She has a voice that has inspired generations of pop culture fans, including those reading this, whether realized or not.
For Grey Griffin, who has applied her talents as a voice actress to everything from “The Fairly OddParents” to “The Loud House” and all animated points of interest in between, getting to work on such memorable brands while still maintaining a level of anonymity is her favorite part of the job.
We recently sat down with Griffin to discuss leaving her mark on viewers, why she lives in fear or angry tweets, and being pleasantly surprised by the popularity of “Supernatural.”
TrunkSpace: First off, we’re getting some serious street cred at home with our kids for this chat because they’re massive “The Loud House” fans. What is it like working on a project that has such a lasting impact on the next generation of pop culture lovers?
Griffin: Aw! That’s so flattering! Gosh, the success of the show has been such a pleasant surprise! I knew it was good when we did the short but I never DREAMED we’d dethrone Spongebob in the ratings! (Incidentally, my grandmother thought Spongebob was a little piece of cheese.)
TrunkSpace: Over the course of your career, you’ve worked on a number of series that have influenced different generations, from “The Fairly OddParents” to “Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends.” You’ve also given your own take on iconic characters from established universes like “The Transformers,” “Curious George” and “Batman.” Do you feel like you have left your mark on the world of pop culture, because from the outside looking in, it sure seems like you’ve had a hand in entertaining young and old alike?
Griffin: It’s so crazy when I meet ADULTS who say I was their CHILDHOOD! When you’re all by yourself in a booth, you forget how many people your voice will reach and the longevity of those characters! It’s overwhelming to imagine!
TrunkSpace: Is there something nice about being able to have such a successful career and be involved in so many high profile projects, and yet still maintain a level of privacy in your personal life because your voice has led the creative charge?
Griffin: It’s my FAVORITE THING about this job!!!! I can take my kids to Disneyland and nobody bothers us! (Even though I’m the new voice of The Redhead on “The Pirates of the Caribbean!”)
TrunkSpace: There are a number of interesting things about your work on “The Loud House” that we’d love to touch on. For starters, you juggle multiple characters on that show, including siblings Lola, Lana, and Lily. Parents say that they never have favorites when it comes to their kids, but when it comes to characters, do you have a favorite? Is there one Loud who is more fun to inhabit than others?
Griffin: I have a soft spot for Scoots! The old lady on the scooter? Grumpy old ladies are fun to play… because I AM one! (Laughter)
TrunkSpace: The other fascinating thing about that particular project is that your son Tex voices Lincoln Loud, making it a true family behind the scenes as well. Two part question. Is Tex named after Tex Avery, and, if so, was it his destiny to be the voice of future animated characters?
Griffin: Well his daddy is a country rock musician (he sings and plays bass for the Old 97s) so his name was a tribute to Tex Ritter and Tex Avery!
My son caught the acting bug early. Even observing him as a toddler, I knew we’d be acting together someday!
TrunkSpace: On a live action series, a set often becomes a second family. Is animation more isolating, at least when it comes to costar interaction?
Griffin: It truly depends on the project. Sometimes there are a lot of on-camera people in a cast and they tend to like to work alone, but we are like REAL sisters on “The Loud House!” We go out for meals together. The ladies brought food over when I had my babies. We laugh and squabble just like any family. I still text my “T.U.F.F. Puppy” castmates and we meet for drinks…
Voice people are a tight-knit community!
TrunkSpace: Is your approach to discovering an animated character the same as you would take with a live action character? What does that process look like?
Griffin: I have such a limited amount of on-camera experience but I will say that doing so much voiceover has made my brain extra lazy when it comes to memorization, so when I’m doing a live-action project, my approach is pretty much, “DON’T FORGET YOUR LINES!!!!”
TrunkSpace: You’ve given life to iconic characters like Captain Marvel, Betty Rubble and Daphne of “Scooby Doo” fame. Is it more difficult voicing a character with such a rich history because you’re having to walk in their animated footsteps as opposed to establishing them for the first time?
Griffin: I think it truly is because I think, as actors, we want so much to please everyone! When I take over an iconic character like Daphne, Betty, Captain Marvel or most recently, Jane Jetson… I just live in abject fear of angry tweets and blog posts! (Laughter) Please LIKE ME!!!!
TrunkSpace: Speaking of Daphne, you starred in one of our favorite hours of episodic television of all time, the “Supernatural” cartoon crossover, “ScoobyNatural.” Was that experience a different one for you with that character, because tonally, it seems like it had some fun moments that you’d never find in a standard “Scooby Doo” episode?
Griffin: Misha (Collins) is actually a fellow parent at our school so I was used to seeing him in “dad mode”! I honestly had no idea what a huge show “Supernatural” was or what an impact that project would make! It was awesome!
TrunkSpace: What has been the highlight of your career thus far and are there any bucket list items that you’re still hoping to put a check mark next to?
Griffin: I’m a big Disney nut so doing a voice on The Pirates ride was pretty amazing…
I’d also really love to tackle one of the princesses someday. Not literally of course.
“The Loud House” airs on Nickelodeon.
Her stand-up comedy special, “My First Comedy Special,” is available now on Amazon Prime.
Griffin can also be heard as Arcee in the new “Bumblebee” film.