Francis Ausley(II)

Francis Ausley is an American voice actor from Birmingham, AL, and only son of Jim and Pam Ausley. From a very early age Francis was drawn to music and the arts. As an accomplished pianist, his mother began teaching him at the age of two, which he continued to pursue until the discovery of the guitar at thirteen. Throughout Francis' early schooling, he developed quite the reputation as a class clown, and often found himself missing recess or in the principal's office for his disruptive behavior, which tended to present itself as vocal impressions or reenactments from the cartoons and comedians he loved so. In junior high, his parents sent him to boarding school in Switzerland to give him a broader cultural experience. After returning to public school in 8th grade, he was morose in the clique environment and quickly withdrew to spend a year hiking across the US. The following year he spent a year at sea while participating in a correspondence study with the University of Nebraska. In Francis' senior year of high school (Wasatch Academy, Utah) he discovered the late comedian George Carlin, and his life was forever altered. He became fascinated with Carlin's "radio voice" and began to pay more attention to advertising, sports announcers, and film in general. His drama teacher encouraged him to try a stint in Los Angeles after graduating, and taking her advice, moved to Los Angeles in January of 2004. As an accomplished guitarist, Francis initially moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music, though quickly became immersed in the film industry. It didn't take long for his lifelong love of cartoons and "the voice" (in reference to radio DJs, sports announcers, and of course, the late great Don LaFontaine) to attract him to the world of VO, which continues to be his most passionate enterprise.