I’m thrilled to introduce Brian Lafontaine, a talented voiceover artist whose warm and playful sound brings stories to life. With 30 years of acting experience in film, television, commercials, and onstage, Brian’s versatility and professionalism shine through in every project.
Join me as we explore Brian’s career path, inspirations, and the wisdom he’s gained along the way. Whether you’re an aspiring voiceover artist or simply curious about the entertainment industry, Brian’s insights are sure to inspire and inform.
How did you get started in the voiceover industry?
I started out doing stand-up comedy after a failed attempt at a career in the golf industry. Stand-up led to me auditioning for my first play where I was cast in the lead role in the first and third part of a Neil Simon trilogy. A woman who was in the cast with me was also local talent agent. After watching me perform on stage night after night for three months, she brought me over to the agency she worked for and began submitting me for film, tv, commercial auditions, and yes…voiceovers.
The very first voiceover audition I went on was at a local production studio here in Charlotte, NC. I didn’t get the job, but the studio owner really liked me and my voice. So, he reached back out to my agents and said that he wanted to add me to their talent database and wanted to put my first voiceover demo together for me.
So, after many, many, MANY blind submissions to studios and agencies across the country, I built enough of a client base that I was able to do nothing, but voiceover work to support myself and my career as an actor. I’m truly one of the luckiest and most grateful people in the world.
Just like that, I had an actual demo that I could send out to other studios and potential clients. That same studio owner really became a close professional friend and adviser. He was the one that made me realize that being a voiceover artist was legitimate full time career possibility. I had no idea! I was completely clueless that this was even an option.
Who inspired you to pursue a career in voiceover?
John Causby, the owner of Groundcrew Studios in Charlotte, really inspired me to pursue a full-time career as a voiceover artist. He was the person whom I was working with most consistently. John saw the value that I could bring to the voiceover market as an actor.
At that time, the voiceover industry was still very much in the traditional Radio Announcer stage and the idea of having an actor who could bring a more real, authentic, conversational and spontaneous approach to the work was still fairly new. Having the opportunity to take a script and bring it to life within minutes and be able to use my acting skills to give multiple styles of reads is incredibly exciting and fun.
You have to be able to think and make choices very quickly which really lets you show your versatility. For an actor, it doesn’t get any better than that. It has nothing to do with how you look. Instead, it has to do with how you can make someone feel simply by using your voice.
Having the opportunity to take a script and bring it to life within minutes and be able to use my acting skills to give multiple styles of reads is incredibly exciting and fun.”
What skills and traits have been most instrumental to your success?
Reliability
Clients come back to me, because they know they can count on me to give them a finished product that they’re going to be proud to work with, and I can turn things around very quickly for them to meet their deadlines ahead of schedule.
Creative
I always try to give a client more than they expected so that they have choices and options when it’s time to put the final edit together. I give them options during the session that often sparks other ideas that they hadn’t considered, and it can make the final spot even better than they had anticipated.”
I always try to give a client more than they expected so that they have choices and options when it’s time to put the final edit together
Fun
We’re always reminded that this is a job where a lot of people put in a lot of time and effort to meet their client’s needs. Sometimes that can make the session feel very stiff. I’m a big believer in having the session be light and fun. Because I think that helps them to remember that we’re ultimately putting out messages (in most cases) that are trying to make people’s lives easier, and that’s a great thing! I like to use my personality and sense of humour to keep everything upbeat to support what they’re doing. In the end it’s all supposed to make people smile.
Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently in your career?
While I enjoyed my college experience, if I had to do it over again, I would probably have gone to a conservatory program for acting and focused solely on that. Knowing what I know now, I wish I hadn’t sabotaged myself so many times during auditions.
Getting out of your own way is one of the hardest things to learn.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
Part of the beauty of being a voiceover artist is the flexibility and free time you have most days. Each day is different. If I have a session booked, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours to record. It just depends. If I’m fortunate enough to have multiple sessions scheduled, then it can be a long day in the booth. There are always auditions to record. I try to tackle as many as I can in one sitting. Otherwise, it’s a lot of in and out and in out of the VO booth.
Part of the beauty of being a voiceover artist is the flexibility and free time you have most days.
What are the most challenging aspects of your role, and how do you handle them?
You have to be careful how much time you spend in the recording booth. It’s very small and very solitary. You can go a little stir crazy after a while just staring at a microphone and a script. You should step out and take breaks. I’ve been doing this for over 20 years. As a result, I’ve spent a lot of time by myself. And, because I work from my home studio, there have been times when I haven’t left the house or spoken to an actual human being face to face for days at a time. It can be a little like Las Vegas where you lose all sense of time and connection to the outside world.
You have to be careful how much time you spend in the recording booth. It’s very small and very solitary.” “The biggest challenge is the inconsistency of work.
The biggest challenge is the inconsistency of work. I’ve had weeks where I’ve done well over 50 auditions and booked none of them. Even after doing it for so long, I still have moments when I’m wondering when the next job will come. It can be a bit unnerving. I just have continued to let go, have faith and trust that something will hit.
What’s been a favourite project/s you’ve worked on so far in your career, and why?
There are too many to count. I’ve been very fortunate to work on so many fun projects over the course of my career. It always has more to do with the creative elements of the project. I’ve done one single commercial at times that was more fulfilling from a creative standpoint than doing a multi spot campaign. I know it sounds cliché, but the writing has so much to do with it. If the writing and creative is well-crafted, then I’m having a good time in the session.
One job that stands out in particular was for a child safety car seat a few years ago. I was the voice of the car seat. What made it so great was they built a speaker into the actual car seat and had the car seat wired and controlled like a puppet.
When we shot the TV commercials, I was in a separate room with a monitor and a microphone set up. I was acting opposite a 5-year-old girl who had to have a conversation with the car seat. She had no idea it was rigged. So, when I started talking to her as the car seat, her reactions were priceless. I spent the entire shoot ad-libbing and improving with this little girl as a car seat, because we had no idea what her responses were going to be. It was a really great campaign that turned out incredibly well.
How do you stay updated with the trends and changes in your industry sector? Do you have any tips for our readers?
The best way is having strong relationships with your agents, other voiceover artists and the studios you work with. That’s going to be your best resource. Social media is always going to be a huge help and seeing what’s going on the industry. Follow and connect with your colleagues. We try to support each other as best we can.
What advice have you received from peers over the years that’s stuck with you, and why do these resonate with you the most?
Be open to change. Be versatile. Be adaptable. The industry will always continue to change, and you have to change with it or you will get left behind. In other words, keep learning always. It’s a business that can’t be mastered, because as soon as you think you’ve got it…it goes in a different direction. It’s a business of “What’s new? What haven’t we heard before?”
What life wisdom do you have for those just starting out in this field?
Never lose sight of the fact that being a voiceover artist is a business, and you must approach it as a business. There are many people who think it’s simply reading off a piece a paper into a microphone, so it should be an easy business to break into. It’s not. It’s just as challenging and competitive as any other aspect of the acting or entertainment industry.
The artists who are successful have trained, taken classes, and built their skillset so they know what THEY can bring to the industry that makes them different from everybody else. You must know what makes you a good voiceover artist. Why are they casting you over someone else. What can you bring to the material that allows me to connect with you as an artist just by using your voice.
Describe your career in 5 words!
Fun. Unpredictable. Creative. Always changing
Biography
Thoughtful. Creative. Upbeat. Brian Lafontaine is a voiceover artist that makes it straightforward to move your story forward. Brian’s sound is warm and playful, and yet also cool and edgy. In all his work, Brian likes to have fun – his bright personality shines through in his voice.
With 30 years of acting experience, not only in voiceover, but in film, television, commercials, and onstage as well, Brian is a tried-and-true performer. He easily relates to audiences and knows how to get to the heart of a script. He is also a masterful professional. Dependable consistency, meticulous preparation, and innate directability – that’s Brian’s recipe for client satisfaction.
Brian has been heard all around the world for brands including Coke, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Ford, Fisher Investments, Texas Pete, KSwiss, Wyndham Hotels, Joseph A Bank, Floor Décor and more. From conversational to commercial and everything in between, he is versatile and can impress in any genre. And as for his on-camera work, you may have seen Brian in hit shows like Ozark, Stranger Things, and Homeland. He’s always grateful for the opportunity as an actor to bring a client’s vision to life.
A Charlotte, North Carolina resident, Brian works from his professional-grade home studio equipped with the latest recording technology. Outside the booth, Brian plays a little piano, enjoys exploring new craft cocktails, and sharing his Cheetos with his 2 dogs.
Discover more about Brian using any of the links below
- Instagram: @blafontaineymhs
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-lafontaine/
- Website: http://www.brianlafontaine.com
