Should actors and VA's be the same gender/ethnicity as the character?

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Final Kat 8 Aug @ 7:48pm

This has been a deal for years now, so I'd like to see what OT thinks.

In my opinion: no. Anime dub VA Patrick Seitz once said in a Reddit AMA that he thinks it shouldn't matter as long as the VA can produce the voice (I'm paraphrasing), so this would make it impossible for him to voice Dark Cacao Cookie in spite of being the absolute perfect role for him.

The King of the Hill revival does this in two ways. Minh Souphanousinphone has had the same VA the entire series (Lauren Tom), but Kahn's VA changed from Toby Huss to Ronny Chieng, even though Huss is still alive and on the show, having taken over as Dale after his VA passed away. I like Chieng, especially on The Daily Show, but even I think this was a horrible move. He barely sounds like Kahn, to be honest.

There's also Ezra Miller as The Flash. Comic nerds can correct me, but I'm pretty sure The Flash is just a straight cis guy, but Miller is non-binary, so by that logic, shouldn't they have hired a straight-cis guy instead of Miller?

There's also Cameron Tucker from Modern Family, played by Eric Stonestreet. Cameron is gay, and he's very campy and dramatic to contrast his husband's down-to-earth personality. But Stonestreet himself is completely straight; he's just good at selling it.

I'm not saying blackface is okay or anything like that; limits, limits. But I believe merit is worth more than orientation or skin color in the world of art. What do you guys think?

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Showing 1-15 of 45 comments

DarkCrystalMethod 8 Aug @ 7:54pm

Sounds fair.
And if you need a robot then hire a robot VA.

But seriously, hire whomever can do the voice as wanted repeatedly without straining themselves too much.

Last edited by DarkCrystalMethod; 8 Aug @ 7:54pm

Final Kat 8 Aug @ 7:54pm

Originally posted by DarkCrystalMethod:
Sounds fair.
And if you need a robot then hire a robot VA.

You kiss your mother with that mouth?

Prinny 8 Aug @ 7:55pm

I don't see the issue with Hank Azaria voicing Carl or Apu considering that nomies have been doing nerdface since 2009.

Gamba 8 Aug @ 7:56pm

The priority for the voice to fit the character, nothing else matters.

Masque 8 Aug @ 7:58pm

It depends.

Every since decision about this matter depends upon both the actor's position in the Progressive Stack, and the character's position in the Progressive Stack.

Some are allowed, some are not, and you have to plug both variables into the program to find the answer. Also note: the program is updated every year or so. It's all about hierarchy within the intersectional totem pole, a term which I am heavily discouraged from using, according to the same program, but which others might be able to use without professional consequence -- again, depending on which part of the stack they are in.

It's all so tiresome, but that's just how it is.

DarkCrystalMethod 8 Aug @ 7:58pm

Originally posted by Final Kat:
Originally posted by DarkCrystalMethod:
Sounds fair.
And if you need a robot then hire a robot VA.
You kiss your mother with that mouth?

I'm not like the other protocol droids you've been looking for.

Masque 8 Aug @ 8:00pm

Originally posted by Prinny:
I don't see the issue with Hank Azaria voicing Carl or Apu considering that nomies have been doing nerdface since 2009.

Eddie Murphy did the nerd voice many years ago, and also played old white guys in Coming To America, in the 1980s.

He's allowed, according to the flowchart.

Last edited by Masque; 8 Aug @ 8:01pm

Siluva 8 Aug @ 8:01pm

No.
Hire people because of their skills, not their skin color.

meucakesTM 8 Aug @ 8:04pm

I want my serial killers to be played by real serial killers.

salamander 8 Aug @ 8:20pm

Originally posted by meucakesTM:
I want my serial killers to be played by real serial killers.

and my vampires to be played by real vampires! eldritch cultists to be played by dagon worshipers, and dragons speaking telepathically to be voiced by real dragons!

#10

Voroff 8 Aug @ 8:21pm

Originally posted by meucakesTM:
I want my serial killers to be played by real serial killers.

Well, for aliens and ghosts we're heading towards a problem, then ...

#11

DarkCrystalMethod 8 Aug @ 8:22pm

Originally posted by Voroff:
Originally posted by meucakesTM:
I want my serial killers to be played by real serial killers.
Well, for aliens and ghosts we're heading towards a problem, then ...

Just get sasquatch to do those.

#12

Masque 8 Aug @ 8:22pm

Originally posted by salamander:
Originally posted by meucakesTM:
I want my serial killers to be played by real serial killers.

and my vampires to be played by real vampires! eldritch cultists to be played by dagon worshipers, and dragons speaking telepathically to be voiced by real dragons!

Yet, Dwarves only by Scottish people.

I think it's an ancient, unbreakable pact or something.

#13

Prinny 8 Aug @ 8:24pm

Originally posted by Masque:
Originally posted by salamander:

and my vampires to be played by real vampires! eldritch cultists to be played by dagon worshipers, and dragons speaking telepathically to be voiced by real dragons!
Yet, Dwarves only by Scottish people.

I think it's an ancient, unbreakable pact or something.

Woah woah woah woah.
Woah.

Which kind of dwarves?

#14

Masque 8 Aug @ 8:26pm

Originally posted by Prinny:
Originally posted by Masque:
Yet, Dwarves only by Scottish people.

I think it's an ancient, unbreakable pact or something.
Woah woah woah woah.
Woah.

Which kind of dwarves?

The rock and stone kind. The mountain dwelling kind from most fantasy.

Not the Cee-lo Green kind.

A Scot would not be allowed to voice an animated Cee-lo Green, to be clear.

Last edited by Masque; 8 Aug @ 8:29pm

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Date Posted: 8 Aug @ 7:48pm

Posts: 45

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