Quotes

"The character was defined for me from the first episode. He's introduced as this badass, smarmy and sarcastic, who doesn't give a crap about anything. But he also exhibits tidbits of vulnerability. In "Asteroid Blues" you see traces of his vulnerability in his interaction with Maria - that he could actually have feelings for somebody else. That made him unfold for me immediately as a multi-dimensional character. Prior to this I'd been used to playing monsters and, occasionally, heroes and that kind of thing. But never anything with any depth. This was something I could actually act." - On his character in 'Cowboy Bebop,' Spike Spiegel.

The relationships between the characters were amazing, and we've actually forged real-life friendships as a result of working in the same studio. I think we all felt this show was something special. Very unusual for a medium where we do our parts individually! Voicing Spike was a benchmark in my career in a lot of ways. He fulfilled some fantasies of being the badass, but with that cool, smoking-gun way about him I always aspired to have. I guess there's something in each of my characters that reflect a piece of me in some way, but Spike allowed me to express the most depth and inner torment. Very complicated soul, very subtle and challenging to voice.

Bob Bergen and Jack Angel helped me to get in the big doors... I contacted them through a mutual fan, actually, and just to get replies from them in the form of an email was exciting... I think I actually giggled like a schoolgirl. That was huge, to have the ears of these voice gods helping me out with my demo. Every day I get to meet and work with my heroes - people like Frank Welker and more recently Dee Baker - the voices of just about every creature in animation. I've been such a big fan since I was a little kid. I'd do the work for nothing, just for the privilege to watch them work...

I worked some pretty awful jobs through the years. Everything from servicing fire extinguishers in the gutters of downtown LA to taking my boss's dogs to be de-skunked and living with the smell in my truck for months! There's a part of me that misses the civilian life, but I don't miss sitting in an office every day. That was something I did for 15 years. For the most part, I have the best job in the whole world. I usually go to several studios in a day. I have a home recording booth, and sometimes I'll do auditions from there - which is nice because I can save myself countless hours of driving - and do auditions in my underwear at three o'clock in the morning. I'm grateful every single day.