voiceactor

Oct 29

Gina Scarpa

By Chrissy Bernal Personal Growth, Podcast No Comments

This week on Here’s What We Know, we welcome voiceover artist and creative powerhouse Gina Scarpa. You may not recognize her face, but you’ve definitely heard her voice, from radio airwaves to major video games and promos for brands you know by heart.

Gina opens up about her journey from hand-delivering cassette tapes to radio stations in Connecticut to becoming a full-time voice actor and respected coach. We’ll explore the evolution of media, the realities of creative reinvention, and why finding your authentic voice, literally and figuratively, matters more than ever.

This episode is sponsored by:

(Be sure to tell them Gary sent you!)

In this episode:

The grit and heart behind building a voiceover career from scratch
How rejection can fuel resilience instead of fear
Why authenticity beats perfection every single time
The parallels between gaming, storytelling, and self-discovery

Quotations:

“I think a lot of people have an attitude in all industries that, like, something is beneath them and they shouldn’t, you know, they don’t need to do it, but I think you should be open to doing, you know, whatever it takes to get where you’re trying to go, you know, within reason.” ~ Gina Scarpa

“I thought because of my background in theater, radio, and podcasting, that I could just make a natural switch into voiceover. And I found out that it was way harder than I thought it was going to be. And when I listened back to things even from five or six years ago, I was like, “I can’t believe that I’m the same person, and then I managed to get where I was trying to go.” But it was a lot of coaching, a lot of work on myself, a lot of improving, and being open to that feedback that I think got me, you know, where I am now, which is great.” ~ Gina Scarpa

“If you suck, you need to know.“ ~ Gina Scarpa

“One of the best things to come out of voiceover was learning a lot about myself. Like, how do I feel about certain situations, or how do I handle different types of emotions?” ~ Gina Scarpa

“It’s an opportunity every day for something new to happen, and that’s always very exciting.” ~ Gina Scarpa

Bio:

Gina Scarpa is an accomplished professional voiceover artist and coach. She is currently available to appear as a guest on podcasts and can speak on a number of engaging topics. With a wide array of interests, Gina is a great podcast guest for a variety of programs.

Gina has spent decades in radio broadcasting and voice acting. She is proud to have voiced national TV and radio commercials. Additionally, Gina has voiced video games and corporate content for some of the biggest brands in the country.

Some of Gina’s happy clients include VistaPrint, Burger King, Xfinity, L’Oreal, and Invesco. Gina also has a passion for both voicing and playing video games. She is a competitive gamer and is accomplished in Valorant, League of Legends, and other competitive games.

Before taking her VO career full-time, Gina spent many years as an on-air radio DJ. She has also worked as a reality television journalist. As a potential podcast guest, she is able to speak on many topics that may grow your audience. With humor and warmth, she would be a good fit for your list of interested guests.

Gina is also an award-winning teacher and director. She was named the 2019 ACE Educator of the Year by the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County in CT. She is also the founder, owner, and Creative Director of Positive Voices Studio. This program provides coaching and educational programming for children, teens, and rising adult voice actors.

Guest Contact Info:

Website: https://ginascarpa.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginascarpa/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ginascarpa/

Nov 06

Love18

T.J. Miller

By Chrissy Bernal Comedian, Film, Movies, Podcast No Comments

This week on the Here’s What We Know, buckle up for a conversation filled with laughter, quirky stories, and a surprising amount of heart! We’re thrilled to welcome T.J. Miller—a comedian, actor, and voice you’ll recognize from Deadpool, Silicon Valley, and How to Train Your Dragon. T.J. is here to share his refreshingly down-to-earth approach to comedy, life, and everything in between.

This episode is sponsored by:

(Be sure to use code “Gary20” to get 20% off your order!)

In this Episode:

Learn why his website is humorously named tjmillerdoesnothaveawebsite.com, a playful nod to the early 2000s domain craze.
Discover the quirky backstory of T.J.’s cowboy baseball hat, inspired by a friend’s bold character transformation that brings plenty of laughs.
Get to know his unique perspective on performing in tech-heavy places like San Jose, where he shares how the Bay Area audience has shifted post-pandemic but still appreciates his signature comedy.
Uncover T.J.’s approach to comedy, centered around not taking himself too seriously. His live shows are a celebration of authenticity, inviting the audience to laugh with him and at themselves.
Learn about his personal life, including meeting his wife in college theater and the steadfast support they’ve shared through life’s many twists and turns.
Discover the charm behind his gruff, recognizable voice that’s landed him memorable roles—and why he thinks audiences are drawn to those “rough around the edges” characters.
Get to know his love for improv, making each live performance an unforgettable, interactive experience that keeps comedy fresh and engaging.

Quotations:

“I don’t like performing for people who are too self-serious.” ~ T.J. Miller

“My father’s way of sort of showing affection is making fun of someone. So he’ll sort of tease my mother and that’s kind of how, and she knows that means that he loves her and is paying attention to her and thinking about her.” ~ T.J. Miller

“It still blows my mind when people say like, knew, I knew from the voice because I don’t, my voice doesn’t sound different to me.” ~ T.J. Miller

“I think there’s something very American in my voice.” ~ T.J. Miller

“I can wear a mask in the airport and a cap and glass, a regular cap, not a cowboy cap and glasses. And then as soon as I speak, people will be like, I knew it was you.” ~ T.J. Miller

“Wow, I took care of that whole table. That whole family. I made that whole family laugh. And so because of that, like, yeah, I think I did my job.” ~ T.J. Miller

“I feel as though I come off as really friendly because I am ultimately a very kind person.” ~ T.J. Miller

“I’m very happy with my rating as an actor in the sense that there aren’t a lot of bad things about any of my work that’s happened.” ~ T.J. Miller

“We’re all in our screens, androids, and but we’re streaming. Just get out of the house. Put your phone down and come and see a show.” ~ T.J. Miller

Bio:

T.J. Miller is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer known for his unique style of humor and versatility across television, film, and stand-up comedy. With memorable roles in hit films like Deadpool and Cloverfield, and as the voice of characters like Tuffnut in the How to Train Your Dragon series, T.J. brings his quirky, energetic presence to every project. He gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Erlich Bachman on HBO’s Silicon Valley, where his eccentric, over-the-top performance made him a fan favorite. A staple in the comedy world, T.J. continues to tour and bring his boundary-pushing humor to audiences worldwide.

Guest Contact Info:

Website: https://tjmillerdoesnothaveawebsite.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagemillionaire/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nottjmiller/

Youtube: @tjmiller

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nottjmiller

X: https://x.com/nottjmiller

Sep 25

Love13

Scott Brick

By Chrissy Bernal Podcast No Comments

This week on Here’s What We Know, we’re thrilled to bring you a fascinating conversation with an award-winning audiobook narrator! Our guest is the incredibly talented Scott Brick. Scott shares how he continues navigating his successful career from his journey through 1,100 audiobooks to overcoming health challenges and working on notable titles like Jurassic Park from Michael Crichton’s collection, Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz, and many more!

Tune in and discover how his dedication shines through every project, whether it be new releases or classic retellings!

This episode is sponsored by:

(Be sure to tell them Gary sent you!)

(Use code “Gary” to get $89 off any service!)

In this Episode:

Career Milestones: From Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park to its sequel, The Lost World, discover how Scott got these iconic gigs.
Health Challenges: Hear about Scott’s journey through diabetes and thyroid cancer and how it shaped his career.
Character Voices: Learn about the delicate balance between staying true to characters without mimicking previous performances.
Audiobook Narration Techniques and Insights: Uncover Scott’s approach to vocal training and balancing originality with audience expectations
Emotional Depths: Feel the passion as Scott recounts breaking into tears while narrating an Orphan X book.
Preparation & Dedication: Discover how thorough preparations like listening to previous series’ narrators have helped him excel—such as for Shawn Inmon’s Middel Falls Time Travel series.

Quotations:

“I can’t tell you what it means to me when somebody trusts me with their work.” ~ Scott Brick

“ I’m thinking about it from the fan’s perspective I’m a book fan first and foremost So I’m like, what are the fans going to want.” ~ Scott Brick

“I am a geek when it comes to Hollywood history, specifically the history of the silent film era.” ~ Scott Brick

Bio:

Actor, writer, and award-winning audiobook narrator Scott Brick certainly knows how to tell a story, in a way that keeps publishers, best-selling and award-winning authors, critics, and the public at large begging for more. Hailed by Audible in 2012 as their most prolific narrator, Brick has narrated almost 900 audiobooks including titles such as Jurassic Park, the Jack Reacher series, Alexander Hamilton, the Hunt For Red October, The Passage trilogy, In Cold Blood, the Bourne trilogy, Atlas Shrugged, Helter Skelter, Fahrenheit 451 and the Dune series.

Born on January 30, 1966, in Santa Barbara, California, Brick studied both acting and writing at UCLA and joined the ranks of working professionals upon leaving school in 1989. Lauded by critics for his stage work, Brick spent ten years with the LA-based traveling Shakespeare troupe, Will & Company, appearing in productions of Cyrano, Hamlet, Macbeth, and many others, and went on to appear in films such as Hit Parade, written and directed by comic book writer and co-Ben 10 creator, Joe Casey.

During this time, Brick continued writing. Having written hundreds of articles in a variety of genre publications such as WIZARD MAGAZINE, TOYFARE, COMICS BUYER’S GUIDE, and CREATIVE SCREENWRITING, Brick was then hired by Morgan Freeman and Revelations Entertainment in 2000 to write the screen adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama, with David Fincher attached to direct. In 2005, he collaborated with author Orson Scott Card to adapt a collection of the author’s short stories for the stage in a production titled (and printed in hardcover as) Posing as People.

Having just celebrated his 25th Audioversary, Brick’s venture into audiobooks is now considered legendary. To date he’s won over 65 Earphones Awards for his narrating skills, as well as five Audie Awards, five SOVAS Awards for voiceover, and a Grammy nomination for the multi-cast recording of The Mark of Zorro (2011). After recording 250 titles in his first five years, AUDIOFILE MAGAZINE named Brick “one of the fastest-rising stars in the audiobook galaxy,” and proclaimed him a Golden Voice, but it was the WALL STREET JOURNAL that sealed the moniker with a front-page article in November, 2004. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY then honored Brick as Narrator of the Year in both 2007 and 2011. That honor was followed up with another feature in the WSJ in 2019 and a recent appearance on the CBS Sunday Morning news show. And the ultimate distinction – being inducted into the Audible Narrator’s Hall of Fame in 2018. Having now recorded over 1,000 audiobooks, Brick has no intention of slowing down. He obviously won’t be happy until he’s recorded every book ever published.