JC Haze Manchester Voiceover Artist

Who Does That?

You know them only as a voice—the booming vibrato extolling “In a World” in a movie trailer or a lilting accent in a commercial. They are actors you would only recognize when they open their mouths. They are voiceover artists, and their job is to paint a picture or create a character using only words and inflection.

 “A large part of what I do is acting, but I do not get to use a smile to depict a sense of happiness. I only get to use my voice,” explains JC Haze, a voiceover artist who began his career in 2007 after working in the radio industry for 35 years. He now works full time on hundreds of voiceover projects annually.

Haze has done everything from commercials and children’s audio books to on-hold messages and narration for medical presentations. Unlike an actor on stage or film, Haze doesn’t have to worry about being pigeonholed by age or appearance for parts. “I’m 58, but my voice age is 35,” he says. That means he can play the goofy dad (as he did for a 99 Restaurant commercial) or impersonate Ed Sullivan or Rodney Dangerfield. He can also voice multiple characters within the same project.

He finds his niche is as a cheerful, sincere guy, but he is not afraid to push his limits. Haze says NH is not an easy place to make a career as a voiceover artist, even though he is often working for clients remotely from his Manchester studio. He also works as a DJ, hosts a weekly syndicated radio show, does radio announcements and works as an extra in movies (seven so far) to earn a living. Why all the extra jobs? With every audition demo he sends online he is competing with at least 150 other voiceover actors-—often for a spot that pays only $100 to $300. In addition, if he is not one of the first 10 to 15 people to submit a demo then the chance of even being considered significantly decreases.

Fortunately, about 85 percent of his work comes from existing clients, which include an Australian toy company, theNH Lottery, and theNH Speedway. He recently began teaching a private voiceover acting class in Manchester. “It’s good to be able to wake up every day knowing that I am going to be doing something that I love,” he says. For more information, visit www.jchaze.com.

By Mikhaila Ruth of Business NH Magazine’s Young Reporters Project and a student at Suffolk University in Massachusetts.