Interview With Jay Hickman
Location: Email
Interview Date: 4/5/2017
It’s safe to say that Jay Hickman is a member of the “old guard” of the anime dubbing world. In 1994, he voiced the amazing role of “Pilot B” in Dirty Pair: Affair on Nolandia. Truly, it was a role that will live on through hushed whispers of reverence for many years to come. From there, Jay was off to the races, and ready to take on whatever challenges that were presented to him. His voice could be found giving life to all manner of roles, from Toru Watanabe in Excel Saga (2002) to the mysterious Fool in Kaleido Star (2004), and much more leading all the way to the present day.
It’s been over a decade since the last time I had the pleasure of interviewing this jet-setting international man of mystery. No, really. We talked in late 2005. Recently, though, I had the opportunity to reconnect with Jay for a chat about his career since that time.
Anime Herald: Hello! It’s so excellent to be able to exchange words with you again. To start things off, I’d like to talk about the sheer length of your career and your contributions to voice acting in anime. You’ve voiced roles in at least one hundred titles over the course of two decades in the world of anime. What do you attribute your longevity in the industry to?
Jay Hickman: First, thank you very much for seeking me out to do this. I very much enjoyed our first interview together, and I’m excited to undertake Part Deux with you!
To your question about longevity, the answer is quite simple: antioxidants. I eat as many blueberries and acai berries as I can, every day. Honestly, though, I think a big factor in all of it is that I adore what I do. I love this industry and I love bringing these characters to English-speaking audiences, so from my perspective, as long as there are directors and producers interested in working with me, then I’m interested right back! Also, because of my love for the craft, I work hard to keep the performances fresh, to stretch and to bring something new, wherever I can. I could only theorize, but I suspect that might contribute something as well.
Anime Herald: On that same note, to look at your history I notice that unlike other actors who have drifted in and out of the medium you’ve worked solidly in anime for the entire span of your voice acting career. There are very few years that I can point to within the last twenty years that don’t feature at least a small role portrayed by you. How have you avoided burnout on working in the medium?
Jay Hickman: To be candid, the idea has never really entered my mind. When I think of burnout, I automatically ascribe that condition to the long-term performance of a highly repetitive task, or work that is taxing in some way. For me, voice-acting is neither of those things. Every role brings the chance to try something new and, on occasion, to really challenge myself. So I never get to the place where I’m thinking: “What I’m doing today is just like what I did yesterday, and last week, and last month… how long can I keep this up?” For sure, there are some roles that are more physically demanding than others, but that’s not the norm, so I never get tired of it. In summary, it’s fun!
Anime Herald: In October 2015, in the middle of one of the busiest years of your career (more on that later), you decided to take the plunge and join the crazy, sideways universe known as Twitter and interact with fans on a daily basis. Based on your daily interactions with fans in years prior, when you could only get short conversations with them at screenings and the like, and today when you can have more in depth conversations with fans via the internet on demand, have you noticed a change in fandom in general? Or have the conversations with fans on social media left you believing that fans will always be fans, no matter what era it is?
Jay Hickman: Ah, yes – my long-delayed entrée to Twitter! If I could start with a quick anecdote…
The timing of my introduction to Twitter was semi-strategic: Akame Ga Kill had debuted on Toonami in the summer of 2015, and my character on the show, Dr. Stylish, was due to make his first appearance on an episode that would air in late October. Kyle Jones, the director of Akame Ga Kill, strongly urged me to sign up for Twitter in time for the “Dr. Stylish episode,” so that I could live tweet the episode that night, and help to promote the show. I discovered that the simplest possible handle (with just my name) was already taken, so in a nod to the character responsible for my being on Twitter in the first place, I chose @JayHickmanMD.
Twitter has been enormous fun. It’s given me an unparalleled opportunity to crack wise, support people/shows/events that I care about, and treat the world to my completely unsolicited observations about the various mundanities of life. And I’ve met some wonderful people! I’ve forged meaningful relationships with fellow actors and other industry folk through the network, and I’ve met many, many fantastic fans! I don’t think I can say that anime fandom has changed, particularly, but the way that we can interact with each other now is definitely different.
Twitter has allowed me to get to know fans far better than I might during an introduction at a screening, or a hurried meeting at a convention, and it’s been a pleasure to learn more about them, to get their candid feedback on shows or performances, answer questions and interact at a more leisurely pace. I’m aware that this kind of unfettered access comes with its pitfalls, but my reception by fans on Twitter, so far, has been warm, welcoming, and respectful. I look forward to meeting more folks as we go!
Anime Herald: Looking at your career, it’s hard to identify a type of role that you HAVEN’T portrayed at some point. From spunky animals like Dera Mochimazzi in Tamako Market to a foppish robot named Ichirin in Wandaba Style. We can go even further than that and expand the range outwards even more to include roles that span from the very innocent Prince Mythos in Princess Tutu to the very evil Kagetane in Black Bullet. And yet, you’ve met every challenge presented to you. What roles do you feel were your most challenging to portray and how did you overcome these hurdles?
Jay Hickman: First, I’d like to thank you for this assessment – it’s very generous. Without a doubt, I’ve been very fortunate to have the opportunity to take on such a breadth of roles and explore all these different character facets. It’s been fulfilling and, to carry through a theme from your earlier question, it is fun!
As to the most challenging roles… you’ve hit on a big one already. Mytho, from Princess Tutu, is unquestionably at the top of the list – he’s unlike any character I’ve ever played, before or since. First off, his voice is very youthful, which alone was a departure, but it was his story arc that made him the most challenging. Because he’s (magically) missing his heart, he starts off in the story as completely flat, emotionally. And yet he still retains some sense of morality, and his basic instincts are intact, so he’s not a robot. He’s just… completely lacking in emotion. And then, he starts to get shards of his heart – which, conveniently, came packaged in units of one pure emotion each – magically returned to him. It was this plot device that made for a really interesting gumbo, because I also got to play each heart shard (which appeared, at least for a short while, as an apparition of Mytho). So this Mytho apparition would represent some pure emotion (say, loneliness), and accordingly every line I read would be through the filter of that particular emotion. When the heart shard rejoins with Mytho (once per episode, more or less), he takes on that emotional trait, but only a little. So at that point, the read for him is completely emotionless, except just a touch of loneliness. And then… completely emotionless, with just a touch of loneliness, and a tad of guilt. And so on.
It was hard. First off, it was really challenging to find the right balance: what does it sound like to be completely emotionless, but with 5% regret added in? “Is this it? Are you sure that doesn’t sound like 10% regret?” From there, I had trouble keeping track of the heart shards: “how many emotions do I have now? Five or six? And… which ones, again?” Oh yeah, and at the end, he becomes Evil Mytho, for a short time… so we got to throw that in the mix!
The key to overcoming those hurdles, for me, was great direction. Jin Chung was director of Princess Tutu, and he was a monumental help where it came to navigating all of Mytho’s complexities. We spent a lot of time talking through his arc, how he would be feeling at any given time, what was driving him, etc. And then, during the reads themselves, Jin was there to help me properly calibrate Mytho’s “emotional quotient,” during the various scenes. It was tough, for sure, but the final product delivered such a great payoff. I would do it again, anytime!
Anime Herald: Perhaps it’s thanks to your love of jazz music, but you’ve always come across as a very smooth individual. This sounds like another role of yours, Debito from Arcana Famiglia. Which roles from your career have you found to be the closest to your actual personality and which were the furthest away?
Jay Hickman: I guess for me the goal is always to try to find at least a little of myself in every character I play; something that will help connect me to them (and vice-versa). Some are easier than others.
Looking at some recent examples, I guess I’d say I can relate a lot to Kuramori from Parasyte: he’s a father and a family man, he’s a generally good, thoughtful guy, he’s curious and asks a lot of questions for a living, and then he finds himself completely in over his head. I’ve been there, so I really felt for him as we saw his story play out on the show.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there was Dr. Stylish, from Akame Ga Kill. He was extremely flamboyant, certifiably insane… and then he turns into a 100-ft tall maniacal titan. So, it was a little harder to find commonalities with him. But… he had a fatherly affection for Seryu, one of his fellow crazies, and he was extremely driven. On some level, I can relate to those qualities, too. During other times in the booth, I have to ask myself “what do I have in common with this cat? With this pompous bird? With King Louis XV?” Somehow or another, I’m always able to find something.
Anime Herald: During our first interview, you mentioned that, while you weren’t a huge anime fan before you had your unplanned audition with ADV Films, you did grow up with some classic titles including Speed Racer and the like. In 2015, you got the chance to voice a role in Sentai Filmworks’ dub of Vampire Hunter D. What was your reaction to getting the chance to work on such a beloved title from yesteryear like that? Did you feel any trepidation at taking over the role from Steve Bulen?
Jay Hickman: It’s an interesting question, because, while I was certainly aware of Vampire Hunter D, I had never actually seen it. The first dub came out after my childhood years, but before I got involved in anime professionally. So, after I got “turned on” to the art form, it was very rare that I would go back to watch older shows, simply because there was so many “new” titles for me to acquaint myself with. My first awareness of this show came from conventions, actually, as I would walk through the halls, see all the cosplayers dressed as “D” and say: “Who is that?”
So, when it came time for the Sentai Filmworks take on this classic, I knew enough about the show to be excited to be a part of it, but not so much that the older version – or any prior performances – would be in my head. When I walked into the studio, I was greeted by Matt Greenfield, who helped me fill in the gaps of my basic understanding of the show, and then introduced me to Greco. Honestly, he gave me such a thorough “Greco 101” tutorial that I felt like I had known him for years, so it was easy for me to wade in and start chewing the scenery. We had a lot of fun, that session!
Anime Herald: You’ve been around long enough to see the industry expand, contract and expand again. What do you think has been the most significant change behind the scenes over the span of your career?
Jay Hickman: There are many industry insiders better qualified to answer this question than I. I’m just an actor, but from my perspective, there’s been an undeniable growth in the popularity and mainstreaming of the genre. I know there has been ebb and flow, but to look at the anime produced and consumed in the U.S., it’s night and day, now, from when I started. There’s just so much great product to choose from, now!
Anime Herald: Let’s take a moment to talk about a specifically busy year. 2015 was a busy year for you, as you provided voices for at least eight different titles including some horrifically dark series such as Akame ga Kill!, Brynhildr in the Darkness, Black Bullet, Muv-Luv Alternative, the previously mentioned Vampire Hunter D, and Parasyte. First off, let’s talk about how much stamina it must have taken to get through this year. The last time you came close to matching this number of performances was over a decade ago, in 2005. How did you find the energy and strength to keep going into the booth and finding your voice for all these new characters?
Jay Hickman: I remember 2015, above all, as a thrilling time for anime! Each of those shows you mentioned were all so special, and that two of them were picked up by the Cartoon Network just made an exciting year even more so. To be frank, the pace didn’t bother me at all – it was just exciting to be working with such good material, and being able to work consistently on shows of that caliber throughout the year was a dream. I’d take another year like 2015 any day! Or… any year, I suppose.
As to finding my voice for such a rapid succession of characters, I relied deeply on the directors for their guidance on that front. I remember taking quite a bit of time to discuss Kagetane with Chris Ayres, Greco with Matt Greenfield, and Dr. Stylish and Kuramori with Kyle Jones so that we could find something that really worked for each. And maybe because there was a lot going on that year, I gratefully accepted their help to stay anchored to each character.
Oh, and one final note on 2015, before we move on (and another nod to the magic of Twitter): after I joined Twitter toward the end of 2015, I got to connect for the first time with many of the terrific voice actors who are based in Dallas (the delightful Terri Doti notable among them). Through those connections, I was able to rekindle my relationship with Funimation, and I traveled there to record three shows in 2016, which was great fun! After that, I was introduced to Okratron, also in the Dallas market, where I got to be part of another amazing project in early 2017. So, while 2015 continues to be an ever-more-distant memory, I’m still feeling its effects!
Anime Herald: As though it weren’t hard enough for you to deal with all the roles you were voicing, you also had to contend with the fact that most of these shows, such as Akame ga Kill! and Black Bullet, were very dark in nature and featured plots where no life is safe for very long. How did you cope with being exposed to that level of darkness so many times in a row?
Jay Hickman: Well, I think most times there’s a way to detach yourself from the darkness a bit, while staying true to the characters. So perhaps you’re playing a character who is responsible for some atrocious act(s), and you invest in that emotionally; you go through the thought processes of “why would he do this and why would he think the act is justified, etc.” And it can be draining to do the scene after you’ve really made an effort to truly inhabit the character, but then the session is over and you can put that out of your mind for a while. I think I was pretty successful at maintaining that balance throughout 2015, but that little rake that goes with my miniature, tabletop zen rock garden definitely got a workout that year!
Anime Herald: Veering back towards the topic of working on iconic titles, in the mid ‘00s, you were able to add One Piece to the library of titles that you’ve worked on. Are there any other anime titles which you consider iconic that you wish you could have worked on or hope to be able to work in the future?
Jay Hickman: Well, first I’d like to mention what a treat it was to be called in to voice Chuu for One Piece those many years ago, so I was thrilled that my return to Funimation in 2016 was to revisit the world of One Piece with the great Mike McFarland! The character is TBA, but he’s another memorable one, for sure. I’ll look forward to talking more about him, when it’s time.
As to other iconic titles, it would be a blast to be a part of the Dragon Ball franchise, some day, because so many of my friends in the industry have been involved in that universe, and it’s always a treat to be able to share in something enormous like that with people you like!
Anime Herald: Unlike many other actors within the industry, one thing that I notice you haven’t done is sat in the director’s or writer’s chair (we’re not counting 2005’s Conversations with SSS extra). Is this something that has ever been of interest to you, or do you feel more comfortable standing in the recording booth?
Jay Hickman: I’m so glad you asked me that, because it gives me an opportunity to announce something that you’ll be the first to hear! Many years ago, I undertook this film project called “The Perfect Khan,” with John Swasey and Kyle Jones. You hear stories, sometimes, about how long it can take movies to get made… and I can attest that they are true!
Anyway, this is an animated feature for which I served as co-director and co-writer (alongside Kyle and John). It centers around a guy named Khan, who’s a handsome, charismatic master thief, con artist and martial arts expert, and we follow along as he navigates a roller coaster of heists, hi-jinks, double crosses, triple crosses and love. It’s extremely funny, and you actually become quite invested in seeing if Khan and his friends will be successful in their goal to steal all loot, dupe all the players, and punch all the bad guys in the face before time runs out!
We fully expect this movie to début later in 2017, and I’ll forward a trailer as soon as I have one!
Anime Herald: In the beginning of this interview, I mentioned a rough estimate of how many titles you’ve landed roles in. I’m certain, though, that for every role you landed, there are three others that you didn’t. Naturally, I’m not about to ask you to denigrate any other voice actors, but are there any roles that you auditioned for that you consider “the one that got away”?
Jay Hickman: I really don’t have any stories of regret in anime casting! Over the years, I’ve come to understand what an art it is to match the right actors to the right roles. Since the animation is already done, and we already have a feel for most of the characters (how they behave, what drives them), it boils down to just a small handful of actors that will be “just perfect” to inhabit the role. It took me a while to understand that, but now that I do, I trust that the directors and casting directors have thought these choices through in great detail and that the actors they’ve cast in certain roles are the very best choices to make them come to life and move the story forward. Everything is subjective, of course, but I believe the roles I’ve been asked to play are just the right ones for me, and I’ve been satisfied with that!
Anime Herald: Let’s get away from anime for a bit and talk about some other projects that you’re a part of, such as Robot Girl. From what I understand, this is a passion project of voice actor Blake Shepard. How did you get involved with this and what can you tell us about it?
Jay Hickman: Your understanding is right, and accordingly, I’m exceedingly excited to be involved! It all started about a year and half ago…
In addition to his prolific talent as a voice actor, Blake is a really gifted artist and animator. And so, after years and years of contributing to anime projects as an actor, he thought: “You know, why don’t I create my own?” He already had the creativity to come up with a story concept, and the skill to design and animate his characters, so he just needed to find some actors he would enjoy working with and good sound design, both of which were already at his fingertips in the Texas voice acting community. So, at an event – a year and a half ago – he approached me with his idea of creating this world of a young, super-powered girl who battles robots from another dimension, wielding ancient, otherworldly weapons that only she can control! He said he wanted me to provide the voice for Robot Girl’s father, and I said “sign me up!”
Anyway, it’s well underway now, and it already looks awesome – people can see the promotional video for the project here. I know some big announcements are coming soon, and I’m really psyched to see the finished product!
Anime Herald: Thanks so much for your time. As always, I’d like to close this interview by giving you a chance to share any thoughts, words of wisdom or anything else you’d like to share with your many fans.
Jay Hickman: It’s been a pleasure, truly, so thank you! I find myself bereft of wise aphorisms, this time around, but there is one thing I’m eager to share: After a multi-year hiatus, I’m excited to return to the world of anime conventions! I should be ready to make announcements, soon, but I’m hopeful that 2017 will see me visiting cons at various locales across North America, so I’ll look forward to meeting lots of new friends there! Thanks again!
