Rob Paulsen – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) The biggest one currently is “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turltes” on Nickelodeon. Interestingly, I was Raphael in the original “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and now it is back and arguably bigger than it has ever been on Nickelodeon. And this time I get to be Donatello, with a 25 year gap, which is a lot of fun. I’m also working on stuff for Netflix on behalf of Dreamworks. Dreamworks is doing twelve new shows specifically for Netflix from “VeggieTales” to “Puss In Boots.” There is all sorts of fun stuff and I’m keeping busy.

Q) How did you originally become voiceover actor?

A) I, like most people who do what I do, came to Los Angeles many years ago. I came from Michigan to do live action and I did. I did TV and movies. I was a sort of obviously non-celebrity talent. It doesn’t take long to realize there are a million average looking white guys in LA. Fortunately, I had a background in music before doing stage and TV. It gave me a pretty good ear and I’ve always been good at dialects and singing in character. So, when I auditioned for cartoons in the mid-80’s I booked it and started getting roles in “Transformers “and “G.I. Joe.” When I started booking those jobs and getting hired to do nothing with how I looked, I thought, “This is pretty great.” Probably about twenty-odd years ago I committed to just doing voice work because that is what I was getting good at and was getting hired every day. It was a good decision. It was not what I came out here to do. I came out here to be an actor and a singer and I am, only I just use my voice. It’s pretty fun.

Q) How did it make you feel recently being asked to voice Donatello after doing Raphael for so long?

A) It made me feel great that they would even consider bringing me back. I was almost a victim of my own ageism. I do a lot of work at Nickelodeon like “Jimmy Neutron” and “Fairly Odd Parents.” I’ve been working there forever. So, my agent called and said, “Viacom now owns Nickelodeon and they bought the rights to ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.’ They’ve decided to do their own version.” She said, “They’d love to have you come in and read.” I asked, “Do they know who I am?” I asked not out of arrogance, but to make sure they knew I was there the first round many, many years ago when it was just a clean sheet of paper. I didn’t want them to go, “That’s right. This old guy is one of the turtles and we want to put our own stamp on it.” I totally understood that, but she called write back and said, “They love Pinky!  They love ‘Animaniacs.’ They love The Mask. The love ‘The Tick.’ They love all the things you’ve done and know you were Raphael. The people making the show grew up listening to you and they actively sought you out to see if you wanted to do ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,’ but now they want you to read for Donatello if you don’t mind.” I said, “Mind? I’m glad to be working and thrilled that they would even be interested in me.” After a series of callbacks, I got the job and that was really great.

Q) Did that alter how you approached the character at all?

A) In terms of the way that I approach the character, I don’t approach it any different than I do any other character. You look for signature sounds and signature attitudes that sort of convey the particular aspects of the character. Raphael is kind of a smart ass, loud and abrasive. Donatello is the smart guy, the inventor and the gadget guy. He’s a little bit nerdy, but still likes to pitch-in when he can. So, I approach it like any character and I take into consideration what the producers ask for and what they want. We experiment until we come up with what works. The writers start to get an idea for how the character sounds and they start to write the scripts to fit the character’s profile and off we go.

Q) What is your favorite character that you have voiced?

A) I’d say probably the next one because that means I’m working. Any actor, I don’t care who they are – whether it is Meryl Streep or me –  we are all grateful to be working at any level. We all sort of figure that when something ends that it is it. So, it’s comforting for me to know that the big stars feel the same way as I do. We all think we’re never going to work again. In terms of what I’ve done, and it sounds like a very coy answer, but like people say about their children it is difficult to pick their favorite one. I suppose if I had to do one for the rest of my life, I would probably choose Pinky. I love “Pinky and The Brain.” It’s a great show and it holds up beautifully, as does “Animaniacs.” Both of those shows were really important in my career, but I think they are very important shows in terms of the culture because they hold up beautifully. Because of Stephen Spielberg and Tom Ruegger, the guys who created the shows, they got that it was smart to write on two different levels like “Looney Tunes” and “Rocky and Bullwinkle.” Those are shows that are fifty to sixty years old and people still enjoy them. The same can be said for “Pinky and The Brain” and “Animanics.” They hold up beautifully. On “Pinky,” I got to work with Maurice LaMarche who is the voice of The Brain and that’s a pretty amazing experience any time we get to work together. And I won an Emmy for Pinky so that was a really big deal.

Q) How did it make you feel to win an Emmy for a character that you cherish so much?

A) It’s a phenomenal feeling! It’s one of those things where you stand in front of a mirror as a kid holding a hairbrush and saying, “I’d like to thank the Academy…” So, it wasn’t lost on me when I was able to win that award. It was on primetime TV with network coverage and I got to stand up on stage and thank Steven Spielberg. That is a pretty remarkable thing for me, a guy from Flint, Michigan. There really is no way to say it other than it is a remarkably cool feeling. I’m very grateful and humbled that people pay attention to what I do. So, to be recognized by your peers and get the cool statue was very nice.

Q) What would you like to be sure we share with fans about your work?

A) My podcast is Talkin’ Tunes and it is available on iTunes or my website robpaulsenlive.com. We do them once a month live at the Improv in Hollywood, California. The next one we are doing is December 8th, a Tuesday night, and it benefits Toys For Tots. Folks can come and bring an unwrapped toy. We’ll be screening a really great episode of  “Pinky and The Brain” called Pinky and The Brain Christmas, which was a stand alone episode that won an Emmy. Maurice and I will be hosting the screening at the Improv. So, if folks want to come at 8pm to the Improv on Melrose and Hollywood they can watch an episode of “Pinky And The Brain: with Pinky and the Brain. We’ll sign stuff and they can bring toys. Also, my Twitter handle is @yakkopinky.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I would like to say,  “Gosh! Thank you very much! Narf!” I am beyond humbled that people continue to watch and listen. I travel around the world a lot now doing personal appearances and conventions and I’m telling you it is so thrilling and heartwarming to meet people all over the place who have been touched in one way or another by some of the characters I’ve had the good fortune to work on. It is not lost on me how fortunate I am to be in this position, especially after forty years of doing it. To know that the work I’ve gotten a chance to do has impacted people on a level that I really never understood until I’ve been able to meet them is a pure expression of appreciation. It has nothing to do with ratings, money or action figures. To me, I really enjoy this work. And it’s not just me, it’s all of us. On behalf of all of us that do this, it’s a fairly anonymous profession, but once people find out you are Yakko, Pinky, Carl Wheezer, Raphael and Donatello it is something you can’t put a price on. It’s a truly lovely thing.