 | Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, the voice behind Jaguara in Wolf's Rain and Julia in Cowboy Bebop, answered some questions from us about her role as Major Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. | | | |
Active Anime: Hello Mary Elizabeth and thank you for taking some time off from your busy schedule to do this interview for Active Anime.com and for the fans of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: It’s my pleasure. Thanks for having me.
Active Anime: Ok let’s get started with the questions and answers. Having landed the role of Major Motoko Kusanagi, did you have to do any research for this role?
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: The first Ghost in the Shell movie has always been one of my favorites long before the series came along. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen, between the animation, the music, and the more adult themed style of storytelling. When I heard they were going to continue the story of Motoko and the gang from Section 9 I was thrilled. I got the call for the audition and was lucky enough to land the role of The Major. The only research I did was to watch the movie over and over to get a better idea of how she ticked and of the world she lived in.
Active Anime: Strong female roles like the major seem to be few and far between in anime. What did you think of playing her character?
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: There’s been a trend lately in live action films of presenting very strong women who can kick major butt, from Kill Bill to Charlie’s Angels. Anime has yet to catch up with its heroines. Now when it comes to villains, Anime has some of the strongest women out there. It’s much easier for me to play bad/evil and maintain a consistent level of strength. The good ones are more difficult. How do you keep someone like Motoko strong without coming off as a bitch, a common perception plaguing women in our society today? I love her strength and determination. She’s so confident that at times she has an almost casual way of expressing these traits, only using her sexuality when absolutely necessary. But when the butt kicking begins, look out! That’s always the most fun for me.
Active Anime: You have played some tough characters before, how would you compare the major's toughness overall from those characters?
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: I’ve been lucky to play a myriad of strong women mostly due to the timbre of my voice. From Julia in Cowboy Bebop to Jaguara in Wolf’s Rain to Hilda in Outlaw Star, I’ve had the honor of voicing some amazing women. Motoko is different in a number of ways. Where many of these women were rather short- lived, Motoko is the first leading role for me that span an entire series. She gets to develop her skills as a leader, mother figure, sexual object and yet technically, she’s not human. More like a machine with a human spirit and characteristics. This of course means that she can go at an enemy with almost a reckless abandon to her own wellbeing. If she breaks, she can just transfer her ghost to a new model. That’s quite a feeling of freedom and I think it comes across in her personality. That also makes her great fun to play.
Active Anime: The Major seems to be fairly stoic, but there are certainly a lot of action scenes throughout the series. Were there any scenes that were particularly difficult to perform?
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: The only episode that I not only found difficult to perform, but also to watch was “Jungle Cruise”. The whole concept/plot of this episode disturbed me greatly on a personal level and it was almost impossible for me to put aside my own feelings and keep Motoko unemotional about the situation. But, aside from that, I love performing the action sequences. Motoko finds herself in situations that I would never be in, so it’s fun to exercise my more aggressive side through her character. I think that’s one of the joys of acting, to act out something that you as a person would never do in real life.
Active Anime: I noticed that you have been cast as the voice of computers and machines before (Argentosoma, Lain, Metropolis). You seem to have a great voice for machines! Did playing roles like that influence how you voice the major?
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: Thanks! I think the idea of giving voice to a machine is fascinating! I’ll never forget the first time I heard Hal in 2001, or Mother in Alien. Here are these unemotional, gentle voices, which basically tell you that your doom is imminent. They’re there to deliver information, but as humans we look to them to give us comfort or compassion and they don’t care! Well, that’s not so true for Hal, but Mother’s countdown to the Nostromo’s destruction with Ripley screaming “Mother! I’ve turned the cooling units back on!” and Mother just ignores her and keeps going is one of the greatest moments in the film (at least in my humble opinion). From Star Trek to modern day laptops, giving a voice to a machine is Man’s way of humanizing its creation. Even though Motoko is essentially a machine, I never think of her as one. She shows too much emotion and intensity for that. I see her as a more along the lines of Bishop or Ash. Did I mention that Alien had a huge impact on me?
Active Anime: Due to a medical condition, the major received her first prosthetic body when she was six years old. If that technology were available to us today - including its cost, maintenance and the possibility of brain hacking - and the circumstances necessitated for you to transfer your brain to a cybernetic body, would you do it and why?
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: Wow… what a question! There’s something about flesh and physical sensation that I can’t imagine would ever be able to be duplicated. It’s something that keeps our humanity intact. The whole concept of disposable bodies might make us lose part of that humanity. We have a responsibility to our bodies, no matter how much we abuse them with various addictions, smoking for one, and if we don’t have to worry about that level of abuse, a sense of recklessness might become our most prominent trait. But back to your question, if I had to give up my body out of necessity, and the technology was there, I think I might give it a try. As long as it wasn’t as the expense of feeling or sensation.
Active Anime: Not only are you're playing the role of the major, you're the ADR director as well. How hard is it to do the voice over and work on other voice actors’ voice?
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: Actually, Kevin Seymour is the ADR director. I am the second director, but only when Kevin can’t be there, which is very, very rare. In fact, I haven’t second directed since the first volume. Kevin was the director for the movie and no one knows more about this world than he does. But I have directed a number of series where I also voiced some of the characters. At first I was a little embarrassed to direct the other actors while they played of my characters, but you get used to it after a while. Most of the time they just say “Uck, who it that, she’s awful!” and we have a good laugh. I just want to give them something juicy to play off of. If I’m not right for a role, I won’t do it.
Active Anime: Do the male voice actors in the show give you a hard time after the recoding since you're pretty much bossing them around on the show?
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: Not really. We’ve all had our turn at bossing each other around in different series. This just happens to be my turn.
Active Anime: I've seen this type of question asked on other interviews, and I think it has become a de facto question on all interviews, but I'll ask it anyway. Are there any similarity between you and the major?
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: Physically? Yeah, I wish! I’d like to think I’m as strong as she is, but I’m a Libra. It’s in our nature to change our minds, or at least, to see many sides to any given circumstance. I think Motoko has a very clear idea of what she wants in every situation. I’m also a very emotional and passionate person. I spent much of the final sessions of Wolf’s Rain and Bebop in tears, which I don’t recommend if you’re trying to direct.
Active Anime: What else would you like to see the major do if the show continues beyond its second season which is currently being aired in Japan?
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: I want to see her and Batou get it on! Just kidding. I’d like to see her struggle with her fleeting humanity a bit more. Maybe get more involved with the lives of her Section 9 members. But that would mean she’d have to be more human and that might go against her character.
Active Anime: Here is a general question, what do you like about being a voice actress?
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: I get paid to talk to the television and I can look like a slob while I do it. What more could you want? Seriously though, being a voice over actor is the most liberating kind of acting. I don’t have to worry if my hair’s the right color or if my thighs are too big. The only limitation I have is my voice and my ability to use it. I can play the strong heroine and the giant woman she rode in on all in the same scene. It’s getting paid to play. I’d do it for free if they asked. Wait, was that out loud?!
Active Anime: Do you have any particular warm-up routine that you do before recording sessions?
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: I sing in the shower, in the car, just about anywhere I can to get my chords warmed up. An amazing teacher named Patsy Rodenberg gave me a wonderful routine in grad school that involves humming, chewing, blowing the lips, and stretching. I also try to stay away from coffee and milk before a session. They add to mouth noises which the engineers have to clean, using up precious studio time.
Active Anime: I know that you’ve been in the business for a while now, but who are your favorite characters that you’ve portrayed up to now?
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn:
I was madly in love with Spike so I lobbied hard to play Julia in Bebop. I think Jaguara in Wolf’s Rain was my favorite villain. That woman was pure evil. There’s something about playing a “smiling villain” that appeals to me. They show no remorse and they love what they do. Clear thinking, ala Hannibal Lecter, is a thing of beauty. Not that I recommend that as a character trait, but is sure is fun to play! To be honest, I think I’m more comfortable in the director’s chair than behind the microphone. The process of putting the pieces together while trying to tell a story is a wonderful and fulfilling challenge.
Active Anime: As for the final question, another standard question it seems, but do you have any tips for those who are interested in becoming voice actors?
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: Listen to what’s out there. Practice using your voice in as many different ways as you can. Get a good demo together that shows your range. That’s the first step. After that, you just need to be determined in finding an agent or getting your demo heard by the people who can get you into auditions. The voice over business is a tough nut to crack, but once you get your foot in the door you’ll find there’s room for everyone who wants to be there. Be persistent and don’t give up. But first get that demo made!
Active Anime: Is there anything you want to say to anime fans out there, especially to the Ghost in the Shell: SAC fans?
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: Thank you, thank you, thank you! Because of you, the world of anime continues to broaden its base. By word of mouth or by ratings, you’re the ones bringing anime to America. You push the creators to come up with new and better shows that stretch the limits of our imagination. You demand better dubs and I think the dubbing community is responding with more complex scripts, character development and performances that truly do justice to the original versions. Basically, you’ve put us on the map and I can’t thank you enough for your support. Keep watching, keep criticizing, keep doing what you’re doing, because it’s working! As for the GITS:SAC fans, thanks for buying the DVDs and spreading the news of our debut on Cartoon Network this November 6. I only hope we can make you proud.
Active Anime: Mary Elizabeth, once again thank you for taking the time, and I really love your work. We hope to hear your voice on more animes, and good luck on to you on your upcoming projects.
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: No, no, thank you! It was my pleasure to answer your questions. I’m as big a fan of anime as many of your readers, so it’s a joy to talk about something I’m so honored to be doing for a living. Big thanks to ZRO Limit and Animaze for getting me started in this crazy business and to Bandai for letting me work on such amazing shows.
Active Anime.com would like to thank Bandai Entertainment and the party at Manga Entertainment for making this interview possible. It is a pleasure working with all of you - Thank you.
About Mary Elizabeth McGlynn: A veteran voice actor and a voice director (ADR), is a also an actress and songwriter. She narrated the documentary Biography of a Corpse in 2002, and has appeared in such shows like Star Trek: Voyager, Quantum Leap, and Silk Stalkings.
Visit the official: "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" website at: http://www.ghostintheshell.tv/
Images from Manga Entertainment and Bandai Entertainment
Headshot photo courtesy of Ms. Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.6
AkoComment © Copyright 2004 by Arthur Konze - www.mamboportal.com
All right reserved
|
