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Interview with Tara Strong: The Voice of Rikku
04.28.02 Dh
Our Producer and News Editor, Rinoa, sets up yet another exclusive interview with one of the cast of Final Fantasy X. Dh and Tara Strong discuss the character Rikku, how she was brought to life, and one of the secrets of the Al Bhed language.
Dh:
"Tara, how did you get into voice acting?"
Tara Strong:
"I started acting professionally when I was 13 and I'd always done silly voices and my agent at the time thought I could do cartoons. So, she set me up for Hello Kitty and I booked the title role and that's how it all got started."
Dh:
"Have you done anything outside of voice acting? Any film or theater?"
Tara Strong:
"Ah yes, I've done lots of TV and film roles. I had a sitcom in Canada for a year. I've done theater. I sing also, I've had some singing gigs. And I play a role on Sabrina, The Teenage Witch named Gwen who never gets any spells right. So, I like to diversify and have a lot of fun."
Dh:
"How did you get the role of Rikku in Final Fantasy X?"
Tara Strong:
"I worked for the director, Jack Fletcher, several times before. He auditioned me and I, luckily, booked the part."
Dh:
"Were you aware of the huge franchise of Final Fantasy and how big this project would be?"
Tara Strong:
"Not really. Generally, you really don’t know how big a project is going to be unless it’s something you’ve heard of previously, like it’s a Disney feature or a series that exists already. So, I didn’t know there was such a big fan base for Final Fantasy. It turned out to be a nice little thing."
Dh:
"What background information or materials were you given about Rikku before you actually started putting your voice to the character?"
Tara Strong:
"I got to see some of the original recordings in its native tongue. I received a description of the character from Jack Fletcher, from some of the writers, and you know, basically before any job, the creators give you overall descriptions of the characters and you take it from there."
Dh:
"Was it easy to fit her personality?"
Tara Strong:
"Yeah, I mean, she’s pretty straightforward and I just followed the script."
Dh:
"What was the most challenging aspect of doing the voice acting for Rikku?"
Tara Strong:
"I guess the most challenging thing about voicing any foreign dubbing project is making the character look real and acting in the moment while still making sure the mouth flaps match you speaking in a different language."
Dh:
"Did any of your past voice acting roles, characters you’ve done before, sort of help you make this character?"
Tara Strong:
"Well, all of my past experience in animation as well as dubbing has helped me do any of the projects that I work on."
Dh:
"Is there a favorite scene or favorite moment or line that you have while you were doing the voice acting for Rikku?"
Tara Strong:
"[laughs] I have no idea. [laughs] There is just too much stuff to remember."
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