An Oscar is the pinnacle of acting career, and that includes the professional parcours of voice talents. Okay, let’s get this topical debate going. Do you think a voice over artist will ever win an Oscar for their performance?
When you think about some of the great voice over performances there has been in both animation and motion capture not a single Oscar has ever been won. Stand out performances such as Robin Williams in Aladdin, Ellen DeGeneres in Finding Nemo, Ned Beatty in Toy Story 3 and Andy Serkis for Lord of the Rings spring to mind but even though their performances have been justly praised, none of them won the Oscar.
What does this say about the film industry?
Does it say that a performance where you don’t actually see the person is only half a performance? Does it say that you have to see the physical performance as well as hear the voice to get properly recognised?
We’d love to hear your thoughts.
The fact remains that even the most experienced voice over actor is unlikely to be chosen for a leading role in an animated or motion capture film. They may get one of the periphery parts if they’re lucky but the main roles are likely to go to mainstream actors. That is unless the film has a real small budget and can’t afford the big names.
There is always the chance that a low budget animation from an independent studio may hit the big time and this is probably the only chance that a voice actor has got of getting noticed. But until then, it’s back to the voice over grindstone!
Let’s face it, when legendary voice actors like Mel Blanc and Jim Cummings have never won Oscars, what chance do the rest of us stand?
But perhaps there is a glint of hope on the horizon. Motion capture films are especially growing in stature with films like Avatar and the Planet of the Apes franchise receiving praise. Is it only a matter of time before a ‘voice only’ performance is recognised by the Academy and receives a coveted Oscar?
We’ll have to wait and see….
What do you think? Do you think a voice over performance will ever win an Oscar? Let us know what you think.