Actress family is totally active in voice acting, and in addition to Fernanda herself, both mother and sister are successful in art
Who has never had that character who marked his childhood or those favorite movies in his lists? That character who ends up carrying the movie on the back of so catchy, that blockbuster that everyone likes. Many of these brands are really the result of each other’s personalities combines the good narratives they are inserted. Among the elements that were this personality, we have the main – the voices. Through these sounds, it is possible to transmit from feelings, pass messages, among various issues that make that production so loved.
What many who watch, and who, although they are gaining more and more recognition for their work, are the professionals who are behind these voices we love so much! One of these professionals is Fernanda Baronne, who since mid -1987 has marked generations with her productions.
Daughter of Marlene Costa and sister of Flávia Sady, both also voice actors, her voice is present in characters such as Michelle Baldwin (“CSI: Miami”), Mary Dannunzio (“X-Men” franchise), Tiffany Wilson (“The Branquelas”) , Trudy Bolt (“Titanic”), as well as covering characters from great actresses such as Scarlett Johansson, Rachel McAdams, Jennifer Garner, Eva Green, Anna Paquin, Maggie Gyllebgaal, Marilyn Monroe, Charlize Theron, and Malia Tate in the successful series Tate “Teen Wolf”.
In the world of animations, Fernanda’s curriculum is also surprised, and in her list of characters, there are already Angel (“Lady and Tramp 2”), Cinderella (in both sequels), Peach (“Finding Nemo”), Vanessa Bloome (“Bee Movie: The story of a bee”), Mavis (“Hotel Transilvânia”), and one of her biggest highlights, the character Velma in various productions of the “Scooby-Doo” franchise. Check out the interview!
Fernanda, you are now considered one of the great voice actors we have on the market and has already performed so many dubbing of children’s productions as adults. Would you like to start asking with character profile with the hardest to work with and which work does you think has been the most challenging to this day?
I think the most dense and talking characters are the most difficult. After all, we actors in voice acting only have the voice even to express everything the character is going through. Being able to have the depth needed for certain times, it is not always a clear thing. Even more so if we think that most of the time actors have months, sometimes until years, preparation for certain roles. Considering all this, the most challenging work I have done to this day was the movie Hillary and Jackie, which tells the story of cellist Jacqueline Dupré, who was very early on multiple sclerosis. Emily Watson’s work in this movie is exquisite, and dubbed her was a big challenge.
During your career, you were known to be the voice of several actresses here in Brazil, such as Scarlett Johansson, Anna Paquin, Jennifer Garner, Emily Blunt and Eva Green. In these cases, especially when it comes to movies, it becomes more difficult to adopt a voice pattern since it dubs the same actress in different productions? How do you need to be the synchrony between the actor’s performance and the voice style?
The voice pattern, in fact, will depend on each actress’s performance in each work. I don’t see it as a difficulty, but as one of the most interesting things in the profession. We follow certain actresses for many years, sometimes, during their entire career, and it is curious because we begin to know the method of acting of each, which creates greater “intimacy” with work and a greater naturalness ” in my opinion. A harmony between the actor’s performance and voice style is more than necessary to have a good result; I would say it’s paramount. Therefore, it is very important that the voice actor is completely delivered and with all his senses ready to apprehend that performance. Do we give our face? Of course, it is a version is the vision we have of that work, but it is very important to be humble and always remember that that version is in the service of a work that has already been done and must be respected is represented.
In addition to you, your family also carries a great tradition for voice acting, so much so that your sisters Marlene Costa and Flávia Saddy are also pursuing a career. How does family support happen and how and share this art with them?
Yes (laughs), we are a family of voice actors and I find it beautiful! Our mother, Marlene Costa, has always been our great example and an incentive when she realized that we really wanted to pursue a career. She is a great director of voice acting, very demanding, and I assure you that with the daughters is even more! This has made us and make us want to always devote to every role we do. And, of course, the voice acting turns out to be a recurring subject in family meetings, there’s no way.
Especially these days, where it has already become common to see the presence of Star Talents, we observed the campaign to value the good voice acting. What is your opinion about the appreciation of the work of voice actors in Brazil?
I particularly do not see with such bad eyes the presence of Star Talents. This is something that began many years ago and is perfectly understandable in marketing for distributors. The problem begins when the chosen Star Talent does not get a good result at work and then, in my opinion, some products are really damaged. With awareness of choosing and choosing an actor who has the ability to match the needs of the role, it works very well. Now, of course, as a voice actor, I am super in favor of valuing the work of these professionals. And, as a director of voice acting, I always try to climb the productions thinking about the final quality of the work.
Regarding your academic passages, you have theatrical training at the Martins Pena, Tablado Theater School and the Laura Alvim House of Culture. I would like to ask a little more about how your first contacts happened with the theater and what led you to bet on voice acting?
In fact, it was the opposite! I started to voice when I was 10 years old. Theater has always been a passion since I was a child, and if there was something I was sure that I wanted to pursue an actress career. Thus things happened naturally, and one formation was succeeding the other. Since my first contact with theater was at the Laura Alvim House of Culture, with Suzana Kruger and Daniel Herz.
For a period, you joined the cast of the award-winning Black Company in Branco, which was dedicated to children and youth. What was it like to work with this audience and especially, do you miss being on stage?
It was wonderful to work with children! It’s the most delivered and sincere audience! I miss being on stage, but life in voice acting is super run and we end up with the schedule very committed which often makes you impossible to participate in an assembly process, for example. But for sure, one day I will return to the stage.
In his resume it states that the first work that dubbed was the 1991 soap opera “Carousel”, aired by SBT, where he gave voice to the character Valeria. Do you have memories the first time you entered a voice acting studio?
My first job was a speech in a Burt Reynolds movie, of which I obviously don’t remember the name (laughs), where I said “good night, daddy.” I remember this day perfectly at Herbert Richers in studio C. It was a great emotion. Already Valeria, “Carousel”, was my first big role.
Despite having many more recent productions, you were responsible for giving voice to one of the most prominent characters from Disney Studios, which was Cinderella in the two sequels of the classic that were released directly to home video. How was the experience of lending the voice to a character who was so marked since his first appearance in 1951?
Wow, as Cinderella would say, it was like a dream come true! Cinderella was my favorite princess when I was little. When I took the test, I twisted a lot to win; I was competing with other wonderful actresses. When I received the news that I won, it was undoubtedly one of the happiest days of my life. My Cinderella pays tribute to Cinderella that I heard my childhood all in the voice of the great Simone de Moraes. She was undoubtedly my reference to the character.
Another animated movie that was also known to the public was the trilogy of “The Transylvania Hotel”, where he played the role of Mavis and voiced alongside Alexandre Moreno. How was your exchange during this movie?
Unfortunately, since the 2000s, no one else dubs together. This is due to a technical question: For higher sound quality, each voice actor is necessary to record its part separately. But we can hear what is already recorded and I heard the brunette yes, so I can create this complicity of father and daughter. It is a trilogy I love and a character that brought me many joys. 🙂
In 2006, you won the Yamato Award for the dubbing of the character Kim in Disney’s drawing Kim Possible, and in 2011 wins in the best supporting voice actor for Irene’s voice acting in the movie Sherlock Holmes. What was meaning these two characters brought on their walk?
Kim Possible is one of my favorite characters: I dubbed her for many years and always identified myself a lot, even physically. It’s a character that delights children of different ages, I’m in love with her. Sherlock Holmes’s Irene was a very rewarding job. I really like to voice the actress Rachel McAdams, although I’m not the only one that dub. There are several talented colleagues in Rio and São Paulo who also lend her voice to her. Irene is a captivating character, especially because she is not a classic girl. I loved making this movie.
What many people may not know is that besides following the voice acting, you also graduated in journalism at college. What led you to decide training through this area of media?
In fact, I didn’t get to graduate in Brazil. I attended much of college, Eco, at UFRJ, but I abandoned before the conclusion to dedicate myself to theater studies at Martins Pena. I always became interested in communication and always loved writing. In fact, in 2015, I graduated from French literature at Sorbonne and in 2019, a master’s degree in social statement there too.
I think we are too multiple to be just “one thing.” I think the talents are varied and should be explored. I do not work with literature or social communication, but undoubtedly this experience enriches me and helps me in several other areas, including in voice acting.
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