A Voice Actor Without an Intermission
- Pilar Uribe
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
This piece is about taking my first real vacation in fifteen years and realizing that my work as a voice actor isn’t about the gear—it’s about showing up.
January 2025: my first official vacation in 15 years. I'm always working, whether it's recording auditions, working from my voiceover booth, going to a studio session or being on set. Otherwise, I spend my free time writing in cafes, taking acting classes, swimming, and cuddling with my cat while watching Grey's Anatomy for the umpteenth time. After much planning and using frequent flyer miles kindly given to me by my bro-in-law, I am off to Europe: to Madrid for the first time, then London to stay with my cousin Sergio, and finally Paris, to meet my mom, sister, and nieces. After much soul searching, and for the health of my back, I decide to leave my travel microphone along with my laptop. While packing, I look longingly at the little box where my handy dandy Apogee mic lies. It's so cute and compact and has gotten me through many last minute voiceover auditions and gigs while on the road. It's not that heavy. What if something important comes up? Like the entire world isn't resting after New Year's. I hear a scolding voice in my head. "Pilar, give it up. Just put the box down." I turn my back and keep packing. I am determined to travel light.
A Blanket, an iPhone, and a Choice
At LAX and Atlanta there are kind hearted souls going to Europe who will help you with your bag. Madrid is another story. In London I start having back pain but soldier on, checking out the rosetta stone at the British Museum. I check my emails to see if a voiceover audition has come in. Nothing. People are obviously enjoying themselves during the holidays and I need to do the same. After a delicious dinner with my cousin Sergio the second night, an audition comes in. Should I do it? The character is quirky, perfect for this voice actor. My mic is where I left it at home when I turned my back. All I have is my iPhone. I'm going for it. I wait until Sergio is asleep in the next room, get under the covers of the foldout futon, and record a voice memo while looking at the script. I do my darndest to make as little rustling noise as possible under the blanket. After a few tries I am successful. The quality of sound isn't the best but I send it off anyway.
A Voice Actor Keeps Showing Up
After a few days in Paris with my family, I get an email asking for my availability. That's when I realize: it doesn't matter what kind of equipment a voice actor has. If you're focused, you study the copy and use your imagination, you have a 50-50 chance of booking the role. Voiceover is a numbers game. It's like standing at the bus stop: eventually it's going to come in. You just never know when that is going to happen. I have auditioned for hundreds of jobs that I haven't gotten. And I keep standing up at the mic. Sometimes I'm tempted to phone it in, just to get the audition done. That attitude will kill my work every time. If I'm not excited, I stop and ask myself why and redirect my feelings toward it in a positive way. If I still can't get an interesting read, I pass on it. It's so important for me to believe in what I'm sending off because I don't know who is going to hear that audition. Over the past six years that I've been here in Los Angeles, I've had directors say to me "oh we've heard your voice before. You've been on our short list a few times." Which means there's always someone listening to your work. If I'm not right for a certain part, I may be right for the next one. I just keep soldiering on and releasing those voiceover auditions into the universe.
I do the gig in Santa Monica when I get back. Afterwards, the director says to me "I knew you were right for this job. I've heard you before." I just smile.