Diana Lansleen
Voice Actor
Creators Society Voice Actors Branch Councilor
The focus of this Member Spotlight article is Diana Lansleen; voice actor and Creators Society Voice Actors Branch Councilor with a creative upbringing like no other. She is a person that has truly made the most out of the tools and circumstances from which she comes. On top of that she is really nice. I mean super nice. When we had an initial chat on the phone regarding this article, my four year old son was talking very loudly and non-stop, as he tends to do. Instead of being put off or suggesting another time to chat, Diana remarked on my son’s vast vocabulary and complimented his voice saying that he would be great for voice over acting; amazingly talented and amazingly kind. Diana Lansleen proves that you can do both.
Growing up, Diana was privy to a truly rich and creatively inspiring childhood that would be the envy of any artist; or travel agent for that matter. Diana is the first member of her family to be born in the United States. With her Mother from Denmark and Father from Sri Lanka, Diana was exposed to a worldly upbringing that we all can only dream about.
About her travels, Diana boasts, “I’ve logged going to over 30 countries so far and hope that I’ll be able to see even more in the future.” Something tells me that she is going to shatter that number.
When she was five years old, tragically, Diana lost her mother. During this extremely difficult time Diana found comfort in creative outlets and grew her love and appreciation for animation as a result. “Television cartoons were a big part of my childhood. They provided an escape from a difficult time. My first real sense of musicality and timing comes from those early experiences. I can remember asking my Dad to buy classical music albums because I knew the songs from the cartoons I enjoyed.” She adds, “To this day, one of the things I appreciate about animation is that it gives us the ability to suspend time, explore our values and typically share a lighthearted approach to navigating our ever-changing world.”
Along with her travels, Diana was very fortunate to grow up with many creative and talented influences in her life. “As for where I began to understand the importance of creativity, it was during a year that my sister was attending university and our Dad was living in Saudi Arabia. I lived with our family friends, The Rosete Family. It was in that household that I learned how to do arts and crafts like cake decorating, cooking, crochet, how to play ukulele, some piano and also dance Hula. Both their children, Stephanie and Gordon, were very creative too and still inspire me with the way they have carried on their family traditions.
As an adult, I’ve realized that having a creative outlet is incredibly important, especially when we have times that require reflection and it’s also a wonderful way to cope with stress.” Now there is a cause that we all can get behind.
With such an artistic and unique upbringing I wanted to know how Diana came to be involved in the animation world. “In 1993, I was one of the actors who did live-action reference for the animators (similar to motion capture that is done now) for Disney’s “Pocahontas.” “Seeing the story boards and knowing that it would be years before the project would have a release date, gave me a peek into the production side of Animation. Glen Keane, Eric Goldberg and Mike Gabriel were some of the creatives that I had the honor of working with in our few sessions. Glen’s eye for detail and the way he could interpret movement taught me a lot. That’s really how I began to understand how the physical attributes of a character can inform the audience about that character’s rich emotional life as well.”
Wow. In 1993, Diana was being immortalized in a full length Disney film. In 1993, I was doing silly Beetlejuice and Steve Urkel voices. Being an actor myself, selfishly, I wanted insight on how a great actor such as Diana keeps her animation skills sharp. “I think of acting as an instrument, where the tone and timing of a story is set by the type of project. Much like a person can learn to play guitar, the style will vary with the genre and the song they are playing. The technical aspects are only one part of creating. Where a person really becomes an artist is when they learn to use those skills to evoke an emotional journey within the story they are sharing.”
She adds, “One thing that is ultra important in voiceover is figuring out how to “sound authentic” and interpret the copy where you are having a conversation with someone. It’s a lot more than phrasing and choosing where to fit in a breath. It’s also knowing your own cadence and how to switch that up to keep a story arc flowing. Understanding body and facial movement makes a big difference in the way we sound, so choosing to have a physical connection with a character can bring an authenticity to it, even when we’re not seeing the person actually voicing the character.”
Aside from bringing voice to original animated characters, Diana has been very involved in live action Group ADR / Looping since 2010. I wanted to know if her preparation, as an actor, varied depending on which VO arena she was working on at any given time. “Yes and no,” she answered. “Being able to break down a script is a key component of acting, regardless of the platform. The storytelling arc will be determined by the amount of time in which the story is being told; every script and character will require a different amount of time to craft. Another important consideration is the environment in which the scene takes place, which helps determine how intimate a conversation may (or may not) be for the character. One thing that is specific to Animation and Video Game voiceover is the ability to voice more than one character. The union contract currently covers doing a couple of characters, so on the production side, it makes sense to hire an actor for at least 2 roles. I also think that we have more freedom to play during the audition process to showcase a number of possibilities, if we have the chance to give more than one take. Once we have the job, it’s really being able to keep any ongoing characters sounding consistent.”
Diana also shared how being involved in different VO worlds has helped her work in animation, specifically. “Ultimately, I’m interested in producing and working on projects that are multi-platform. One of the things I really enjoyed during the beginning of Covid lockdown was being able to collaborate remotely with other members of The Creators Society to participate in “The Creators Jam.” I voiced Megan and Kid #1 in “Steel Beating Heart”. It was really incredible to see what could be created on a very short timeline.
She added, “It’s been an honor to be one of the Creators Society Voice Actors Branch Council Member this year, there are so many members I respect and admire for their accomplishments. And, the virtual events have been a wonderful way to learn more about each aspect of Animation Production as well.”
As a final thought, I wondered if Diana wished if she could change anything on her VO animation journey or if she could offer any advice to those just starting out.
“A lot goes into honing a craft and it’s an ongoing process. So learning to be kind to yourself during the journey and surrounding yourself with people that inspire you enriches that experience. Creating a timeline that allows you to celebrate when you meet a milestone, especially the ones that seem minor, is essential. Every step we take to move forward is all part of the process.”
Also, “Prepare and plan for success, by researching and prioritizing any classes, potential gear purchases, and become part of organizations that align with your goals. The Creators Society has been a wonderful way to meet more people who share the passion for creating in Animation and a number of members work in other platforms as well.”
Diana Lansleen, aside from being an extremely creative and diversely talented person, is a truly great human. Having had the pleasure of working with Diana on a couple of projects for The Creator’s Society, I can attest that she is always first to give others praise and a kind word, even when she has done most of the work. She is the standard for a hard-working talented professional that always remembers to treat others with class and respect. Diana is an animation creator that I hope we all have the pleasure of collaborating with in the future.
Recently, Diana was interviewed on “The Making a Living Show.” a podcast exploring the business of creativity, hosted by Robi Levy. It’s available on just about any podcast platform and on the website: https://www.makingalivingshow.com
Diana enjoys connecting with other creative professionals, and she can be found on social media @dianalansleen on IG, Twitter and Clubhouse. Her website is dianalansleen.com
