Meet Yasmeen Mezenner | Voice Actor, Director, & Dialect Coach

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

Hi Yasmeen, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born and raised in Texas and spent time in Florida as a kid which made a huge impact on me in terms of living an ocean-focused lifestyle. My father is Algerian and my mother is Mexican, but my grandfather on my mom’s side was American so though she was born and raised in Mexico she had dual citizenship. I guess that technically makes me second-generation. I grew up learning Spanish, Arabic, and English at the same time. It was very confusing but it helped me develop a strong foundation for authentic accents and dialects. I had no idea that all of this would help me later in life as an actor, especially with voice acting. Being multi-ethnic has impacted my world view and enables me to embody characters from many walks of life. It’s really challenging to pick sides or vilify a certain group when I’m so mixed so I would say that having such a mixed ancestry has increased my tolerance and empathy for all identities. I love not fitting into a box!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Mindfulness is my art and acting is my medium. As an artist, I experience the world in a highly sensitive way. I notice tiny details. It could be the way someone’s lips quiver before tightening into a smile or a shadow on the sidewalk. I observe and then emulate: sometimes using only my imagination, other times, paying attention to my reality and then recreating it. I think being multi-ethnic sets me apart because I’m able to authentically represent a wide range of characters. Acting is a mysterious craft. I have had experiences that thoroughly surprised me because I felt as if I was transported into another dimension, another mind, another body. I am most proud of my willingness to surrender to acting, because for most of my life I resisted it. And I am most excited about the contributions I am making by sharing my gift and helping others shape theirs as a coach.

I have always had a deep love for cameras and tape recorders. I was fascinated, really obsessed, with them as a child but I don’t recall having a burning desire to become an actor as a kid. I knew I loved investigating people and stories, and I had a deep love for music. I tried many different career paths all somewhat connected to production, but nothing ever really felt like a fit. In hindsight, it makes sense I was gathering data that I can now refer back to when discovering a character’s experience.

When I got the invitation to sign with my dream voice acting agent, I was honored. When I booked my first Union project, I felt relieved. Every step, every milestone along the way didn’t happen passively. It was the result of discipline, patience, determination, and a little luck. It was extremely challenging to transition from behind the scenes to working as talent. I overcame challenges painstakingly and strategically – and still have many more to overcome. I think that is the nature of life and being human. I was very fortunate to learn some critical lessons before becoming a professional actor. I knew failure and rejection would dominate the process, so I faced my resistance to those head on and became comfortable, even excited, by the thought of being told “no.” Every no I got propelled me forward. I invested a lot into learning my craft and being intentional and selective from the very start. I only pursued what aligned with my values. I focused less on being “good” and more on being honest. I cold emailed. I shared my art. I put myself out there. And most importantly, I learned about the business of my craft. I learned to inhabit the minds of agents, managers, directors, producers, and casting directors. For me, as an actor, I embody human experiences. It’s cathartic and exhausting. People ask me if it’s fun, and it can be, but it’s also work.

I think a lot of people who work what they consider non-creative jobs have this idea that creative work is play and fun all the time, and doesn’t require “real” work – and I want the world to know that it takes an incredible amount of energy and discipline to produce creative work. It is not always relaxing, glamorous, or fun. But it is an undeniably important part of the human experience. Art, and especially the art of performance, fosters empathy between communities. Without story, we would all forget critical survival lessons our ancestors learned. I also think representation is more important than we realize – and I distinctly remember the first time I truly felt connected to a protagonist. It was an indescribable feeling and I hope to be that representation for others who connect to the identities I can represent authentically. I am offering dialect coaching and would love to support anyone interested in learning or refining their American dialects.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There’s so many great spots and I love exploring new places so I’d just go with the flow of how we are feeling day to day. I tried being a regular for a while but it’s not me. I am definitely an order something different every time type of person (and yes in a different accent every time).

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?
There are so many! I’d love to shoutout my mentors Director Ria Pavia, voice actor Whitney McMaster, and Cinematographer Robert Arnold who are sources of great inspiration and have given me so many opportunities and sound advice. Also, Producer Susan Palyo who’s expertise crafting my demo that got me so many agent meetings. And I can’t leave out Casting Director Brandon English, and agents Cathey Lizzio and Heather Dame who first heard something unique in my voice acting as well as all the agents who agreed to meet and work with me before I had any credits! Director and Actor Tamar Pelzig who’s encouragement kept me going. Actor and Director Matthew Law who was the first actor I did an improvised scene with in LA for a youth program where I felt that first glimmer that this was what I was meant to be doing. Skilled actors Anneris Mercedes and Jeremy Luke, so many people at AFI and USC, my talented friends Caroline Saavedra, Marina Heintze, Briana Alva and Josephine Reyes, I could go on and on honestly. It takes a village. Above all, the mysterious Intelligence that flows through all things.

Website: voiceofyasmeen.com

Instagram: @voiceofyasmeen

Twitter: @voiceofyasmeen

Youtube: @MindfulnessUnplugged

Image Credits
Andrew Thomas Thrash