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Stephanie Southerland is a voice actor based in Los Angeles! She grew up loving stories in every form: Saturday morning/after school cartoons, playing video games, etc. Her mom enrolled her in dance at the ripe age of 2 years old where she learned that she loved dancing and especially the spotlight. She spent most of her childhood performing for anyone who would listen (or couldn’t escape). Her path to voiceover started on stage, where she fell in love with character work and the endless ways a voice can shape a story.
She earned her degree in Music Dance Theater, training as a singer, actor, and dancer before discovering that her favorite part of every role was the voice. It wasn’t until she was deciding whether to move to New York or LA that she figured out that she wanted to focus on voice work.
I can’t live without my vocal nebulizer. Since the voice can be affected by things like dehydration or heavy use, it’s been a game-changer for me in maintaining good vocal health. I love that it’s backed by research which shows that using a nebulizer with isotonic saline can actually reduce the pressure required from your vocal folds to create sound. Less pressure means less tension while singing, less swelling after long sessions, and faster recovery times. It’s become one of my most favorite things!
This year, I’ve found a lot of pride and fulfillment in things outside of work, which has been huge for a workaholic like me. I’ve learned to slow down and really enjoy my flower garden. It’s peaceful and helps me feel centered while connecting with nature. I also foster kittens, which has been incredibly rewarding. Watching tiny, helpless neonates grow into funny, independent little personalities and then finding them loving forever homes is so good for the heart.
Having these parts of my life outside of work has brought balance and, I think, has only made me a better actor.
Community is a rising tide that lifts all ships. It might sound trite, but I really believe that when we root for each other, we all succeed.
Separate your worth from your achievements. Your talent and success aren’t measured by the jobs you book. You can give your best performance in an audition and it still might not be the right fit, and that’s okay. Be patient. Some people find success quickly, for others, it takes time. You are exactly where you need to be, and the opportunities meant for you won’t pass you by.
This career is unpredictable, so keep taking classes, building your craft, and connecting with people. Community and friendships really are everything. Work hard, but also make sure you have joys outside of work, because they make everything else better.
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?