Interview with Rachael Lillis

Rachael: Hello, everybody! Thanks for having me.

ASMODAI: Shall we begin with the questions?

Rachael: Fire away.

ASMODAI: Ok, first thing is first. Tell us about your life and what kind of person you are.

Rachael: I'm a 20-something, I live in NYC... I moved here two years ago and attended theater school. I originally went for a career as a doctor/researcher. I still work in a lab from time to time to keep the pipetting skills up to date (grin). I also have an office job, but I am pursuing acting as much as I can. I'm a huge animation fan. As for personality, well, I tend to be kinda shy and quiet. A bit different from Misty and Jessie. :)

ASMODAI: People have asked me to ask you on what you think about Pokemon.

Rachael: I love the show. It's a dream to be able to work in animation. Working on Pokemon is a lot of fun, and everyone involved is terrific. We had no clue it'd be so well liked. Like Eric said, it's kind of scary. ASMODAI: Are you surprised that a great percentage of viewers are teenagers (and even in the 20s?)

Rachael: Pokemon doesn't strike me as being strictly a kids' show. It has funny moments and occasional cultural references that could probably only be appreciated by an older audience. It's *great* that young adults and teens enjoy it, too. ASMODAI: Have you ever played and tested the game itself, to get an idea what it was like?

Rachael: Nope. My nephews, though, are pretty good at the game.

ASMODAI: A few more people also want to know this, "Meowth's voice has changed during time. It is definately a new Voice Actor. Who is he and who did he replace?"

Rachael: A different actor did take over the role of Meowth about halfway through the first season. His name is Adam Blaustein, and he has done a lot of different voices for the show...e.g., the Hippie from the Snorlax episode. Adam's a great actor and a very nice fellow.

ASMODAI: The previous question kind of goes with this one. What is it like working with Adam, Eric, and everyone else that works on Pokemon? What are these people like?

Rachael: The other actors, the directors, writers, engineers--they're all cool, talented, hardworking, great people. One of the guys who does post-production still teases me about Misty running around saying, "Seel! Seel!" Adam, Eric, Veronica (who voices Ash) are all sweeties. I see a fellow actor once in a while, but most of the time, we don't see a lot of each other since we tend to work on different days. Sometimes our time blocks will overlap and we get to hang out for a bit.

ASMODAI: What is it like to be a Voice Actor? Is it hard? Is it fun? What exactly is it like?

Rachael: Voice acting is a great field, especially animation. It involves a lot of hard work and herbal tea. :) It is indeed fun, though it can be pretty competitive. It's fun to have a hand in creating an animated character's personality. The actors can sometimes ad-lib, make suggestions, etc. There are different types of voice acting...I've also done industrials, CD Rom, science narration, that sort of thing.

ASMODAI: Now take a moment and think as if you take Pokemon TOO seriously. Who do you like better? Ekans, or it's evolved form Arbok. What about your other character, Misty's pokemon? Do you like Psyduck?

Rachael: Okay, I gotta admit--I like Ekans. The name is fun to yell, as Jessie is prone to do on occasion. And Psyduck is a hoot. I like its voice--the Psy-ay-ay thing is brilliant. But the Psy-guy has yet to grow on Misty, it seems.

ASMODAI: And who do you enjoy to be more often? Jessie, or Misty? Why do you like this one better than the other?

Rachael: I love 'em both. Misty's an earthy lass, and there is a guilty pleasure in getting to say things like, "Gooooo, Staryu!" I really like doing the Team Rocket scenes, too. Jessie and James' dynamic cracks me up.

ASMODAI: Eric states that the relationship between Jessie and James is almost nonexistant. What do you think of their relationship?

Rachael: I don't think there is anything romantic going on between them, but they *are* cute together and their friendship seems pretty deep. Jessie, like James, has that self-love-only thing going on, but you never know...

ASMODAI: Of all the episodes that you have done, which is your favorite? What makes this one (or these) your favorite?

Rachael: "The Ghost of Maiden's Peak" is my favorite. It's a hysterical episode. I love Brock and James floating around in a daze, Ash and Misty dancing at the end, James yelling at Jessie and Meowth for being cheapskates, Jessie pulling a grenade launcher from out of nowhere... And the Exeggutor episode is a great one, also (hmmm--both shows start with carnivals...). Ash and Brock dressed in their "boogie" clothes--priceless.

ASMODAI: Your other voice acting is from the show Utena. What is your opinions on this show? Do you like it as much as Pokemon?

Rachael: Revolutionary Girl Utena's a very cool series, and definitely a change in tone from Pokemon. It's got it's comedic moments, but all in all it's more on the dramatic and surreal side. The art and music are gorgeous. Utena herself is a pretty neat character to do. I like her strength and straighforwardness.

ASMODAI: A personal question. What do you enjoy to do on your free time? Do you even get free time, or is life too hectic?

Rachael: Nothin' too exciting. For fun I like to write, catch up with friends, see a play or a film, hang out at the tiny bookstore, cook if there's time, etc. I'm also trying to convince myself that rollerblading isn't as suicidal as it looks. I really like the Museum of Natural History, too. And sleep. Definitely sleep.

ASMODAI: Thanks again Rachael, you are one of a kind.

Rachael: Aw, shucks. :) The pleasure's all mine, and thank you, everybody, for your great questions and support of the show. It means so much to know you're enjoying it!!

ASMODAI: Maybe Adam has his time to do an interview on his own???

Rachael: Maybe!