Animation has grown as a medium over the years, and its market is projected by precedence research to double by 2030. For that reason, it's understandable that streaming services compete to get their own adult animated shows on platforms alongside the normal push for more kids' entertainment.
Due to these and many other aspects, the voice acting business has arguably gotten much larger over the years. As a result, the days of anime lovers strictly choosing to view their content with subtitles are becoming a thing of the past, and the talents behind the characters are becoming more prolific
There are many routes to take to get into the voice acting industry, and when we recently interviewed voice actress and Broadway star Megan Hilty in support of the newest season of TrollsTopia, we learned about how her experience on stage helped open a path to voice acting, and how it assists in finding her animation voice portrayals.
You can hear what she had to say below, or scroll down for this portion of the transcript. Alternatively, those looking for a fully immersive experience can check out the full video chat.
Literary Joe: I was curious how you landed on Holly Darlin's voice and accent and whether or not your singing talents and the techniques you learned vocally with singing helped you?
Megan Hilty: Well, it's funny, because years ago I worked with Dolly Parton on the 9 to 5 musical, and I did all the readings and the workshops and stuff. And the Broadway show, she wrote all the music, so she was there all the time, and while I was playing her part, I wasn't necessarily like doing a Dolly voice. It was just kind of an homage to her sound, but also myself, and I feel like this is pretty close to what I did in 9 to 5.
When the audition for this came up, that was just kind of naturally the voice that I heard reading the lines, and then the rest of it was shaped with Matt Beans, the creator of the show., who's a genius, and he's just a delight to work with. And so I think it started with the stuff that I was doing in 9 to 5 and then was further shaped with Matt.
Literary Joe: You do a lot of voice acting now. Was that easier to transition to due to your work on Broadway?
Megan Hilty: Yes and no. So ever since I was a kid, I really wanted to be in animation and doing voiceover work. So I started really trying to get into this industry about 16 years ago, I think. And I was really pounding the pavement. The reason why I say yes and no is I feel like singers in general, quite possibly have a good understanding from the get-go how to tell a story with just your voice instead of relying on physical stuff. And so, in general, this is a very blanket statement that I'm making, but I think that's why I say yes, but also no because it is a very, very different medium, it's a very different industry with different people and a different way to go about things, which I love.
If this was the only thing I did for the rest of my life, I would be the happiest person. I love being in the studio and working with these creatives on these delightful wacky characters, and man, TrollsTopia is, in particular, just a joy. Every time we get to work, especially during the pandemic, it's like, 'oh, I get to work with Matt. I get to go work with the whole team!" Really, I find this world so deeply fascinating and so incredibly artistically fulfilling that, yeah, it's one of my absolute favorite things to do.
Multi-talented with a voice that glitters like gold, Megan Hilty stopped by for a chat in support of today's launch of TrollsTopia Season 4. Having performed on Broadway in notable roles such as Glinda the Good Witch from Wicked and Doralee Rhodes from 9 to 5, we asked plenty of questions about how vastly the two fields differ as well as what techniques she picked up on stage and has taken to the voice booth with her.
As Megan has multiple children, we learned how they respond to her performance in TrollsTopia as Holly Darlin' and how their classmates geek out over their mom. There's so much fun stuff here to digest, so dig in and have a wonderful time, and don't forget to check out Season 4 of TrollsTopia, released today!
What do you guys think of Hilty's comments? Have you heard her as Holly Darlin' in the newest season of TrollsTopia?
Whatever your take is, be sure to check out the trailer below and share your thoughts in the usual spot!
Get ready for a troll new season of fun! Join in for more tricks, more treats and more Tiny in all new episodes of TrollsTopia, coming to Peacock on September 2nd!
TrollsTopia Season 4 is now available to stream on Peacock and Hulu.