Mark Oliver’s lifelong fascination with story-telling

Mark Oliver

Your intention to educate, motivate, stimulate with a community connection of your voice roster, has been all of that and more for me. – David

The May 26^th Characters’ Voice Roster Talk featured Vancouver-born, England-educated MARK OLIVER – an actor whose career longevity is powered by a lifelong fascination with story-telling.

Mark is primarily known for silky-voiced villains such as Lord Garmadon on Lego’s animated series “Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu,” and Book of Monsters on “Nexo-Knights.” While these sinister characters tend to make their appearances primarily in cartoons and video-games, Mark’s voice can also be heard on a wide range of documentary narrations and commercial advertisements; particularly those seeking a global/intellectual tone.

Mark emphasised how his private education in a British boarding school awakened his ear for and fascination with regional dialects and the societies that shape them. He guided us through his formative years in Britain, fashion and rock ‘n’ roll adventures in New York City, and his ultimate return to Vancouver where he unexpectedly discovered VO as a career and embraced it whole-heartedly.

Mark shared the secrets of his curious success (and sometimes glorious failure) in the fascinating, ever-evolving voiceover industry, where those called eccentrics in the broader world can bring esteemed perspective to the table. He discussed the value of deep research into the mystery of human behaviour and the even-more mysterious psychological impact of sound on the imagination, which allow him to deliver detailed performances.

Mark, thanks for sharing your unique perspective with us and enriching the Characters voice community!

Characters’ Voice Roster Talks is an initiative to encourage community at a time when a great deal of voice casting is done by mp3/self-tape, and actors don’t bump into each other as often at auditions. It’s a chance for those who have been doing this for a long time to soak up the energy of those who are getting started… and an opportunity for those who are getting started to connect with each other and with this industry that’s at once all around them and just outside of their grasp.

The Talks encourage thought and discussion about the Big Picture in this industry. The Talks are a chance for Caroline and Annie to see, hear, and connect with their clients. The Talks aim to Educate, Motivate and Stimulate.