When I was a kid growing up in Chicago, Christmas was a special time of year. Think the movie “A Christmas Story,” and you’ll get a picture of what my neighborhood was like. Snow as deep as your waist. Adults hated it, but for us kids this was a Winter Wonderland!
Every Christmas season I looked forward to the Santa Hotline. You’d called the number, and Santa would have a different daily message. Every day he’d be in a different country. “Ho Ho Ho, this is Santa! And today, I’m in Belgium!” Then he’d go on to talk about Christmas traditions in each country and the different names they had for Santa Claus: Papa Noel, Father Christmas…you get the idea. Really cool stuff. But the main thing that kept me calling every day? His voice. I mean, this was the PERFECT Santa! He sounded exactly how I thought he would sound, from the pitch and tone of his voice, right down to his belly laugh.
I’ve kept that Santa voice close to my heart, and now years later as a voiceover talent, that’s the exact Santa voice I’ve modeled mine after. I like to think of it as a tribute to the jolly old elf. But that’s what being a character voice actor is all about. Subconscious or conscious, our character voices come from someone in our past. Could be a family member. Could be a friend. Could be an actor. We just take those unique voices and make them larger than life. A beautiful tribute.
If you’re a company developing a Christmas commercial, or you’re simply a parent who wants to give their kids a message from Santa, I’m here to help! Just don’t make me squeeze down any chimneys. Contact me anytime! Santa Claus voice overs are my joy, pleasure, and specialty.
