Story Edtior and director of seasons three and four of Digimon, the voice of various characters including Pajiramon, Rika's mother and the voice of Digivolution, and also director of the acclaimed "Cowboy Bebop," it would be an understatement to say that Mary Elizabeth McGlynn is a busy woman. It's taken a while, but her interview is now complete!
Chris McFeely: You're
known as a director, a story editor and a voice actress on
Digimon, but which do you consider to be your favourite to do?
For what reasons?
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: I must say each compliments the other. I
don't think I would be as good a director without the experience
of voice acting some of the characters. At least I know what pain
I put the actors through when they're behind the mic. Also, the
story editing is invaluable. I get to go through the script line
by line at home so when I get in the studio I know exactly how
the arc of the story needs to be told. Since we record the actors
one at a time, I need to know how the episode will sound in my
head before we get into the studio. That way the characters sound
like they're talking to each other and not just acting in a void.
But to answer your question, I love directing. The process of
creation between myself and the actors is an amazing experience,
and when it clicks there's no better feeling of satisfaction.
CMcF: When, and through what circumstances, did you
decide you wanted to build a career for yourself in this
industry?
MEMcG: When I was in college I was premed. Thought I could be a
brain surgeon or something. Yeah, right… Anyway, one day I
got lost on the way to the computer lab and walked into an
audition for Hamlet. On a whim I auditioned for Ophelia and got
the role. The next month I changed my major to Theater. I went on
to graduate school at SMU for acting and moved out to California
afterward to try my luck in L.A.
CMcF: When did you get your "big break" into
the industry? What were you doing beforehand?
MEMcG: I came up to L.A. after a summer season at "The
Globe" in San Diego. My on-camera career started out with
much success, but soon dwindled to "the abused
girlfriend/wife who get rescued by the hunky leading man". I
must have played that character 5 or 6 times in a row. But it was
Xena: Warrior Princess that really changed my life. While
shooting in New Zealand, the horse my character was being hanged
on by a mob of angry peasants reared up and rolled on top of me.
Poor "Cher" (the fateful horse) dislocated my knee cap
and pretty much imobilized me for almost a year. After that I
started doing more and more voice over work. I'm going to have to
find that horse and thank her some day.
CMcF: How did you branch out from the area you started
in, to the other fields in which you now work within the
industry?
MEMcG: "Cher" the wonder horse. After working a couple
years as a voice over actor, Yutaka Maseba and Kevin Seymour
called me up from ZRO Limit Productions, a production company who
does some of the best English dubs in the country. They had this
crazy idea that I might like to direct and that was it. I
"retired" from my terribly brilliant (emphasis on
terrible) on-camera career and never looked back. I always loved
the ADR process. It's a controlled environment where you're only
restriction is the amount of flaps a character uses to deliver
his or her lines. As long as the actors and I remember that the
distance between two points is infinity, the sky's the limit in
terms of creativity. And here I never thought I would have any
use for math as an adult!
CMcF:
Through what events were you approached for the Digimon series?
How did it come to pass that you were chosen to be elevated from
voice actress to the position of voice director and story editor
on the show, following the departure of Jeff Nimoy and Bob
Buchholz?
MEMcG: I was already doing some second directing for Saban when I
got the call to go to the studio where Digimon was recording. I
thought I was just filling in for the day, when Terri Lei
O'Malley walked in and offered me the job to finish Season 2 and
direct all of Season Three. The circumstances surrounding Jeff
and Bob's release from the show were unknown to me at the time. I
had no idea they were going to offer me the job. Apparently,
Terri had seen me direct a session of auditions for a series at
Saban and she was also familiar with my work on "Cowboy
Bebop". Digimon came to me as a total surprise.
CMcF: Of the various voices you have provided on the
show, which is/was your favourite?
MEMcG: How can you beat the voice of Digivolution? The original
had a male doing the role, but I really thought it should be a
woman, and luckily Terri agreed. In Season 4, I also get to voice
the "D-Tectors", this season's digivice. I won't give
anything away about her true identity though. Pajiramon was fun.
It was my homage to Kate Mulgrew.
CMcF: If there was one other character on the show who
you would like to be able to voice, who would it be?
MEMcG: I loved Renamon. Her attitude rocked: so cool and
confident, but man could she kick butt! I also loved her
relationship with Rika. Mari Devon was superb in the role. I also
thought Arukenimon from Season 2 would be fun to voice. Funny,
she too was voiced by Mari Devon. I'm a huge fan of her work. I'd
say I would have liked to voice Rika, but 1, I don't have the
range, and 2, I couldn't hear anyone but Melissa Fahn doing that
role. She is a wonderful actress and we were lucky to get her.
Heck, we were lucky to get all of our actors.
CMcF: As a story editor, do you have a favourite episode
from any season that you've worked on that you like above all
others? What about a least favourite?
MEMcG:
I think "Kazu and Kenta's Excellent Adventure" was my
favorite. Seth Walther is an amazing writer and he really out did
himself with that one. We laughed through the entire recording
session. My second favorite would be a Season 4 installment
written by Steve Blum. I think you'll know which one I mean when
you see it. Just look for Whamon! I don't have a least favorite
episode. Season 3 dealt with some pretty heavy issues, especially
by the end of the season, and all of our writers did an amazing
job with the subject matter.
CMcF: Same goes for characters - is there any particular
character from any season that you're fond of more than any
other? Any characters that annoy you?
MEMcG: Hmmm… let's see…. Takato, Henry, Rika, Guilmon,
Terriermon, Renamon, Kazu, Kenta, Leomon and of course Jeri.
Bridgette Hoffman was outstanding! She had to come in and cry
every session and she brought the emotion of the show to a new
level. I loved how this group of misfits banded together. Their
relationships with eachother were genuine and that's rare. The
only character I got tired of was the D-Reaper. By the end of the
season I just wanted to laugh again, but that darn D-Reaper
wouldn't go away!
CMcF: As a voice director, do you ever use the original
Japanese voices in the show as reference when selecting English
voice actors for parts?
MEMcG: Not really. I think the casting decisions are based on
characterization. For instance, in Season 4, our Neemon doesn't
sound at all like the Japanese version. Michael Sorich, who is
also sharing the directing duties with me this season, brings a
whole different, wacky vibe to the little guy. And Brian Beacock
(who voiced Takato last season) sounds nothing like the original
Bokomon, but what he does with that character is hysterical! Paul
DiFranco has been the casting director for most of the Digimon
run and he's the one to thank for bringing us all these talented
actors.
CMcF: Do you think being Story Editor enables you to do
your job as Voice Director better?
MEMcG: Oh yeah! After story editing a script I know the episode
inside and out. Since the actors don't get to read the scripts
before we record them, it's up to me to guide them through the
plot and character arcs. I love story editing. It's the best
homework I can do before I get in the studio.
CMcF: The "goofiness" factor (read: jokes, puns
and modified scenes which weren't in the original) which was
highly prevalent in the first two season of the show was
seriously reduced in the third season, which has made the fandom
at large very happy. Would you consider this a direct result of
your involvement? Is it more to do with the different writing
styles of the new writers on this season? Or was it a specific
instruction from "upstairs"?
MEMcG: Terri had a lot to do with the modification of the humor
this season. She directed all of us to stick to the translation a
bit more. With Season 3's subject matter, I think that was a wise
decision. Much of the plot didn't really allow for that kind of
humor. Also many of the pop culture references were reduced, if
not eliminated. I think it kept the audience in the world of the
show rather than tying us to a specific time reference. Also, I
thought the humor the Japanese had incorporated in the show was
terrific and translated to American audiences well, so why change
it?
CMcF: This might be one of those grey areas you can't
talk about... but what's the word on the possibility of a new
Digimon movie?
MEMcG: I know there's something out there, but I don't know what
will be done with it. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Personally, I'd love to revisit Takato and the gang.
CMcF: What's your attitude to the Saban
"philosophy" of dubbing? By that, I mean the way that
Saban's scripts are always written and modified to appeal to a
mainstream audience, rather than the larger faithfulness to the
Japanese scripts that is more prevalent in animes that aren't
televised.
MEMcG: Well, Saban let us keep Season 3 of Digimon pretty
faithful to the original. Personally, I think we got lucky! But
you must realize, this is a business. If they're going to air
anime on a major network, the network wants to make sure they'll
find an audience. Much of the anime that stuck strictly to the
Japanese never made it to the American market except of video and
DVD. Although, thanks to networks like Cartoon Network, the WB,
Fox and ABC Family, anime is finding a larger audience. Many of
the shows now being aired are true to the original. I think
that's because of shows like Digimon and Pokemon. Even thought
many fans feel like they were radically altered from the
original, their popularity opened the door for everyone else.
CMcF:
Ever had your voice recognised by anyone when out and about?
MEMcG: Only when people found out I worked on Digimon. Once they
had the reference they would say "Hey, you're the voice of
Digivolution! Cool!" Although, it's kind of hard to work in
"Matrix Digivolution" into a conversation without
people looking at ya funny!
CMcF: Would you say that you have obtained work on other
projects as a result of notoriety derived from previous
high-profile work, or would you consider each project to be
independent?
MEMcG: I think most of the work I've gotten has been because of
Cowboy Bebop. That show led to Digimon and that led to everything
else. I owe Yutaka and Kevin a lot!
CMcF: It's my understanding that a lot of voice actors
rarely watch the shows they work on. Does this hold true for you?
If you do watch the shows, what are your opinions of them? As an
editor and director, perhaps watching is not as necessary for you
- Jeff Nimoy previously described it as "frustrating,"
as it can make you wish you had done things differently.
MEMcG: I watch every episode of every show I direct before it
goes to the mix stage. That way I know if we've missed anything
or need to redo lines for continuity. Yes, sometimes it is
frustrating, only because I want everything to work and sometimes
it doesn't (usually due to my directing). But most of the time it
does work and I'm thrilled. Watching the episodes is the only way
I can learn how to improve as a director and story editor.
CMcF: It's fair to say that voice actors receive little
appreciation for what they do, beyond cult and fan followings.
What are you opinions on this? Do you like the anonymity that
accompanies the work?
MEMcG: I think dub actors have
the hardest job in the world of animation. They have to deliver
over and over again in a seemingly constrained environment.
Delivering a line brilliantly is hard enough, but to make it
match to acquired animation is a whole different story. I've had
many original animation actors come in and say how much more
difficult the ADR process is in comparison. The group of actors I
work with are the best in the business and they never get the
recognition they deserve. (Nor the pay!) On the other hand, being
anonymous is a freedom few would give up. You don't have to worry
about how you look or what you're wearing. You can walk into a
studio and get the chance to play a character that you never
would were the show not animated. It's my understanding that the
Japanese v/o actors are treated like stars. I wish the American
actors were as well. They deserve it!
CMcF: What advice do you have for those who aspire to
work in the industry?
MEMcG: Practice, practice, practice! Oh, wait… that's how
you get to Carnegie Hall.
I think the best thing you can do is listen. Listen to
everything: radio, tv, movies, your crazy neighbor, whatever.
Then start imitating them. Experiment with your own voice and see
how far you can go with it. Billy West [voice of Ren and
Stimpy, Doug, Futurama's Fry] carries around a small tape
recorder with him and records voices into it all day. Build a
library of voices you can do and then get them recorded. Send out
the tape, take classes and above all don't give up. It's a
blessing to actually get paid for doing what you love.
CMcF: Who would you cite as your inspirations, in life,
in the industry, in anything?
MEMcG: My parents have always supported me with undying
enthusiasm. So have my sisters and especially my husband. He's
the rock in my life, making me laugh when I take myself too
seriously and encouraging me to be myself and trust my instincts.
Plus, the man can keep me in stitches til I can't laugh no more!
In terms of the industry, Mel Blanc is a God to me. Tress
MacNeille is a genius as well as anyone who's ever worked on The
Simpsons. My parents brought me up on Spike Jones, Monty Python
and Warner Brothers cartoons, which explains my rather twisted
sense of humor.
CMcF: Are there any individuals in the industry that
you'd hope to work with in the future?
MEMcG: I'd love to work with Steven Spielberg, that's if I could
ever get over the endless babbling I'd more than likely fall into
if I ever met him. I'd love to work on another
Watanabe/Toshihiro/Kano project. The three of them have raised
the bar when it comes to animation, Japanese or otherwise. I'd
also love to work with Hugh Jackman, but that may be for other
reasons… is my husband going to read this?
CMcF: What do you do in your spare time? What hobbies or
interests do you have?
MEMcG: Watch Hugh Jackman movies. Just kidding! I'm really sort
of a workaholic which continues to surprise me. (I was so lazy as
a kid!) When I actually find some spare time, I love going to
matinees. There's something about sitting in a semi empty theater
in the middle of the afternoon. No candy wrappers, no guys behind
me reading out loud any bit of text that comes on the screen,
just the sound of Dolby Digital coming at you from every angle as
the opening credits role. Beautiful! I also love playing poker
with a group of other anime directors. We all get together and
laugh at each other for a few hours every month or so.
CMcF: Aside from Digimon, what are you working on at the
moment? What can we expect to see from you next?
MEMcG: I was fortunate enough to direct "Cowboy Bebop: The
Movie" this summer and just came back from it's premiere in
Times Square. What a learning experience! Aside from that, it's
back to Digimon, Season 4.
CMcF: And finally - do you have anything you'd like to
say to the fans?
MEMcG: Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thanks for
your incredible support and your advice. I would visit Megchan's
message board every Saturday last season to see your reactions.
Your words were so helpful and a constant reminder of who we were
creating this show for: the fans. Keep it coming! We are
listening!
I owe Miss McGlynn a personal debt of gratitude for her endless help in the identification of voice actors for the third and now fourth seasons, which has helped my Voice Actor List become what it is today.
With a tip of the hat to Justin Lam for coming up with some of the questions this time around. :)
