Anime dubbing’s most compelling voice, Kellen Goff, has a fascinating and somewhat paradoxical career. He’s renowned for breathing terrifying life into villains like Overhaul from My Hero Academia and Zagred from Black Clover, yet he reveals a deep desire to embody gentle, heroic characters. This duality, he explains, stems from his experience on the autism spectrum, a background that’s surprisingly shaped his acting skills and approach to performance.
Goff’s journey began with a keen observation of human behavior, honed through the challenges of navigating social interactions. This, combined with formal acting training, has allowed him to master the art of mimicking and embodying diverse characters. He describes his process as a form of “passive acting,” utilizing his keen observational skills to capture subtle nuances and behaviors, translating them into vocal performances. His body and face often subtly shift to match the character he’s portraying, a technique he calls “mimicry of different observed behaviors.”
He emphasizes the importance of villains possessing believable motivations, arguing that they are often products of their environments and shaped by ethical dilemmas. A truly compelling villain, he asserts, is a hero in their own story, justifying their actions with a distorted sense of morality. This perspective highlights the complexity of character development and challenges simplistic notions of “good” and “evil.”
A significant shift in his work came with Sasaki and Miyano, where he embraced a more tender and vulnerable performance. Preparing for such a change, Goff draws upon his own yearning for acceptance and inclusion, finding solace in portraying characters embodying positive qualities. He utilizes his own experiences with social challenges to connect with these roles, allowing him to deliver performances that resonate deeply with audiences.
The pressure of simuldubs, where episodes air concurrently with the Japanese release, adds another layer of complexity. Goff describes this as a thrilling, collaborative exercise, requiring quick thinking and adaptability. He highlights the importance of director collaboration and the ability to embrace spontaneity, recognizing that the tight deadlines can actually enhance creative choices.
Goff’s work is also deeply influenced by fan feedback. He values the passionate opinions of anime communities and strives to incorporate their insights into his performances. He emphasizes the importance of respecting the original intent of the creators while allowing for creative interpretation, recognizing that different cultural lenses can shape the reception of a character.
Furthermore, Goff’s ability to translate a character’s physicality into vocal performance is remarkable. He employs a technique of mimicking observed behaviors, subtly altering his posture and facial expressions to match the character’s demeanor. This “masking” technique, rooted in his autism, allows him to embody characters with a remarkable degree of authenticity.
Finally, Goff expresses a desire to explore shonen protagonists – the main heroes in action-packed anime – a genre he hasn’t yet tackled. He hopes to bring his unique perspective to these iconic roles, continuing to push the boundaries of his craft and deliver memorable performances for anime fans worldwide. His career is a testament to the power of observation, empathy, and a willingness to embrace the unexpected, solidifying his position as a leading voice in the English anime dubbing industry.
