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Ali Cheff is a Voice Actor, humanitarian clown, explorer, actor & bike polo player. They came to voice over through the on-camera & stage world, but have always been a performer, whether that means performing in family and friends’ living rooms, barrios in the Amazon, the underground of DC, and, of course, inside the booth.
After being inspired by their mother’s efforts in creating healthy-living animation videos, Ali knew anything and everything was possible. Ali got their start recording audiobooks in a yurt– and having to navigate around all the animal sounds– and now has recorded in studios all over the country.
Ali’s current goals include continuing to level up their acting abilities and engaging more in the community.
“Play.” I know that isn’t a physical thing but it is essential. Play requires you to be curious, to play in the depths of darkness, and to explore humanity and the world. “Play” also means being a little shameless because it shows you’re willing to give a hand to someone in need while also willing to pull from the depths of your soul.
I also love Tea and recommend Gyokuro or Tung Ting tea.
I’m really excited about some of the opportunities I’ve had recently (NDAs, so I can’t talk about them) as well as my journey in becoming more vulnerable. I’m also very excited to add Appalachian dialects to my repertoire.
Reminding myself to be specific and know what each line is telling the audience or what the other character/listener needs to do specifically. THNEA is full of people who love this world of actors and acting. I’ve even taken a couple of classes twice and still learned a lot each time. They’re not only committed to sharing knowledge but to being human. It is such a reigniting environment. The community is awesome and keeps me going, keeps me curious, and keeps me giving what I can in return.
The are no rules, be shameless, curious, and play! Love is at the core of every hero & villain, you are enough. Live it!
13 08 26Rest is hard to come by as a creative person. Experts will often tell you to embrace “just being,” but personally, when I try that, a little voice tends to pipe in my head and let me know that I’m falling behind, not doing enough, and then I end up retroactively putting together an in-depth game plan to tackle for when I’m done pretending to “just be.”
09 07 26...networking isn't just about meeting people. It’s about building genuine professional relationships. The challenge is that authenticity has its own etiquette. Industry professionals can usually tell the difference between curiosity and strategy, and the strongest networking happens when the two naturally overlap.
11 04 26I’m curious, if you’re an actor, singer, engineer, composer, dancer, animator — or like, pursue anything in the arts, can you recall a note you’ve received in the past, or a special nugget of wisdom from a mentor that you can say has genuinely helped shape your craft for the better? A note that’s inspired you to strive to be the best artist you can be? On the flip side…have you received a note that felt like a personal attack or perhaps has made you question your worth as an artist?