Faces of 2023 Supanova Perth

Neil, can you describe your journey into voice acting, and how you ended up as the voice of Scooby-Doo?

As a child I was always voicing characters I watched in cartoons, during high school in the mid 1980’s I performed as a mobile DJ and MC/Host for weddings and parties.

After university I performed as an opening day cast actor at Warner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast in 1991, always developing new characters and how each character’s voice would sound, working hard to perfect my American and other accents.

In 1998 I began recording voices for movies and tv shows at the Warner Bros. Studios on the Gold Coast, as well as, commercials for various radio stations.

Then in 2001, Scooby Doo 1 was being filmed at the Warner Bros. Studios and other locations on the Gold Coast, around Brisbane and at Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island. I successfully auditioned for the role of Scooby Doo's voice, acting the character on the set with the Mystery Gang and all the other actors, and performing the voice live for the entire movie.

I then re-recorded Scooby Doo’s voice over numerous sessions at studios on the Gold Coast and Eastwood Recording Studio at Warner Bros. headquarters which was in Burbank, Los Angeles.

What are you looking forward to most about your appearance at the 2023 Supanova in Perth?

Putting smiles on the faces of all the wonderful fans of Scooby Doo I have the privilege to meet!

I also really enjoy the hour-long panel Q&A answering all the great questions from the amazing Supernova audience.

Please come and meet me as I’d love to sign an autograph, take a photo together and record a special individual video in the Scooby Doo voice for you!!

What's the most rewarding part of meeting fans at Supanova?

The love and positive energy I receive from all the passionate Scooby Doo fans is humbling and really special to me.

It’s a privilege to have been a heart-warming and memorable part of so many people’s childhoods!

How did you prepare for the role of Scooby-Doo, did you face any unique challenges voicing a character with such distinctive sounds and mannerisms?

Having watched the original Scooby Doo cartoons from a young age on TV I was very familiar with the character but performing this lovable canine took a much more detailed study of all his unique characteristics.

Like any acting role I researched lots of the cartoons and history going back to when Scooby Doo, Where Are You! first screened in 1969.

Performing the voice of a talking Great Dane dog poses unique challenges.

I needed to “Scoobyfy” the script to sound like a dog but also remain understandable to the audience, perfecting the exact tone and depth.

Then it’s acting all his emotions in the film, his childlike innocence, insatiable appetite for Scooby Snacks, complete terror when confronted by ghosts
and ghouls and infectious happiness with that iconic laugh.

I felt a huge responsibly to perform Scooby perfectly as he is in the top 3 as the most popular and recognizable animated characters in history!

Have you ever used the Scooby-Doo voice in real-life situations for fun or to surprise fans?

Yes, so many times over the years!

I’ve met new friends and fans as the voice of Scooby Doo and they don’t believe I actually did the voice in both movies until I perform the classic voice ending with the laugh and Scooby Dooby Doo!

Their faces light up and they'll laugh with surprise.

I just love that, the happiness and joy I can create for people is for me, the gift that keeps on giving!!!

What's one of your favourite memories from working on the Scooby-Doo films?

Performing on the sets of Scooby Doo and Scooby Doo 2 Monsters Unleashed for over a year I have so many great memories of working together with all the incredible actors.

Both movies had super talented casts and one of my favourite memories was working with a treasured actor of mine, Rowan Atkinson in Scooby Doo 1.

In particular, when Rowan and I were the only actors called on set for the whole day as it was the office scene when Rowan's character Mondavarious wants Scooby to be a sacrifice with my memorable response, “Ra racririce?”

I’ve admired Rowan for many years in his numerous comedy series including Not The 9 O’clock News, Blackadder and, of course, Mr Bean.

So to work with and become friends is a career highlight for me.

Rowan was very generous to work with and to see his acting process was a privilege and something I’ll never forget.

How has voicing a character as iconic as Scooby-Doo affected your career and personal life?

I'm still performing as a working voice artist, being known as the voice of Scooby Doo in both international blockbusters provides creditability to producers and directors that I have the runs on the board to create a range of voices for their carton or project.

Personally, as I’m not recognizable I can lead a completely normal life until I open my mouth and perform that iconic voice, then peoples’ faces light up and it’s love and laughter all round as we reminisce and chat about good ole Scooby!

It’s had a super positive and fun effect on me for over 20 years and will continue to do so forever.

How do you keep your voice healthy and versatile for different roles? What's your secret or training methods?

I studied voice as part of my university degree and still use those techniques today.

I always ensure I’m well prepared by rehearsing the required accents and creating alternatives or alts ready to offer the director.

I'll record my alts takes with different paces, styles, pitches, and ages of each character so I can play them to myself and ensure they are on point in case the director asks for something different which they often do.

Warming up well before performing is critical to not straining your voice and so that your diction is clear.

Always remain fit and healthy in body and mind as being a voice artist is physically and mentally challenging with long recording sessions often performing multiple takes giving everything you’ve got!

So, no secrets, just hard work in rehearsing before the day, being creative and confidant in your voice choices and going for it!!!

What other roles or projects have you particularly enjoyed working on, apart from Scooby-Doo?

I recently performed the voice for an Australian character “Hurley Burley” for the UK cartoon series Holey
Moley which was great fun. I’m also a working Stuntman and performed some precision driving and other
stunts on the Elvis feature film. I really enjoyed the movie, and it was fantastic to work on as it was such a
huge production and so great to be a member of the Elvis Stunt Team.

Have you ever been surprised by a fan's reaction to your Scooby-Doo voice?

Yes, a few years ago I was introduced to friend of mines teenage daughter that was a big Scooby Doo fan and
when I did the voice for her, she was so stunned and excited that she stumbled back into a garden bed!

I helped her out of it, and she was totally fine and just laughing but I was surprised at how she reeled back in
shock at hearing my Scooby voice!!

What future roles or projects are you excited about right now?

I’ve been fortunate to have had a busy 2022 working on tv series for ABCTV with Significant Others, Stan on
Black Snow, Netflix with Boy Swallows Universe, and this year again on the Netflix series of Surviving Summer
2 and right now I’m on another Netflix show filming in Sydney.

I’m super excited to meet all the Scooby Doo fans for my first for Supanova in beautiful Perth, can’t wait!!

How has the voice acting industry changed since you started your career, and where do you see it going in the
future?

I’ve noticed the voice acting industry change with the improved quality of microphones coinciding with the huge popularity of people podcasting from their homes.

I see the future being very uncertain as we all discover how Artificial Intelligence will impact on all our lives.

Success will depend on how you can value add to a production or project where AI can’t.

Do you have any advice for aspiring voice actors looking to break into the industry?

The opportunities for voice artists in Australia are quite limited so you must make your own luck by seeing an opportunity and making it a winner.

To have that happen I’d advise anyone in the entertainment industry to try to have a wide set of skills, and become a triple or quadruple threat.

I’m a voice artist, actor, and stuntman in
front of the camera and a safety supervisor when working as part of a film and tv crew.

I’m also a professional MC/Host and interactive comedy character performer at corporate events and festivals.

The more you can be involved in the industry anywhere the more those opportunities will present themselves
and you can break into various areas of the entertainment industry and find your niche.

It’s a fantastic industry to be in so go for it and good luck!!

See you all in Perth!!!

Cheers, Neil, the Voice of Scooby Doo!!