If you are a connoisseur of cartoons, you’ve certainly heard his voice before.
Jim Cummings is a voice actor for many animated characters. He has voiced characters like Winnie the Pooh and Tigger and so many more of your favorite characters.
Cummings sat down with amNewYork prior to New York Comic Con, which took place Oct. 9-12, to discuss the famous convention, his favorite voices he has played, and his new podcast.
How does it feel for you to be back at New York Comic Con this year and connect directly with the fans who’ve grown up with your characters?
Jim Cummings: It’s great, I haven’t gotten down there. I understand we are going to have a pretty good crowd, you know, I get a kick out of these. I really enjoy seeing people and hearing how they have related to my different characters over the years. I always joke that I’m in my third generation of Winnie the Pooh fans because I’ve got people my age, my kids’ age, and my grandchildren. I’m hanging in there, apparently.
What are you most excited to experience or see at NYCC this year, any panels, projects, or fan moments you’re especially looking forward to?
JC: It’s always the fans’ interactions with them and them having their favorite character or their favorite storyline, and they are very excited to relive that.
What is the most exciting role you personally think you have done and what was your experience getting to know the character you were playing?
JC: Pooh and Tigger are the classics for sure, and I really get a kick out of King Louie from “The Jungle Book,” and Darkwing Duck. And everyone kind of likes it and I like that everyone kind of likes it, so that works out just fine. One of my recent favorite characters would be Hondo Ohnaka from Star Wars. He’s not a hundred percent a bad guy, but I wouldn’t want to play cards with him.
What is something you do to get into the mindset of the character you are playing?
JC: I knew I was gonna do this when I was five, and I’m at a point now, and I’ve been there for many years, and this always sounds weird, but I don’t think about it. I don’t dwell. I think if you follow your instincts and you get in the mindset of your character and move forward from there, you’re in good shape, and that’s how I’ve always done it, and it serves me well.
What is some advice you would give to someone who wants to become a voice actor, especially when using social media platforms to showcase their talent?
JC: People think that all you have to do is talk, well, no, it’s not quite. When I recommend to people when they make an impression of somebody famous, that’s good. You never know someone might need a William Shatner, or somebody, you never know. And if you do a terrible impression of somebody famous, they don’t know who it is, you’ve got a new character. I have done perfect impressions of people who don’t know who they are. Like my aunt Grace and my Uncle Sam, but it’s a good impression of both of them, and nobody knows them because they aren’t famous people. So you get a free character. I’m not a huge social media type guy, although I do have a podcast that can’t help but mention called “Toon’d In With Jim Cummings,” and it’s a lot of the faces and the voices that you do know, but also all the stories you do not. A lot of my friends like Steve Bloom. Many of them have podcasts about being a voice actor. I’ve also recommended people to do stage plays. Always try to be something that you’re not. Inevitably, you will come up with a different-sounding voice.
You have played so many amazing childhood characters like Winnie the Pooh and Tigger. Out of all the characters you got to play, which one would you love to go back to and make a new show or film with? Why?
JC: Oh boy, well it’s got to be Darkwing Duck, he is one of my favorites of all time. He’s one of my favorites because he is a superhero without any superpowers but he always gets the job done, and he has a good time doing it. He brings everyone along for the ride so he’s kind of cool, he’s very near and dear to my heart. Him and Hando, I’m really crazy about both those guys.
Congratulations on breaking into the top 10 for your Apple podcast: Toon’d In With Jim Cummings! What drove you to create the podcast?
JC: Having done this for four years, I met so many people and they’re all interesting. They all have their own stories and backgrounds. People like my friend Rob Paulsen say they like to know if they are at the circus. They like to lift up the tent and see what’s going on, and that’s kind of what we are doing on the podcast. You know Producer Chris and I. We have people on there and we ask them how did you get into it (voice acting), how did you know you wanted to do this? Then it’s the nuts and bolts: How did you get an agent? How do you make a demo tape?
For more information on Cummings and his work, visit jimcummingsworld.com.
