“The wonder of sound! I believe the most distinctive, the most telling facet of any actor’s ability is the way he sounds. What sound is there in him that strikes the fire in us?…[sound] paints the picture, tells us the whole story of the person who is making the sound.”
-Mercedes McCambridge, The Quality of Mercy (New York: Times Books, 1981), page 72.
During her time as an artist-in-residence, Academy Award winning actress Mercedes McCambridge acted alongside and taught CatholicU students. Known for her decades of radio and voice work, McCambridge made sure to imprint on her students the import of voice work and its distinction from stage acting.
Among the storied history of CatholicU’s Drama program, there have been numerous stage, screen, and (much to McCambridge’s delight) voice actors. Today, I would like to highlight a few of the most vocal of our alumni. This is not an extensive list, but one that many current students and alumni may recognize, if not for their faces than for their voices…
Born in 1927 in Shreveport, Louisiana, Carroll’s family moved to Los Angeles when she was young. She began acting early in life, and enrolled at CatholicU while enlisted in the U.S. military. While a student, she began acting professionally in 1947. In the ensuing decades, she starred in numerous roles across stage, screen, and television including in comedic programs beloved by this archivist such as The Carol Burnett Show, The Red Skeleton Show, and Laverne & Shirley. In the late 1980s, Carroll began to accept voice acting roles that lasted until her passing in 2022. Among the productions in which she provided her voice talents are: A Pup Named Scooby Doo, The Goofy Movie (1995), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), and several animated Garfield features. But she is most well-known for being both the spoken and singing voice of Ursula in Disney’s The Little Mermaid (1989). This is a role she would continuously voice throughout later animated and video game adaptations of the character.
Check out a sample of Carrol’s voice work here: Ursula, The Little Mermaid (1989)
Born in 1962 in West Virginia, Chris Sarandon attended West Virginia University for his undergraduate studies before enrolling at CatholicU for a master’s degree in theater. He graduated with his MFA in 1967.
Sarandon has had a prolific career since his graduation, with accolades for stage performances to Academy Award nominations. Given the Halloween season, it may be appropriate to mention his roles in the horror film Child’s Play (1988) and his role as the villainous Prince Humperdinck in the cult classic The Princess Bride (1987). But as we are speaking of voice roles, many of our readers may recognize him from his speaking role as Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), a role that he has reprised in other productions including the Kingdom Hearts video game franchise. (Danny Elfman provided the singing voice for Jack.)
Check out a sample of Sarandon’s voice work here: Jack Skellington, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Kathleen Charlotte McInerney (Veronica Taylor)
Kathleen Charlotte McInerney, professionally known as Veronica Taylor, has deep roots on the CatholicU campus. Her parents attended the University and toured with Fr. Gilbert Hartke’s National Players. With these theater roots, she knew from an early age that she wanted to be an actor. Earning a Bachelor’s degree in Drama at CatholicU, Taylor was involved in the National Players and a co-founder of the women’s soccer team. She credits the Drama faculty, saying, “Everything I do is a result of something I learned from them, be it technique, discipline, or just love of the craft and its history.” Following graduation from CatholicU in 1987, she earned a Master’s degree from Brandeis University in 1993.
Her work has included audiobook narrations, ad reads, voice-overs, and voice work for animation. Her work has included starring roles in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the English dubs of Japanese anime, including such shows as Sailor Moon, One Piece, and Pokémon. Among the many roles she has provided in Pokémon, she is best recognized for voicing the main character, Ash Ketchum.
Echoing McCambridge, McInerney reflected on her career in 2015, stating: “It has been incredibly fulfilling to play so many characters who are so different from myself. ‘Voice acting’ requires a full body commitment, and the engagement of all of your technique and training to come together and funnel out through your mouth. You don’t have the luxury of gesture, a look, or movement, you just have sound. It’s quite a fun challenge.”
Check out a sample of McInerney’s voice work here: Ash Ketchum, Pokémon (1997)
Any favorite roles among the listed voice actors or any notable alumni voices that we missed? Let us know by contacting us: lib-archives@cua.edu
This is brilliant. Simple and to the point.