Voice acting is an invisible craft where actors breathe life into characters without ever stepping on-screen. And Abby Trott is a VA who has embodied this craft perfectly.

From the raw energy of Momo in Dandadan to the quiet strength of Nezuko in Demon Slayer Abby has brought to life a diverse range of characters.

In this interview with Animehunch, she talks about her process of bringing these characters to life, and also her concerns regarding AI among other things.

When dubbing anime, I usually get to preview the animation before recording a take in English – the animation can really influence line delivery and inform the performance. With video games, we don’t usually get to see visuals unless we’re recording a cut-scene or cinematic. Because of this, I have to use my imagination a whole lot more! In both cases, the director is there to help guide the performance to get a read that will play well within the given circumstances.

Sometimes my knowledge of Japanese can come in handy when dubbing – if we are looking to make a phrase a little bit longer, I can listen to the Japanese and pull a word or two. Or if there’s a cultural element that is confusing, I can sometimes explain and help makes sense of things for an English-speaking audience. 

That’s one of my favorite aspects of Voiceover – every day is different. For me, it’s all about getting in that character’s headspace. What is their outlook on the world? Are they an anxious person? How do they feel about certain other characters? The clearer a grasp you have of their point of view, the more specific you can be with your performance.

I would say that Nezuko is not just a supporting character, but a main protagonist along with her brother Tanjiro. She is what drives the plot of the anime. Many fans have told me that Demon Slayer has had an incredible impact on them, getting them through difficult times. There are themes of overcoming hardship, never giving up, fighting for what you love; these themes really resonate with people. It’s an honor to be part of something that can inspire and encourage people to keep going. That being said, you never know what will resonate with people, so I approach every role with the same goal: to tell the story as best I can.

Momo is such a fun character to voice! I love how she says exactly what’s on her mind. She’s tough, but will still admit when she has made a mistake. It was a fun challenge to try to vocally “loosen up” with Momo. Shion Wakayama, Momo’s Japanese voice actor, has such a natural delivery and way of speaking that feels real and raw to me. I wanted to try to achieve that too, but it can be challenging when you’re restricted to certain timing or mouth flaps. Luckily our director, Alex von David, values performance over matching the flaps!

Abby Trott: It would be such a shame to lose the nuance of human performance to AI. I fear that in an effort to cut costs and increase profits; companies will try to use AI to voice games and anime. They already are. My hope is that fans won’t stand for it- if fans don’t accept it, they will hopefully eventually see the value actors bring to a project.

You’ve attended conventions and interacted with anime fans worldwide. Has there been a particular fan interaction that left a lasting impact on you?

Abby Trott: I’ve had a fan come and see me because he loves the theme to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. After I met with him, his mother told me that her son has Autism and had been nonverbal for a while, but he loves that song so much it helped him start speaking. I cried. 

Is there a dream role—whether in anime, gaming, or animation—that you haven’t played yet but would love to voice?

Abby Trott: I’d love to do some performance capture. It looks like so much fun to do scenes with other actors on a PCAP stage, so any role that would let me do that!

Have you ever had to improvise while recording anime lines, or is everything strictly scripted?

Abby Trott: Definitely! Dialogue is rarely scripted when recording “walla,” or background chatter for scenes. Also, some directors are open to improv or changing lines when recording, so every once in a while,  I’ll throw out an idea. 

Among all the anime roles you’ve played, which character was the most challenging and why?

Abby Trott: Momo can be vocally challenging just because of ALL THE SCREAMING. But every role has its challenges!

If you could voice any anime protagonist (past or present), who would it be and why? 

Abby Trott: Does Pikachu count? Pikachu. Because he is CUTE.

Image Credits in the article: Lindsey Ruth Photography @lindsphoto