You’ve Heard their Voices, but Never Knew their Names

Jazz Cow releases some cast names.

We just launched Jazz Cow on Kickstarter, and I couldn't wait to share the news! Right now is the perfect time to grab a discount, as we've got limited quantities available. Sales pitch over. 

Now that it's live, I can finally share something I've been excited to tell you for a while...

The Invisible Talent of Voice Actors

Actors in live-action films often bask in the limelight, but in animation, they are invisible. The voice can be so connected to the character that we can forget that it's an actual, living, breathing human behind it. These talented people have shaped their voices, tweaking them to fit a role perfectly. 

One man, Mel Blanc, came up with the voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, and a whole parade of other characters – yet how many people in his day could pick him out in a crowd? I bet not many! And it's not just him. Take Nancy Cartwright, the voice behind Bart Simpson; You could be queuing behind her Lidl, both of you eyeing up the last pack of custard creams, and not a soul would realise they were in the presence of TV royalty.

On Sunday, I read the sad news that David Graham, the voice behind countless cartoons, died. You might not know his name or what he looked like. But I guarantee, if you are British, he was part of your upbringing. Whether it was the calming tones of Parker from Thunderbirds or more recent shows like Pepa Pig and countless other characters. I had the pleasure of working with him some years ago; he was not only very talented but also a true pro! I've been holding off on writing about our actors for Jazz Cow, mainly because, as it turns out, we're supposed to save something juicy for the press releases. Apparently, letting the cat out of the bag too soon is not a good tactic. But my lips are now unsealing as you can now go and support our Kickstarter.

Unveiling Jazz Cow

You've already met Jazz Cow, but what kind of voice does he have? Well, let me tell you, nothing could be more jazzy than the silky smooth tones of Neiko Neal. Now, here's a fun twist: he is LA-based, so one of the few actors not based in London, But it turns out he was born in New London, Connecticut! But it seemed fitting that Jazz Cow should be an African American after they invented Jazz! I recorded some tests with him, and you can hear just how fantastic he is in the clip on our Kickstarter page. The warmth and depth of his voice hit the spot.

Many years ago, a friend of mine was casting for a film about a con man, and we were wading actors' showreels. Then we stumbled upon this one chap who could do any voice you could imagine – and I mean any voice! He didn't get the part, well, not for that film, but I had the perfect project for him.

We ended up doing a short film called Jazz Cow, and let me tell you, he didn't just lend his voice to one character; he brought every single character to life! If you don't believe how versatile he is, check out his voice reel! Now, Silas Hawkins may not be the most famous name in the cast, but he's an absolute genius who was there from the very beginning. It was through Silas that I had the pleasure of working with David Graham all those years ago. A true gem in the world of voices!

It turns out that voices ran in his blood; his father, Peter, was the voice of the Daleks and Captain Pugwash, and his mother was the voice of Larry the Lamb! 

But Silas brought something extra to the table: his improvisational skills. I'll never forget his hilarious improvised gems, like when he cheekily added, "Henry Wood must be turning in his grave!"to this little film we made many years ago.

Silas will play  Dr Popp, a tech guru who is driven to make the world simpler, cheaper and more automated. He is Jazz Cow's nemesis; rest assured, Silas will take this to the next level, bringing a whole new level of silliness.

Next in line, I was on the hunt for a very specific voice for another character – but more on that later. Just when I was starting to lose hope, I stumbled across Jess Robinson, she had me laughing at her fantastic cartoon voices. She may not have been for the role I was searching for, but she was absolutely perfect for Connie Snot – a no-nonsense lady whose late husband won the club in a boxing match. 

It's no surprise that Jess has won awards for her impressions and voices. They truly had me chuckling! I can completely see what Spitting Image sees in her! She's voiced countless characters for animations, working with heavyweights like DreamWorks, Disney, Cartoon Network, Sky, CBeebies, and Netflix. 

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Connie, who she will play, has a soft spot for Jazz musicians (she is like their mum) and often feeds them when they have no money. She has a sketchy background in organised crime. When she took over the club, most people were scared to go into that area of town. She got into Jazz while on holiday in Paris.

So, what was the role I was trying to fill? It was that of Valentina Winegum, the vocalist in Jazz Cow's band. Valentina exists between two worlds – the Latin scene and the bohemian quarter. Being so young, she doesn't quite know who she is and how she fits in.  Think of a young Celia Cruz or La Lupe; I really wanted to pay homage to the contributions of Latin performers to jazz, so getting this character right was important to me. They needed to be authentic, so I was happy when I stumbled upon Luly Perez. Her efficient agent sent over a WhatsApp message that included a special voice note from Luly. It was so appealing that when I played it for my wife, who insisted I forward it to her so she could enjoy it too! Luly has a wealth of experience from her time in Venezuela, working in films and telenovelas, and since moving to the UK, she's been involved in theatre and comedy shows. And as a delightful coincidence, I discovered her late husband was known as Mr Pop, which feels perfectly fitting for this project!

Anil Desai is another actor and comedian with a million voices and a penchant for improv. If you like impressions, he's your man. He is famous for his 50 impressions in 5 minutes. That's sure to leave you both amazed and amused!

Not just an impressionist but an actor and comedian. You can catch Anil performing regularly across the globe in over 50 countries! He's made appearances on platforms like Netflix, BBC, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and ITV. He's perhaps best known for his role as X in Sex Education.

He plays the hyperactive Hank "Papa-Moose" Brown Jazz Cow's Drummer. The Thrillseeker and coiled spring, always looking for something new and exciting. But loyal to Jazz Cow and the club – even if it means having to adapt his amazing drum solos to incorporate coded Morse code messages.

Another familiar face you might spot gracing the stages of comedy clubs both in the UK and across the globe is Francis Foster, renowned for his risqué and sharp satirical humour. With a knack for tackling life's important topics, like failure and dealing with a psychopath for a mother. 

“Comedy is the blues for people who can’t sing” - Francis Foster

So who better to play Sir Spud Pooper Scooper Thompson, the argumentative bass player, the purist and the pedant who won't let anything go and has to be right. But you need someone around with an eye for detail and who can see what Dr Popp is up to. This guy doesn't miss a thing. Pooper scooper is Tall and stretchy, so the bass is almost like a cello for him. 

As someone once quipped, "You have a face for radio!" But now you're getting a peek behind the curtain to meet some of those voices. What's truly exciting is when they play off each other, improvising and taking the jokes to the next level. I'm really looking forward to seeing that magic unfold! We need your help to make this happen. By buying one of the rewards on Kickstarter, you'll be part of this journey. Please take a look.