In the Know
Do the actors have to memorize their lines? During recording sessions, does the team stick to the script word-for-word? How do the actors influence the script? In the case of making sounds, do the actors make them in the studio? What is vocal foley? What is the youngest age of the kid actors on Odyssey? What can I expect to see at the Focus on the Family Whit's End and Welcome Center? What does an AIO director typically do, especially in terms of introducing new characters and actors? Do the kid actors have to skip school to attend recording sessions? How is acting in a theatre setting different from acting in the AIO recording studio?

 

 

Adam Wylie, voice of Ryan Cummings

• Is it different as an adult acting like a kid in the presence of kid actors compared with acting with other adults?

• What are some of the differences between on-camera work and doing voice work? Is it more difficult doing voice work?

• What are some of the difficulties that arise in the studio when recording for AIO?

• What is the most fun part of being on Adventures in Odyssey?

• Since The Last Chance Detectives series was recorded in such a short amount of time, was it exhausting to get through?

• How is Adam Wylie like the character of Ryan Cummings?

 

Alan Young, voice of Jack Allen

• How did Alan Young begin his career in acting?

• How did Alan Young get involved with Adventures in Odyssey?

• What is Alan's favorite aspect of working with Odyssey?

 

Andre Stojka, voice of John Avery Whittaker (2009-present)

• How did Andre Stojka become involved with Adventures in Odyssey?

• How did the Odyssey team choose Andre Stojka as the third voice of Whit?

• How did Andre Stojka get cast as the role of John Avery Whittaker? (answered by Andre himself)

• How is Andre Stojka like the character of Whit and how does he get into the part?

• How has acting in the studio with the other actors influenced Andre's performance?

• Why was Andre Stojka chosen to voice Mr. Whittaker?

 

Aria Curzon, voice of Mandy Straussberg

• How did Aria Curzon start acting for Adventures in Odyssey?

• Is Aria Curzon similar to her character, Mandy Straussberg?

• Did Aria Curzon know much about AIO before she started work with them?

• How does Aria's faith affect her acting career?

• What is Aria Curzon's favorite episode?

 

Brandon Gilberstadt, voice of Jared DeWhite

• How did Brandon Gilberstadt get involved with Adventures in Odyssey?

• How is Brandon like Jared DeWhite?

• What is Brandon Gilberstadt's favorite episode he worked on?

• What is the show Brandon left Adventures in Odyssey to pursue for several years?

• How did AIO equip Brandon for other acting jobs?

 

Bob Hoose, voice of minor roles

• What is Bob Hoose's favorite role (acting, producing, directing, sound design, etc.) he fulfills at Odyssey?

• What is Bob Hoose's favorite small character role that he played on AIO?

 

Bob Luttrell, voice of minor roles

• What types of voice roles has Bob Luttrell done for Adventures in Odyssey?

• How did the passing of Hal Smith (the original voice of Whit), affect sound designer Bob Luttrell?

 

Chris Anthony, host of Adventures in Odyssey

• How did Chris Anthony get started in her acting career?

• How did Chris get connected with Focus on the Family and ultimately Adventures in Odyssey?

• When did Chris start with Adventures in Odyssey?

• How did the Odyssey conduct their search for a host and ultimately decide on Chris?

• How was Bob Luttrell influential in bringing Chris Anthony to AIO?

• What is Chris Anthony's favorite episode?

• What is one of Chris Anthony's memories of Walker Edmiston?

• How does Chris handle wrapping up the more serious episodes?

• What does Chris' family say when they hear her on the show?

• For Chris, how has Odyssey changed through the years?

• What other acting jobs has Chris had?

• What is the story behind Chris Anthony and Barbie products?

 

Corey Burton, voice of Cryin' Bryan Dern, Walter Shakespeare, and many others

• How was Bob Luttrell involved in getting Corey Burton to act for Adventures in Odyssey?

 

Danielle Judovits, voice of Aubrey Shepard

• How did Danielle Judovits handle playing emotional scenes?

• What has Danielle Judovits learned from working with Jerry Houser, her father-figure mentor on the show?

• How does Danielle Judovits get cast as a role in various acting jobs?

 

Dave Madden, voice of Bernard Walton

• How did Dave Madden start his career in acting?

• What does Bernard Walton's window washing grunt sound like?

• Although he's retired, why does Dave Madden still act for Adventures in Odyssey?

• How does Dave Madden compare his acting career at AIO with other jobs he has had?

• How does Bernard Walton's chemistry with Eugene relate to Dave Madden's role in The Partridge Family?

 

David Griffin

• How did Dave Griffin get cast as the role of Jimmy Barclay?

• During his years as Jimmy Barclay, what is Dave Griffin's favorite memory?

• Who did Dave Griffin have the most chemistry with in the studio?

 

Don & Genni Long, voice of Jack Davis, Lucy Cunningham-Schultz Davis

• How did Don and Genni Long get married?

• What are Don and Genni Long's favorite memories of working with the actors?

• Did Don and Genni Long listen to the episodes they acted for?

 

Earl Boen, voice of Regis & Edwin Blackgaard

• Does Earl Boen feel that his voice is a blessing?

• How is the voice of Regis Blackgaard different from other villains that Earl Boen has played?

• Which Blackgaard brother does Earl Boen prefer, and how does he differentiate the two?

• What other acting roles has Earl Boen had?

• To Earl, how is AIO different from his other acting jobs?

Fabio Stephens, voice of Curt Stevens

• When did Fabio Stephens begin acting for Adventures in Odyssey?

• How did Fabio Stephens get involved with Adventures in Odyssey?

• During Odyssey's early days, what were recording sessions like For Fabio?

 

Hope Levy, voice of Olivia Parker

• What types of things has Hopy Levy done in her singing career?

• How did Hope discover she could imitate children's voices?

• How does Hope get into the role when voicing young girls?

• What is it like to interact as Olivia Parker with the kid actors in the studio?

• Does Hope play any instruments like Olivia Parker?

• What other voice acting has Hope Levy done?

• Has Hope ever overcommitted to too many activities like her character Olivia?

• If Hope were Olivia Parker, what would she like to see happen to her character?

• Is it hard for Hope to make her voice sound like a child?

• Is Hope similar to the character of Olivia Parker?

 

Janet Waldo, voice of Maureen Hodges & Joanne Woodston-Allen

• How did Janet Waldo get involved with Adventures in Odyssey?

• How does Janet Waldo's acting experience for radio in the 1940's and 50's differ from what she does with AIO?

• Which actors did Janet Waldo already know at the beginning of her role on Odyssey?

• How did Janet Waldo react when she found out her character (Joanne Woodston) would be getting married to Jack Allen?

 

Jess Harnell, voice of Wooton Bassett

• How did Jess Harnell get involved with Adventures in Odyssey?

• How did Jess Harnell get the role of Wooton Bassett?

• How did Jess Harnell create the voice of Wooton Bassett?

• What other work has Jess Harnell done?

 

Jerry Houser, voice of Ben Shepard, "Jellyfish," and Isaac Morton's father

• What is the "wack factor" Jerry Houser refers to on page 39 of The Official Guide?

• How did Jerry Houser create the voice of the villain Jellyfish?

• What other acting job has Jerry Houser done?

• What connection does Jerry Houser have with Best Buy?

 

Jim Cummings, voice of King Lawrence

• How was Jim Cummings involved with Adventures in Odyssey before it was AIO?

• What was it like for Jim Cummings, voice of King Lawrence, to work with Katie Leigh (Connie Kendall) before Adventures in Odyssey on Dumbo's Circus?

• How did Jim Cummings face the challenge of voicing a character who is going insane in Passages: Darien's Rise?

• What is the difference between acting for a video game and acting for radio?

• What is Jim Cummings' favorite acting role in his career?

 

Kari Wahlgren, voice of Gloria McCoy & Maria

• How was Kari Wahlgren chosen to play Gloria McCoy in Camp What-a-Nut?

• Did Kari know anything about AIO before she was cast as Gloria McCoy?

• What was it like going from just a tourist at Focus on the Family to jumping in to play Gloria McCoy in Camp What-a-Nut?

• Did Kari have any summer camp experience prior to her role at Camp What-a-Nut?

• What was it like returning after so many years to play Maria in An Agreeable Nanny?

• Is working in the studio similar to how it was in the early days of Odyssey? Is anything different?

• Did acting for Adventures in Odyssey have an influence in Kari Wahlgren's career in voice acting?

 

Katie Leigh, voice of Connie Kendall

• When did Katie Leigh first meet Walker Edmiston?

• Why doesn't Katie Leigh like to see the full script for episodes before recording?

• How did Katie Leigh react to learning that the team would be replacing Hal Smith with Paul Herlinger for the character of Whit?

 

Kendre Berry, voice of Marvin Washington

• When Kendre Berry came onto the show to replace Jordan Calloway as the voice of Marvin Washington, did he try to sound like him or use his real voice?

 

Kris Kachurak, voice of Dwayne Oswald

• How did Kris Kachurak get involved with Adventures in Odyssey?

• Was Kris Kachurak similar to Dwayne Oswald growing up?

• What is Kris's favorite episode he worked on?

• What was the relationship between Brandon Gilberstadt and Kris Kachurak like between takes?

• How does Kris Kachurak mentally prepare to play in action scenes?

• How did AIO equip Kris for other acting jobs?

 

Lauren Schaffel, voice of Liz Horton

• How did Lauren Schaffel get started in her acting career?

• How did Lauren Schaffel get involved with Adventures in Odyssey?

• What was it like for Lauren Schaffel to work with actors on AIO whom she had known prior to working for the show?

• What is Lauren Schaffel's favorite episode of Advenures in Odyssey?

 

Pamela Hayden, voice of Katrina Shanks Meltsner

• Why did Pamela Hayden, voice of Katrina, get replaced by a different actress?

 

Paul Herlinger, voice of John Avery Whittaker (1996-2008)

• What is Paul Herlinger's background in media? How did he get started?

• How did Paul Herlinger react when he was contacted and offered a role as the voice of John Avery Whittaker?

• How did Paul Herlinger transition into the role of the second voice of John Avery Whittaker?

• Did Paul Herlinger have any formal training for his acting career?

• What did Paul Herlinger think of Adventures in Odyssey?

• Have fans ever recognized Paul Herlinger as the voice of Whit outside of Odyssey in real life?

• What was it like for Paul Herlinger to appear via live video conference at AIO's 20th anniversary celebration and live recording?

• How did Paul Herlinger interact with other actors/characters during the AIO recording sessions?

• Why did Paul Herlinger step down from his role as John Avery Whittaker?

• How was Paul Herlinger like the character of Whit?

• What was it like working with Paul in the studio?

• What other roles did Paul do for Adventures in Odyssey?

• What did Paul Herlinger do in his free time?

• How was Paul Herlinger integrated into the 20th anniversary live show?

• What was Paul's overall impression working with AIO?

 

Pete Renaday, voice of many minor characters

• How does Pete Renaday create his voice characters for Odyssey?

• Why does Pete Renaday typically play Biblical and historical characters?

• Did Pete Renaday know that his character, the Old Judge in Darien's Rise, represented Samuel from the Bible?

• What was it like for Pete Renaday to record the scene with Anastasia at the end of Passages: Darien's Rise?

• What was it like for Pete Renaday to record the scene with Anastasia at the end of Passages: Darien's Rise?

• What other voicework does Pete Renaday do?

 

Phil Proctor, voice of Leonard Meltsner

• How did Phil Proctor create the voice of Leonard Meltsner, or "inner Leonard," during his audition?

• Which episode did Phil Proctor enjoy recording the most?

 

Phillip Glassboro

• How did Phillip Glassboro get cast for the role of Malachi in Malachi's Message?

 

Sage Bolte, voice of Robyn Jacobs

• For Sage Bolte, what was it to act on the show with her dad as executive producer?

• Was the character of Robyn Jacobs based on the personality of Sage Bolte?

• What was it like for Sage to work with her sister Erin (Melanie) in the studio?

• Why is Karen Sage Bolte's favorite episode?

• How did Sage Bolte feel about returning to the show in Album 50 and how did they record the scene?

 

Steve Burns, voice of Rodney Rathbone & Robert Mitchell

• How did Steve Burns get involved with Adventures in Odyssey?

• How did Steve Burns create his "gang kid" Rodney Rathbone voice?

• What did Steve Burns' kids think of their father playing the town bully?

• How did Steve Burns like interacting as Rodney with Walker Edmiston, voice of Bart Rathbone?

• Why is Aloha, Oy! Steve Burns' favorite episode?

• How was Steve Burns chosen for the role of Robert Mitchell?

• How did Steve Burns get cast as the role of Mitch (in his own words)?

• Did Steve Burns know ahead of time that when Mitch "died"on AIO, that his character was still alive?

• How did Steve Burns react when he found out Mitch was "dead"?

• What is the difference between playing Rodney Rathbone and Robert Mitchell?

• How did Steve Burns face the challenge of conversing with himself in certain scenes as both Rodney and Mitch?

 

Sydney Shiotani, voice of Camilla Parker

• How did Sydney Shiotani get started in acting?

• What is Sydney Shiotani's favorite episode and what is her favorite scene?

• How does Sydney prepare herself to play Camilla on AIO?

• How does Sydney approach emotional scenes, such as in For the Birds?

• How is Sydney Shiotani similar to her character?

• What other acting jobs has Sydney had?

• How does Sydney feel when she hears herself on the radio?

 

Townsend Coleman, voice of Jason Whittaker

• How did Townsend Coleman get involved with Adventures in Odyssey?

• How has Odyssey influenced Townsend Coleman's life?

• Did Townsend Coleman play Darien in Passages: Darien's Rise?

 

Walker Edmiston, voice of Tom Riley & Bart Rathbone

• What was Walker Edmiston's favorite part of working with Odyssey?

• Can I hear a sample of Walker Edmiston acting out a conversation between Tom Riley and Bart Rathbone?

 

Whit Hertford, voice of Jay Smouse

• Did the Odyssey team explain to Whit Hertford that his bully (Jay Smouse) would be different from Rodney Rathbone?

• How did Whit Hertford create the character and voice of Jay Smouse?

• Does Whit have a favorite episode he's worked on?

• Does Whit prefer playing characters who are on the edge of reality like Jay or those who are more cartoony or fantastical?

• Does it take Whit more practice to sing a part (like in A Thankstaking Story) or to act a part?

• What does Whit Hertford do in between recording sessions?

 

Will Ryan, voice of Eugene Meltsner & Harlow Doyle

• How many roles has Will Ryan played on Adventures in Odyssey?

• Is Will Ryan anything like the character of Eugene Meltsner?

• What is Will Ryan's favorite genre of Odyssey shows to act in?

 

Zach Callison, voice of Matthew Parker

• How did Zach Callison get involved with Adventures in Odyssey?

• How did Zach Callison get started in acting?

• How many auditions does Zach get in relation to the number of acting jobs he actually gets to do?

• How does Zach Callison deal with action-packed scenes in which the actors have to make noises such as grunts, etc.?

• What was it like for Zach Callison to hear himself for the first time in his first Odyssey show?

• How does Zach interact with the director in the studio?

• How does Zach balance school and his acting career?

• How did Zach Callison get cast for Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

• Did Zach listen to Adventures in Odyssey a lot before he was on the show?

• Is Zach as smart as Matthew Parker regarding electronics?

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