Talking to Josh Keaton

I recently had the opportunity to talk to the voice of both Peter Parker and Spider-Man on the popular animated Disney TV series The Spectacular Spider-Man. His name is Josh Keaton and he is not only an amazing voice over actor, but you have seen him act on a number of shows including Bones, ER, and Boston Public. I learned a lot about not only his TV career, but his music career...and he even told me what his experience was like being part of Newsies.



When and how did you get into voice-over work?
Voice over work grew out of my on camera career. It wasn't until after Hercules that I was approached by a voice over agent. Out of that, many more opportunities came about.

What’s the auditioning process like for voice-over work as opposed to being on screen/stage?
Usually with on camera work, you get more time to look over the material and prepare. With voice over, it is usually a cold read and then you go in. There are some instances where you will be given a script ahead of time though.

Do you have a favorite voice that you have portrayed over the years?
I like doing a lot of different voices but I do use a variation of my own voice a lot. It is also fun to do roles that are a totally different character that doesn't sound anything like me.

Is it harder to create relationships with actors that you work with when you have voice over work as opposed to on screen or on stage work?
I wouldn't say that it is harder. Voice over in general is a pretty small industry. A lot of talent is used over and over. In a way I end up having more friends here than in other industries since I see them so much.

How can you relate to your current character of Peter Parker/Spider-Man?
I pretty much was Peter Parker when I was younger. Growing up in high school, I was a complete dork. I still am. But I was not popular but at the same time, I was a child actor and I had a whole other group of friends in the entertainment industry. So it was kind of like a dual life that Spiderman has. I had a lot of the same parallels growing up so I can definitely relate.

What was it like being part of Hercules?
It was a fantastic experience! It was a long process. I went in for one audition and I didn't hear anything for 6 months. I had forgotten about the project by the time I was called back. The audition process alone was close to one year. I was able to do a few scenes with Rip Torn. It is always more fun when you have actors in the studio. I didn't have a personal trainer but I did have a personal animator. For all of the recording sessions I had, there was a camera capturing my upper body so that they could use my gestures and facial expressions.

What is the process like for voice over work when dealing with video games?
With video games it is usually the work where you get the least amount of preparation. You are in the studio yourself and you don't get any of the material ahead of time, you are just there doing stuff. As a gamer, I tend to know a lot of the genres and I am familiar with what to do. When you play enough games, you kind of know what they want. Video games are becoming more and more like animated shows in that there is so much more storyline being brought into video games and there is more focus on the vocal production. I can't tell you how many times when I was growing up when I would play a game and hate when it got to the cut scene. Today, you see much better handling of this so that is fantastic.

How many times have you been to San Diego Comic Con whether as a fan or to promote your work?
My first time going to Comic Con was to promote The Spectacular Spider-Man before it premiered and when I went I could not believe that I hadn't been there before! I have been there 3 times and Wonder Con twice. Nothing has been finalized but I probably will be going this year.

What do you remember about being in the film Newsies?
Newsies was a lot of fun. I was in Junior High and pretty much gone the entire time! It was about 6 months of rehearsal and 6 months of shooting. I really miss movies like this. Kenny Ortega was ahead of his time then and now he has had so much success with High School Musical. It was a shame that so much of the film got cut out to make it shorter. I do remember that everything was bigger than life and it was a really fantastic experience.

You have appeared on many hit shows including Touched by an Angel, Step by Step, Sister, Sister, Will and Grace, and Boy Meets World so what has been your favorite show to work on?
I would say Will and Grace. Everybody was so nice, so fantastic on set. Everyone was so welcoming. The actors went out of their way to make me feel at home. The writers, producers, director, everyone was great.

You are also talented musically, so can we expect to see you release an album and is Broadway in your future?
It has been a long process. The music industry is interesting. Recently, I have been working a lot with my brother in law writing and producing. When I was involved in RCA, I was not involved in the process so I am glad that things happened the way that they did because now on my own, I am more hands on with writing and producing. Right now though I am writing and producing songs for other artists. Also, I wouldn't rule out Broadway. If the right project came along, I would not hesitate.

Season 2 of The Spectacular Spider-Man premieres on Disney XD Monday June 22, 2009 at 7:30PM EST.