen to see my voice or any voices I've done listed on any AI voice cloning websites would you please let me know?
I don't agree to having my voice/s being turned into synthetic voice clones without my absolute, clear, specific, and undeniable consent.
Thanks!
Happy Father's Day!
Here's to unconditional love, supporting their dreams, and being present in the lives of our children.
Father is the best role I have ever played.
CODA Presents: "Vocal Health & Anatomy" with Jamieson Price!
Join us for a workshop on maintaining vocal health. Learn the importance of good breathing technique, the physiology of control, and the power of character acting for video games and animation.
Signup link in the reply!
@JamiesonPrice
You've heard this, but as a blind gamer, accessibility advocate, and accessibility consultant, I have to thank you for recording those menu narration lines in Mortal Kombat 11. I also must beg your forgiveness, as I emailed the Warner Br…
@JamiesonPrice
Might this be you I hear as the first voice in this trailer? NDAs might get in the way so, hmm, blink twice if it is and thrice if it's not :O
I don’t want to live under a fascist dictatorial regime, do you? Our democracy and our livelihoods are at real risk. We have to vote these mobsters and monsters out. There will be no coming back from this.
It's actually fruitless to try and have the sexiest voice in VO because
@JamiesonPrice
exists and I think it's time we all just sort of acknowledge the futility
So, you think you figured out the voice of a character in an upcoming project. You decide to announce that to the internet. Or you ask the actor to confirm if it's them. Here's why that's an absolute nightmare for the actor and the production. [Thread]
@HugoSan00576711
It's not just about pigmentation. When a character has an additional layer, whether ethnicity, gender, accent, etc. casting today includes those specifications. It was different 20 yrs ago. And there are more VAs available now. It's also about sharing access where it hasn't been.
The climate crisis is the existential threat of our time. We have a moral obligation to protect our planet. And with the Green New Deal, we can also create millions of good-paying jobs and strengthen communities across the country.
If you're attending
@AnimeExpo
this year, join me next Wednesday, when I get the opportunity to play with these incredibly talented voice actors! "CHILLIN' WITH VOICE ACTORS" 6:00pm - 7:30pm Wed. July 3rd - Petree Hall - Hosted by
@JEFFBM
#animeexpo2019
#voiceover
#voiceactor
I'm joining the Fire Emblem signing this weekend! Look for me on Friday, December 11th at 3 pm PST, Live on Instagram! All my prints are available - order yours at
I’m incredibly disappointed that
@Crunchyroll
@SonyPictures
wouldn’t even entertain a conversation. A CONVERSATION. That’s ALL it would take to keep the lead English voice actor of a beloved franchise?!
#mobpsycho100