We had the opportunity to interview Cherami Leigh, an actress who also does voices for anime and video games. We discovered that she has had a passion for acting since a very young age. She enrolled in her first acting classes at the age of 5 and landed her first professional job at the age of 7. Throughout her career, she has undergone a wide range of acting training, including film and television acting, stage and theater training, microphone work, singing, dance and gymnastics. Leigh mentioned that all of these different types of training have been helpful and she has benefited from a variety of teachers, each with their own unique training techniques. When asked about her favorite role, she mentioned Kotaro from “Kotaro Lives Alone,” a Japanese manga series that she not only voiced but also had the opportunity to direct with a collaborator. 

Leigh loves playing a variety of characters, but especially enjoys roles that challenge her and allow her to explore different emotions. She enjoys seeing people dressed up as characters she has played. However, she doesn’t like to cosplay her characters because she says she could never compete with people in full-out costumes. Leigh pointed out that on-camera acting is different from voice acting because there are sets built around you, and you have to convey the emotion of the role. When she does voice acting, she can use whatever emotions and hand gestures she wishes. She suggests that if someone wants to take up a career in voice acting, they should start early, but says it’s not always easy. She advises taking as many classes as possible and keeping a variety of hobbies because you should have a life outside of acting. Leigh will be at Fan Fusion Phoenix this month.