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Colleen O’Shaughnessey plays Sonic’s right-hand fox, the boy with the plan, the best friend we wish we had: Tails.
io9 recently had the opportunity to sit down with the voice actress to talk about Tails’ evolution from the small screen to the big screen, and we mean bigas in the current box office champion Sonic the hedgehog 3. In our chat with O’Shaughnessey, we discuss the process of finding your “voice” in VO, as well as how fandom is where it all begins and how that leads you to becoming a beloved figure in pop culture.
Sabina Graves, io9:LLet’s talk about your trip with Sonic like queues. That did Sonic What did it mean to you as a child and what was it like to come on board to voice the character?
Colleen O’Shaughnessey: My Sonic The trip is long, which is great. METROand first entry to Sonic universe in which I played Charmy Bee Colors (sonic)(That) was the first, the first game in which I voiced Charmy. And that was about four years before he voiced Tails. I was auditioning for the show. sonic boom toAnd I pre-ordered Tails, and then it came along with the video games. And here we are, 10 years later, and he’s on the big screen, which is just amazing. So amazing. This franchise is very exciting. The fans are absolutely passionate about this franchise, which is such a beautiful thing. And I feel very honored to be a part of this, aAnd for so long, it’s been wonderful.
io9: In this movie, we see more of Tails taking on his role and being in the field. I know I was nervous about that in the last movie. Can you talk about what it was like for you to see that journey and evolution with the character in the film franchise?
O’Shaughnessey: Yes, I love it. Because for the second movie, it’s the beginning of his journey together with Sonic. This is where they meet, so it’s like the beginning of their story. I was super nervous. It’s like meeting one of your heroes and, you know, hoping to live up to the expectations. And now he’s really coming into his own in this movie. He has more confidence, he feels part of the team and part of a family. And they are all great friends, friends and teammates.
io9: Yes, and I love the themes of the movie. I think that’s one of the biggest things that really makes this film franchise resonate with audiences. I grew up with games and I’m sure you grew up with Sonic in various forms before joining the cast. What is it for you about this particular story that really resonated with you and that you love and that is being released to the public now?
O’Shaughnessey: I love that there is something for everyone. They have taken this to such an epic level. You know, there’s adventure, there’s action, but there’s still humor and heart and family. It covers all the bases, which is a lot of fun and great to see. And truly, there is something for everyone. You can watch it with your kids, with your parents and everything else.
io9: What was the process like to find this version of Tails’ voice?
O’Shaughnessey: W.When I approached Tails, I approached it the same way, whether it was a game, the show, or the movies, but this is a much larger scale. And we just talked about it being a different way…is in different circumstances. So, I guess coming from a more serious point of view with it because there’s a lot at stake there, it’s not like, “Oh, it’s a racing game.” “We have to go.” ““Come on, let’s go.” That’s all intense and energetic and everything, but it’s still fun.
And it’s not that this isn’t fun, but dangerous situations are happening. So it’s more grounded. It’s more serious. It’s more cinematic, for sure. But what I think was so beautiful (about) this transition was that we had just made Sonic frontiers Just before starting to record the second movie. AND Sonic frontiers It’s a much more serious game, there’s a lot more dialogue and there’s a lot more at stake; (it’s) the same kind of thing. So I (was) prepared and ready, really, because I had just done Sonic frontiers That was a big departure from any of the previous games.
io9: YesOn the cusp of going from silly to something darker, I was really glad they hid some of the darker elements. sonic adventure 2 in the movie and really put Team Sonic in much more stressful situations. tThe movie starts and they’re like a band of brothers and they’re having a lot of fun.And then things get very serious very quickly. What was it like going into that with Tails? I love how each brother represents a different type of child.
O’Shaughnessey: Yes, everyone has their role. And he was so calm under pressure. There is a lot of pressure and a couple of points depend on him because he has the schemes, he has the plan and he is trying to keep the plan together. And I feel like his calm under pressure has really increased. He has some important things to do and jumps in and saves the day multiple times, which is just amazing.
io9: Yes, I loved it. hWe get really brave, which is great. TO Talk a little more about your career, at io9 we love to talk about early fandoms. What genre games, movies or books really inspired your career path and how did that lead you to where you are today?
O’Shaughnessey: When I was a kid, I watched whatever anime my mom let me watch, because you can’t watch TV all day, but if I could, I would have. W.When I was a kid, we didn’t have access to everything all the time. He was an avid watcher of cartoons and the wonderful world of Disney and The Muppets and all that stuff. I was literally running around my house being all these characters. It would be Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, for Miss Piggy and Kermit, for all the Super Friends. My God, I loved all the Super Friends. Basically, pick a genre and I was probably a fan of it and running around my house doing all these characters.
io9: What was the first voice that you realized or that you liked that your family realized that you could do very well?
O’Shaughnessey: I did Fozzie Bear and, for some reason, Tigger from (Winnie the Pooh). I just did it and I don’t know where it came from, but I would look at a baby or an animal and just give them a voice. Whatever expression they had on their face, I just gave them like a complete monologue of the things I thought they were saying. I really wanted animals to be able to talk. So I gave them voices. But I feel like the Muppets were profound in developing this silly skill of mine.
Sonic the hedgehog 3 It’s already in theaters.
Want more io9 news? See when to expect the latest releases from Marvel, Star Wars and Star Trek, what’s next for the DC Universe in film and television, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
