Standup comics lend their voices

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on May 11th, 2006

Check out the article in Backstage.com on how standup comics are perfectly suited for doing commercial voiceovers and for voicing animated characters. Among the comics quoted is Vanessa Marshall:

For advertising work, Marshall feels that standup comedy helps develop a strong viewpoint and attitude, a quality that comes through in the voice. “Standup comedy’s influence on advertising is pretty massive,” she maintains. “The standup comic is the court jester. In a weird way, the comic has the courage to tell the truth about what he or she sees. In that way, they lead the culture. I have found many of my friends who do standup comedy have a succinct point of view. Whenever they bring that point of view to voiceover copy, it stands out and the product information is communicated. But it’s wrapped in a package that commands respect from the listener.”