"And they lived happily ever after" begins with "Once upon a time..." and someone to give voice to that story. That's where I come in.
As a full-time voice actor, I'm a storyteller and, in all modesty, I do it pretty well. I've been doing it professionally since... well, since I was twenty years old.
Whether narrating documentaries and corporate presentations or performing commercial voice-overs, my work is a simple, two-step process—find the beating heart of a script and inhabit the words.
There's not much I haven't done as a voice actor. I've voiced projects in virtually every medium including radio and television commercials, documentaries, corporate identity presentations, training, eLearning, medical narratives, explainer videos, live events, movie trailers, electronic games, cartoon animation, and automated dialogue replacement.
For eighteen years, I was an award-winning copywriter-producer-director in a small but exceptionally talented ad agency... and I still take on the occasional writing, producing, and directing assignment. I've also appeared in principal motion picture roles, including the Tom Hanks/Imagine Entertainment/HBO series "From the Earth to the Moon," which won eighteen Emmy Awards. I co-hosted the groundbreaking HGTV cooking show "All In Good Taste" and acted in professional theatre. In short, when it comes to the creative process, I get it. That also means I know how to take direction.
As a voting member of the World-Voices Organization, I've been meticulously vetted as a voice actor who exemplifies the best practices, ethical standards, and professional expertise in the voice recording industry. I hold a regular subscription to SourceConnect for directed voice sessions and, with full video capability in my voice booth, I can also connect to you via Skype and FaceTime.
As for my voice, my principal agent says, "John is a truly believable voice talent capable of extraordinarily flexible delivery styles." For me, delivering an exceptional voice-over, narrative, or character voice is a commitment, the foundation for mutually beneficial, long-term relationships, the basis for becoming a trusted resource.
Here are a few more descriptions of my voice from my agents:
Authoritative, Strong, Confident
Conversational Announcer
Conversational Real Person
Storyteller
Cool, Hip, Attitude
Folksy, Rough, Raspy
Gravitas
Friendly, Pleasant, Likable
Honest, Direct, Sincere
Humorous, Funny
Smooth, Sophisticated
Thoughtful, Introspective
Warm, Sincere
Detached, Matter-of-Fact
Cowboy, Western, Southern
Unique
With every voice project I undertake, I am committed to giving you my very best delivery, recorded under optimal conditions, and provide you with a pristine audio file. I approach your project as my one chance to build loyalty and trust. So, if you have a story to tell—doesn't everyone?—I'd be grateful for the opportunity to make a case for hiring me as your storyteller.
Ausbildung
Motion Picture Acting Technique — Shay Griffin — Chez Studios, Atlanta
Auditioning for Motion Pictures — Mel Johnson — Mel Johnson Casting, Universal Studios Florida
Auditioning for Motion Pictures — Greg Fincannon — Fincannon Associates, Wilmington
Motion Picture Acting Technique — Ken Grant — KVG Studios, Winter Park
Drama Student — Florida State College, Jacksonville
Whether appearing in principal motion picture and professional theatre roles, as a talk show host, an HGTV cooking show co-host, a newscaster, an on-camera spokesperson in dozens of video presentations, as a voice talent in hundreds of commercials and corporate video presentations or as an award-winning copywriter-producer-director, most of my training has come through experience.
I began my career as a radio announcer at age 17 while in high school. I spent two years in school in England where I "studied" British accents and adapted them so well that I was frequently asked what part of England I was from.
I studied public speaking and drama in high school and continued to study drama in college. After four years in the Navy, I traveled throughout Europe, eventually living in Paris, where I performed English-language voice talent and ADR (automated dialog replacement) for the French automaker Renault. After returning to the U.S., I worked in radio and television as a voice and on-camera talent for ten years. Later, as a film actor, corporate spokesman and television host for Home & Garden Television, I studied voice and on-camera performance techniques with several nationally recognized teachers and at KVG Studios in Florida.
I bring a unique understanding of the production process. Not only have I performed both voice and on-camera talent, acted on-stage and in motion pictures, but I spent 18 years in a thriving advertising agency as an award-winning copywriter, producer, director, and account executive. I have a real-world understanding of the challenges faced by producers, and I happily collaborate with producers and directors to find solutions to those challenges.
While it may seem somewhat modest and insignificant, I learned to tell stories from my parents who were vivid storytellers, and I continued that tradition with my own children, with nightly readings of books filled with diverse characters, each of whom I gave its own unique voice.
Erfahrung
Commercials & Corporate Narration (Partial Listing)
Airlines / Travel
• American Airlines
• Delta Airlines
• Holland America Line
• Lufthansa
• United Airlines
Automotive
• Acura of Serramonte (San Francisco)
• Hella TechTeam (Germany)
• Nimnicht Chevrolet, Jacksonville
• Renault (Paris)
Banking / Financial Services
• Betterment Investing
• City Bank, West Texas
• Federal Reserve Bank
• First Union
• Raymond James Financial
• TSYS
Cable Network Promotion
• Bone Collector (Outdoor Channel)
• C News, Trinidad & Tobago
• Discovery Channel
• Dish Network
• Home & Garden Television
• Major League Baseball on Fox
• Outdoor Channel
Colleges and Universities
• Emory University
• University of Alabama
• University of Oregon
Energy
• Conoco Phillips
• Tri-State Electric (Colorado)
• Tennessee Valley Authority
Medical / Hospitals
• Hughston Clinic (Georgia)
• Marshfield Clinic (Wisconsin)
• Mayo Clinic
• The Med (Memphis)
Nature / Environmental / Non-Profit
• Defenders of Wildlife
• Florida Department of Natural Resources
• Georgia Forestry Commission
• Grand Canyon Trust
• Honor Flight Golden Isles
• Honor Flight St. Louis
• Infinity Science Center
• Orix Foundation
• Texas A&M Forest Service
• Tompkins Conservation
• Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve
Manufacturing / Communications
• AT&T
• BCM Illuminazione (Italy)
• CSX
• Edgewise Eight Brewing
• General Electric
• HMS Industrial Networks (Sweden)
• Kennecott Copper
• Knauf Insulation
• Kurz (Germany)
• Milliken & Company
• Minolta
• Monsanto
• Quentic (Germany)
• Union Carbide
• Westinghouse
• William Carter Company
• Zirkon Zahn (South Tyrol, Italy)
Government Agencies
• FLETC (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center)
• NASA
• US Army
• US Coast Guard
• US Fish & Wildlife Service
• US National Park Service
• US Treasury Department
Outdoor Sports / Hunting
• Bad Boy Buggies
• Bear/Jennings Archery
• Benelli Shotguns
• Blazer High-Performance Boats
• Hard Core Brands
• Horton Crossbows
• Hunter Marine
• Hunter Safety Systems
• Johnson/Evinrude
• Realtree
• Thompson/Center Arms
• Traditions Firearms
Recreation and Entertainment
• Apple Music
• NASCAR
• PGA Tour
• Six Flags – Georgia, Texas, Mid-America
• TPA (Tennis Professionals Association)
• Walt Disney World
WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment)
Retail
• Home Depot
• Home Shopping Network
Restaurant / Hospitality
• Olive Garden
• Smashin’ Crab Seafood, San Antonio
I am the signature voice of Michael Waddell’s Bone Collector on the Outdoor Channel.
Character Voices and Impersonations (Representative List)
• James Earl Jones
• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Ross Perot
• Humphrey Bogart
• Forrest Gump
• Morgan Freeman
• Geoffrey Holder
• Walter Cronkite
• Dan Rather
• Salty Pirate
• Various Southern and Western accents
• Various British accents
I have extensive experience as an on-camera spokesman and am acutely proficient with a wireless ear prompter.
I have appeared in principal motion picture roles, including Tom Hanks' Emmy Award-winning HBO series "From the Earth to the Moon," co-hosted the HGTV food and lifestyle series "All In Good Taste," and have had numerous principal roles in professional theatre.
While I am SAG/AFTRA eligible, with multiple Taft-Hartley exemptions, I've elected to remain non-union to provide maximum flexibility to producers.
Besonderheiten
My specialties are:
Long Form Corporate Narratives
Documentary Narration
Commercial Voice Overs
Character Voice Narratives
Cartoons
Promotional Announcements
Training Videos
On-Camera Spokesperson