The
Transformers facebook page has a posted a fan Q&A with Transformers Prime's
Josh Keaton, the voice of Jack Darby. The session is mirrored below for those of you who do not have facebook access.
Kayla Mitchell asks: Hey, Josh! How did you get into the voice acting business? What is like to work with veterans such as Peter Cullen and Frank Welker?
Josh Keaton: I kind of fell into it. I've been an on-camera actor for much of my life and most of my early Voice-Over (VO) roles were things I was sent to audition for by my on-camera agent. After landing a pretty big VO role I signed with an agent specifically for VO and went from there. It's pretty amazing getting to work with Peter and Frank. They voiced so many characters I grew up with and are some of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet.
Jason Beaumont asks: Hi, Josh, just wondering if you have had any prior experience with the Transformers brand? If so, did any of the other "human" characters help to inspire your portrayal of Jack? IE: Spike, Daniel, Kicker? Love your work and can't wait to check out Season 2.
Josh Keaton: I grew up with G1; Transformers was definitely a big part of my childhood. I can't say that my Jack portrayal was really influenced by previous TF human characters. I see the humans in a different continuity as a clean slate. Established bots are more likely to have personality characteristics that might be carried over from show to show but the humans are pretty much victims of circumstance.
Morgan Williams asks: How does it feel to be a part of the Transformers legacy?
Josh Keaton: Fantastic. It's another thing I can check off of my voice-over bucket list.
Steven St.Amand asks: What advice would you give an aspiring voice actor?
Josh Keaton: Don't just focus on making voices. Acting technique and specifically cold-reading (being able to read/absorb/perform with very little to no prep time) skill is essential. You don't get a lot of time to prepare in VO so you have to be able to make a choice and run with it. Also, if you come up with a great voice, really figure out the character behind it. It's not hard to say a couple of catch-phrases in a funny voice, but make sure you can sustain that voice and character in any situation that's thrown at you.
Beth F Brownell asks: What is your favorite episode of "Transformers Prime"?
Josh Keaton: It's coming up in Season 2! My favorite season 1 episode is a toss up between Predatory and the One Shall Rise Pt. 3 where Airachnid gets owned.
