VOICE ACTING
Does Your Personality Match Your Voice
Over Genre? Take This Psychological Audit

By Tom Dheere
Voice Actor & Business Strategist

When I started my voice over journey back in 1994, the industry looked completely different.

Back then, voice over was essentially a side hustle for on-camera and theater actors. We didn't have online casting sites. Entire genres that dominate today (Explainer videos, App narration, etc.) didn’t even exist. We were just actors looking to pay the rent between gigs.

Fast forward to today, and the landscape has shifted.

Now, I see a glut of Gen Y and Gen Z aspirants entering the market with a singular, laser-focused goal: They want to narrate video games and cartoons, specifically anime.

THE HARD TRUTH ...

It's totally cool to chase the genres we enjoy consuming as fans. You grow up watching Dragon Ball Z and think, "I want to do that!"

But here is the hard truth I’ve learned after decades in this business: Being a fan of a genre doesn’t mean you are built to work in it.

In fact, forcing yourself into a genre that conflicts with your psychological makeup is a one-way ticket to burnout. It is bad ROI. It is a waste of marketing dollars. And frankly, it’s exhausting.

So stop thinking about your dreams and start thinking about your brain.

Let's do a Psychological Audit to find the voice over genres that actually fit your psyche.

'FAN' TRAP VS. BUSINESS REALITY

I see this constantly in my coaching sessions. A student comes to me, desperate to break into animation. They love cartoons. They know every character and have been practicing their voices in the mirror since they were kids.

But when we look at their personality?

• They crave structure.
• They need financial security.
• They hate rejection. 

Animation voice over is bonkers. It is chaotic, low-paying, and has a rejection rate that would make a telemarketer cry.

This student is trying to force a square peg (them) into a round hole (anime) because they like the hole.

Most business owners have to separate hobbies from revenue streams. You can love watching anime while making a killing in eLearning because that is where your temperament thrives.

PSYCHOLOGICAL AUDIT: WHO ARE YOU?

Let’s look at the genre archetypes through the lens of psychology and habits.

1. The Sprinter (Commercials & Promo)

• The Vibe: Fast, high-pressure, and inconsistent.
• The Psyche: You have a short attention span and thick skin. You don’t mind doing 50 auditions to get one "yes." You are adaptable and can change direction on a dime when a director says, "Do it again, but... happier?"
• The Cautionary Tale: If you are a perfectionist who needs to analyze every script for 30 minutes, Commercials will crush you. You will overthink it, miss the deadline, and drive yourself crazy.

2. The Marathon Runner (Audiobooks)

• The Vibe: Solitary, endurance-based, and detail-oriented.
• The Psyche: You are an introvert’s introvert. You can sit in a padded box for 4-6 hours a day without human contact. You have the patience of a saint and the organizational skills of a librarian (because editing 10 hours of audio requires it).
• The Cautionary Tale: If you are an extrovert who needs constant feedback and variety, Audiobooks will feel like prison. I’ve seen talented actors quit Audiobooks not because they couldn’t read well, but because the isolation and what they perceive as monotony drove them mad.

3. The Teacher (e-Learning & Corporate)

• The Vibe: Educational, structured, and consistent.
• The Psyche: You are reliable. You like rules. You probably color-code your calendar. You find satisfaction in clarity and transferring knowledge. You don’t need to be the "star"; you are happy being the guide.
• The Cautionary Tale: If you crave the spotlight and emotional highs of acting, e-Learning might bore you to tears. And a bored voice actor sounds like a robot. (See my post "I Love eLearning Narration" for why this structure works for me).

YOUR PERSONALITY IS YOUR VO GENRE

When you align your business with your psyche, everything gets easier.

• Marketing feels less like lying and more like sharing.
• Workflow becomes smoother because you aren’t fighting your natural rhythm.
• Profit increases because you are more efficient.

Stop trying to be the voice actor you wish you were. Be the voice actor you are.

Look at your daily habits. Do you need variety or stability? Do you crave attention or solitude?

Answer those questions, and you will find your most profitable voice over genres.
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ABOUT TOM
Tom Dheere is the Voice Over Strategist, a voice over business and marketing consultant who helps voice actors of all experience levels navigate the voice over industry. As a New York-based voice actor with over 25 years of experience, Tom has narrated thousands of projects for hundreds of clients in over a dozen countries. His experience as a corporate trainer as well as a voice actor make him uniquely qualified to help both aspiring and veteran performers navigate the entertainment industry. Tom specializes in marketing and business consultations as well as performing diagnostics and monthly mentoring sessions.

Web: www.VoiceOverStrategist.com
Email: Tom@TomDheere.com

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