Meet Stéphane Cornicard, a seasoned voice actor with nearly 40 years of experience. In our interview, he reflects on his journey, from voicing iconic characters to tackling diverse projects like Plague Tale. Stéphane shares his process for auditions, insights into character development, and offers valuable advice for aspiring voice actors. Discover what drives his passion and keeps his performances fresh after decades in the industry.
How did you get started as a voice actor?
I did not really decide. I trained as an actor from the age of 14, and at 16, I was given my first job as a voice talent—reading an extract of a novel by Nathalie Sarraute for a literary magazine, which came with a cassette tape?! Yep. I then did a few voice jobs whilst acting for the stage and screen. For instance, I got to dub myself into French in Saving Private Ryan, but I really jumped into voice acting when I became the On-Air Voice of Cartoon Network, which I did for 10 years, then Turner Classic Movies. I liked the anonymity of the job, the fact that I did not spend hours in costume and make-up, or in the green room waiting for hours. I also loved that I was not restricted by my looks—I could be anyone and anything.
How do you handle the pressure of auditions?
Auditions are really part of the job, and you have to forget about them as soon as they’re out. Don’t dwell on what could have been, don’t wait for the reply, just get on with the next audition. I think the hardest is when you get pencils or callbacks because by then, you know you are in with a chance, and it’s harder to pretend it doesn’t matter to you. You do want it. I always try to make my auditions stand out by giving what I think they expect—and that little bit more. It helps that I work a lot in casting and directing: I know how the industry works.
Always give two contrasting takes. Name the file correctly. Read the brief with a pen and paper in hand. And if you get one audition out of ten, you’re doing better than most…
How do you create a unique voice for cartoon characters?
I think that is, in a way, the wrong question. You don’t create a voice for a cartoon character, really. You find it. You coax it out gently… In my experience, the voice will come slowly, naturally, from your observation of the graphics, from the storyline, from the script, from the physicality of the character, their facial expression in the graphics, and from the directions. The voice will assert itself slowly and feel right for the character you are creating. If you are lucky enough to work on a creation—i.e. not the localisation of an existing character in another language—then the creative team will also guide you in this process.
When I direct for characters, the first 15-20 minutes of a session are focused on this process—on finding the personality of the character, and the voice is part of that whole, as is the speech rhythm and prosody, the semantic fields they use, the facial expressions they have, their posture, their dreams, and their fears…
What types of projects do you enjoy the most?
I love character work, but all in all, I work across all genres, and that is what I like: I never do the same thing. Yesterday, for instance, I voiced promos for the BBC in the morning, then had a Session Link Pro remote recording on an advert for Ascot, then went to 2020 Studios to direct the last remaining actor on a video game. And the next three days will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on an audiobook (The Inuit, amazing book by the way). If variety is the spice of life, then this is what I love about my job. I also feel the genres feed each other and make me better at what I do.
Tell us about one of your favorite roles.
I think Benevent Vitalis in Plague Tale was one of my favourite video game characters. He is an older man, head of the Inquisition, who believes himself to be above the law because he serves a “higher purpose”. He is also the final Big Boss of the game, and evil characters are always fun. But what made him most interesting to perform is that, in his quest for a longer life, he absorbs another entity, which slowly consumes him from the inside. So, in this one character, there was a trajectory—from frail but vindictive self-righteousness to a much deeper, more powerfully evil presence. A truly multi-layered character.
What advice would you give to aspiring voice actors?
I have done this job for nearly 40 years and won many international awards—from SOVAS Outstanding Body of Work (twice) to Voice of the Year for One Voice (also twice)—and I still take classes, I still have a mentor, I still go to workshops, I still grow… I would recommend being part of Gravy for the Brain, going to all the conferences you can attend—VO Atlanta, MAVO, That’s Voiceover, One Voice, VOX… Take acting classes at least once a year, and work with reputable coaches who want you to grow away from them more than they want your money. Hone your accents, your business skills, your social media skills… This will keep you hungry for work and always striving to get better at your job.