Andy and I just finished catching up on the past few weeks of The Office. I love that show, it’s definitely my sense of humor. I remember not too long ago posing a guessing game about “who’s that voice” as a actor-voiced commercial came on the radio. The question was “the new Blackberry Storm commercials” the answer was John Krasinski, “Jim Halpert” on The Office.

If he doesn’t crossover to movies or have continued success in TV shows once The Office ends, do you think he’ll still be the go-to guy for stuff like this? Probably not, and maybe he’ll just be replaced by whatever new hot show and new lead guy is out. Some VO people are worried that all the good, high-paying voicework is going to celebrities but I disagree. Animation – definitely, and we’ve all seen the shift in getting big names to voice characters… but commercial work? I’m not too concerned.

John Krasinski brings a lot of “Jim” into the booth for the Blackberry spots… but if The Office wasn’t familiar to the crowd they’re pitching to, it’d probably be just another voice guy reading that script. 1 for “them” 1 for “us,” right? Or, if they wanted to go the more common route, the agency could have just cast for someone with the “Jim Halpert attitude, laid back and nearly – yet quietly – shocked at his own excitement over the product’s features.”

Some actors are actually really good at it – think of the Cadillac CTS commercials with Kate Walsh (…”does it return the favor?”) Granted she’s also in front of the camera, but still, nice voicework. Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs (so it’s more documentary style work, but I put him in the actor category) as the narrator of Deadliest Catch (another favorite show of mine) – he’s fantastic, and isn’t bringing his on-camera persona to voice that show!!

But actors-turn-celebrities won’t necessarily get the “character has a dilemma” spots… and what a distraction to picture a high profile person in a goofy spot about plumbing or what’s for dinner or even rattling off the list of specials at a grocery chain. Solid actors could pull it off, but then again we do call it “voice acting” so that shouldn’t be a surprise. I feel very secure with some of the projects I work on that these big names wouldn’t have time for, like voicing imaging for radio stations, narrating a video for incoming freshmen at a college, or providing audio to go with a business presentation… and maybe the ocassional sound-alike spot where I’ll give them my best celebrity impression.