Meet Avery Smithhart | Voice Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Avery Smithhart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Avery, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
There’s a poem by one of my favorite poets, Louise Gluck, called Snowdrops and the end line says

“… afraid, yes, but among you again

crying yes risk joy.

in the raw wind of the new world.”

Life is full of incalculable risks, nothing is guaranteed. I’ve since decided to risk joy and acknowledge that I don’t know what I don’t know. The pain and pleasure of my progress is not diminished by stumbling or uncertainty. In fact, it’s all the stronger for it. I often reflect on the unbridled joy of Icarus. His flying high and frenzied towards the invigorating sun after years in captivity. I love the freedom and fear associated with achieving your dreams. Striving, hoping, hurting and aching towards the thing you love most. As human beings it’s important we accept the risk of “trying.”

I purchased my first USB mic for less than $65 in a Guitar Center Parking lot from a guy I went to kindergarten with. My first mic stand was two red solo cups I stacked on top of one other, flipped upside down with the bottoms cut out and the neck of a hanger wedged in to hold my mic upright. My first pop filter was an embroidery hoop and panty hose wrapped over it. I had no idea what sound proofing or mic proximity was.

That time in my life makes me smile. My therapist often talks about the “power of yet.” The power of yet means that because something hasn’t happened *yet* doesn’t mean it never will. My first major success came when I played Cindy Klik and the A.I. in Above & Below, winner of the BBC’s Best Online Only Audio Drama category in 2013. I recorded my lines in my mom’s closet. I happy-danced all over the house when I got the news we’d won.

It’s wild to think I’m here in LA nearly 15 years later after I first decided to pursue acting with a studio quality home recording setup providing voice over for some of my favorite franchises like Final Fantasy. I voice Alaya Rundall in War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. Look at me now, Ma!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I pursued a creative career because nothing else made sense. I tried, very hard, to achieve the life that would make my parents happiest. I had a traditional life lined up for me. I worked several 9-5s, finished college with high marks and a Bachelors of Science, but still I wasn’t satisfied. Joy for me is telling a story– stepping up to the mic and inhabiting a space foreign and exciting and full of possibility. As children we played without recourse or direction we simple *were*.

After taking several classes with esteemed and overwhelmingly talented actor Richard Horvitz, I’ve re-honed my approach to acting. Richard works one on one with actors to get them out of their heads and back into a playful and childlike place. Horvitz states, “There is no right or wrong, good or bad. There is only healthy and unhealthy.” This singular phrase has freed me from tremendous guilt and perfectionism.

Growing up I was convinced everyone around me simply “knew.” Knew how to sit, dress, and think. Knew how to carry themselves and conduct normal conversation. Knew what they wanted and where they were going. I worried that something about me was different and felt alienated in many ways. After 29 years of searching, I’m pleased to report no one knows. No one knows anything with certainty and I find peace in that.

I remember when I first learned that there were real live human beings behind the voices of my favorite characters; I took to Youtube and devoured every behind the scenes video and convention panel Q&A I could find about the process of voice over. One actor in particular, Crispin Freeman, recommended a website (now defunct sadly) where aspiring voice actors could collaborate with other actors, writers, and independent creators.This website helped me get my feet wet and familiarize myself with my own creative process. I participated in a host of independent projects and met many wonderful creatives.

The most important factor behind my success is being present in my body– in my situation. Sitting with any discomfort and examining my motivations. I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It’s very easy to find myself catastrophizing the unknown. In fact, sometimes it feels like I have a superpower when it comes to worrying. However I cannot allow fear to control my future. I want to experience life, to be a part of others’ lives and to live fully in the now. Anxiety convinces us that we can control the uncontrollable. I let go of my need to control all outcomes and all experiences. The gentlest comfort comes from the knowledge that there are those who will love you regardless and those committed to misunderstanding you. Appreciate the former and let go of the latter. It’s okay if not everyone approves of you. You don’t have to make yourself more palatable to others.

This mentality allows me to take greater risks with voice over and the characters I create. Beforehand, I convinced myself the “safe” choice was the best one because it yielded consistent results. “Oh, I’ve been cast as the serious mature character several times now. I guess it makes sense to only go for those archetypes because hey at least I’ll get paid for it.” I kept myself trapped in the box of perfectionism because I didn’t want to “mess up.” Mess up meaning going for a part outside of my comfort zone and punishing myself if I don’t book it.

Acting is about creation, experimentation and imagination. The only aspect I can control in a scene is myself. When auditioning, show up, offer your take on the character then walk away. The rest is up to a myriad of factors outside of your control and that’s okay.

Lessons I’ve learned along the way: Empathy without boundaries is self-destruction. The older I get the less of myself I freely give away to others. When I was younger I wanted so badly to be seen and perceived and would often do whatever it took to achieve that. It’s a delicate dance, a delicate balance. Saying “no” to situations and persons that leave you feeling drained or unsafe is valid and necessary for your preservation.

Also, there are two quotes that serve as excellent reminders when the world starts to go wobbly.

Welcome to Night Vale

This quote comes from episode 75, “We will never be the same again. But here’s a little secret for you: no one is ever the same thing again after anything. You are never the same twice, and much of your unhappiness comes from trying to pretend that you are. Accept that you are different each day, and do so joyfully, recognizing it for the gift it is. Work within the desires and goals of the person you are currently, until you aren’t that person anymore, and everything changes once again.”

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver Excerpt
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
—–
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

They speak to me in different ways but the prevailing theme is radical acceptance of self. Acceptance that who you are in this very moment is enough, will always be enough and when the world changes and you change with it that that too is okay. There is enough room at the table, we all have our place in the family of things. Operate within who you are now. I find peace knowing that I don’t have to have every step for the rest of my life mapped out. I don’t have to scrutinize every decision within the context of forever–only now.

My previous approach towards learning of any kind was, “How embarrassing I haven’t mastered this new thing, everyone will know I’m an imposter!” Instead now I say, “The ability to explore and create new and exciting characters is a gift and not a test where there is a right or wrong answer.” Just recently I hopped into a session where I knew absolutely nothing about the characters or property and had to voice 3 different characters in the same scene! I’m very thankful to the director I was working with who gave me the space to play and figure out the rhythm of the scene without judgment.

One thing about my industry people are probably unaware of is that voice over is a small industry. You are only a few degrees of separation from any actor and or production person at any given time. Treat everyone with respect and kindness. Community will steel you and support you. I’m immensely thankful for the friends I’ve made since moving to LA. That’s the secret sauce–carve yourself a niche and warmly settle and take root.

A few takeaways I’ve gleaned in the last 4 years of pursuing voice over professionally:

-The mark of a good director is one who can meet the actor where they are. Learn their explanatory language and direct based on these findings.

-There’s a musicality to voice over.

-Desire is the root of all suffering. What do you want and what are you willing to do to get it?

-Vulnerability takes radical acceptance. Accept where you are, acknowledge your hurt, and decide what you are going to do about it.

-Not everyone will be your friend and that’s okay. Some people are only your colleagues. Still treat each person with kindness and respect regardless. Show up, do the work, and remain consistent.

The most difficult decision I’ve ever made and continue to make is choosing myself. Listening to my inner voice. Choosing the unknown and uncertain and learning to sit with the discomfort. All creativity stems from discomfort. There’s an ache inside of me. One that hasn’t gone away in 15 years. I desire to create, to expose the jagged parts of myself to the sun and smile at the story I’ve told and participated in. Acting is in my bones, above all else I can achieve what I set out to do and am eager to share that journey.

What’s helped the creeping need for certainty is challenging my inner critic. The most healing tonic is listening to my inner child. If I find myself in periods of self hatred and self doubt, I imagine what would happen if I said all those negative things towards little me. A younger Avery who wants only to love and be loved. I’m much kinder to myself and others since practicing that.

In the last 4 years, I’ve been in two films that went to theaters. Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Arrow of the Orion in which I played one of the film’s female leads, Artemis. As well as Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul wherein I played the film’s new character Prushka. The latter also appears in the video game Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling Into Darkness now available on PS4, Windows, and the Nintendo Switch!

Younger me would freak out at the fact that my voice can be heard in theaters and in a video game.

I want my legacy to be kindness, tenderness and strength. Honest and true to myself and my goals. That despite everything I endured and survived whatever hardships came my way. Resilient. Soft and joyous.

I’ve always admired those who were true to themselves. Those honest in their endeavors and unabashedly kind along the way. My most enduring inspiration is my late grandmother, Dot. Despite living alone she was heavily involved in her community. She visited the sick and elderly and sat with those who felt isolated. My grandmother practiced warmth and kindness. She spent each day loving people right where they were at. No pretense.

We are human beings before all else.

I’ve taken to romanticizing small moments in my life. I watch the dappled light of my kitchen windows stream across the floor and smile. Life is good. I’m where I’m supposed to be. My being alive, right here, right now, is my most wonderful victory. I’m excited to portray characters at all stages of their lives, share in their grief, joy, victory and failures. It’s human nature to tell stories and so as long as I am a storyteller people will continue to tell my story.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The person who is my most stalwart friend and who undoubtedly holds the other half of my heart is my best friend and sister, Maddison. I’m alive here today because of her. The other is my grandmother Dot, I miss her everyday. I’m delighted each time I see a yellow butterfly, they’re sweet little nods to her saying hello.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AverySmithhart

Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9587580/

Image Credits
Claire McAdams Photography (for the first image, me in the jumpsuit) The two movie posters are from IMDB. The rest are photos I took and or are childhood photos.