Idol Features: Ginny You

A girl of many voices and a love for anime, manga, and black cats, actress Ginny You has done primarily voiceover work so far and considers herself a voiceover actress first and foremost. Her most recent voiceover role was that of Maid Marian in Robin Hood: Ghosts of Sherwood 3D. However, the Purdue alumna has proven she can be more than just a voice behind a character.

Ginny has also been chalking up on-screen acting credits since 2008, beginning with the piranha-owning lead in the short film Abby (one she'd rather forget because her acting skills have come a long way since) to the more notable roles in the web series Candy Girls, Lewis Schoenbrun's sci-fi adventure Aliens vs. Avatars, and David S. Sterling's 3D Bikini Beach Babes Issue #2.

CHRIS CHARLES: Ginny, I noticed you after you noticed the interview I did with Lacey Hernandez that I posted here last month. Have you and her ever worked on any projects together?

GINNY YOU: Lacey and I haven't had the chance to act in the same project together yet. We met earlier this year, and she was instantly warm and open, very much the epitome of what I thought of when I heard the words, "southern hospitality." I'm really glad I met her. She's an awesome friend and I hope I will one day have the opportunity to be able to act in a project with her.

CHRIS: You were born in Hualien City, Taiwan. When did you come to the US?

Promo shot for an upcoming web series Ginny did
earlier this year

GINNY: Well I came here very early and became a US citizen when I was only one years old so it's almost like I was born here.

CHRIS: You've had more voiceover credits than acting credits. So, do you consider yourself a voiceover actress first and foremost?

GINNY: In a way, yes. I do love on camera acting, but I'm like a kid in a candy store when I'm recording a voiceover gig, especially if it's anime or animation.

CHRIS: I've heard you voice characters that range from children to middle-age-sounding adults. What age ranges have you done?

GINNY: Fortunately I've been able to voice a range of characters from baby to adult.

CHRIS: Do you ever write your own lines for your characters?

GINNY: It's funny that you ask that. It's never come up before, but I just got offered a small role in the upcoming feature, Fat Planet, which is directed by Dennis Devine who I've worked with before earlier this year on a feature tentatively titled Vampire Club. He's a wonderful person and great director and I'm very excited to work with him again! I will play a guest on a talk show who is advocating health and fitness changes at the government level and I am being asked to ad lib my lines. So that will be a fun experience!

CHRIS: Have you ever turned down any voiceover role because you didn't feel comfortable with it?

GINNY: Not that I recall. But I have been given copy that had a couple words that I find offensive, so I politely asked to revise it and luckily it was all okay.

CHRIS: Who are some of your favorite anime characters?

GINNY: Oh, there are too many to name! But, in no particular order, some of them are: Sousuke from Full Metal Panic, Brandon from Gungrave, Motoko from Love Hina, Jiji from Kiki's Delivery Service - how could I not love him? he's a talking black cat!, and of course Zima and Sumomo from Chobits - after all, I did name my cats after them.

CHRIS: You told me you haven't explored modeling much. Have you had many offers?

Photo by Hoang Vu for KT Photography

GINNY: Unfortunately I haven't but I would love the opportunity to explore it more.

CHRIS: I saw you in the short Abby, which was made in 2008. Was that your first time in front of the camera?

GINNY: Yes, Abby was the very first project I acted in and I was extremely grateful for the opportunity. After seeing myself act for the first time, it became my catalyst for focusing on acting. I wanted to put my efforts on learning the craft so I eagerly pursued classes before advancing forward with other projects. And I have been so fortunate to study under many talented teachers who have helped me grow as a person and as an actor.

CHRIS: You're in the web series Candy Girls. How did you get that part and what is it like working with the other ladies on that one?

GINNY: Candy Girls was such a fun experience! Initially I auditioned for the lead guy's girlfriend's best friend but I ended up playing another character, Jenna. During the table read, I was awed at the caliber of actors in the room. I was excited to be a part of the project. When we filmed, the only other female actor I had a scene with was Eleni Symeonides' character. Eleni is such a talented actress and wonderful person that it was easy and fun to work with her. Also, I was excited to work with our director, John Freund. He is such a good director! He knows exactly how to communicate with an actor to convey what he wants. I had a blast working with him! Oh, and Candy Girls just got picked up by KoldCast TV so I'm crossing my fingers for a season two!

CHRIS: I saw that you have a couple of unique tattoos near your shoulder blades. Is there a story behind those?

Candid shot of Ginny on the set of the upcoming
indie film Vampire Club

GINNY: Actually yes. My best friend, Natalie is a super talented artist and she and I were talking about getting tattoos but I told her it had to be something that I really connected with. Then one day I was taking a nap with the door closed and she was watching TV in the living room. My male cat, Zima sat at the door and kept crying because he wanted to come to me. Natalie saw the pose he was sitting in and sketched a picture of it. When I got up from my nap, she showed it to me and I instantly knew that was going to be my tattoo. So there are two on my back to represent both of my cats, Zima and Sumomo.

CHRIS: Where do you stand on doing nudity, whether on film or for a photo shoot?

GINNY: I think it's appropriate in some cases, but I personally am not comfortable with it.

CHRIS: You have two black cats and voice a dog named Futchie on Puppies & Tiaras. Are you more of a dog or a cat person?

GINNY: As a kid, I had a dog named Chris. He was awesome. I still remember the day we took him home. Also, I had two birds and some fish. Now I have Zima and Sumomo, so I can say I'm definitely a cat person because of them. Even my mom loves them like they're her grandchildren. It's really cute. But I still love other animals and hope to one day get a wolf breed.

CHRIS: Never knew of a cat with the same name as me before. So, have you ever been concerned about being typecast or getting limited role offers because you're Asian?

GINNY: Sometimes, but it's just another challenge I have to overcome to do what I love.

CHRIS: Have any hobbies or skills that you don't put on your resume or bios?

GINNY: Well I sometimes enable my feet as secondary hands, but I don't know how much of a skill that is. It may just be because I find it funny to use my feet instead of my hands or do it just because I can.

CHRIS: (Considering asking for a demonstration but deciding to move on) What project are you currently working on?

GINNY: I have several projects in post production and I'm really excited about all of them. For voiceover: ADR/Looping for a feature and an audio book. For on camera: two web series, one feature, and an industrial video. Also, I appear in the music video for "When the Moment Comes" by Mia Dyson, which just came out. Also, in July I'll be filming Fat Planet. In the meantime, I continue to take classes so that I can be ready for the next project.

CHRIS: Well thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions Ginny. Now you don't have to envy Lacey for being featured here. In closing, any plugs or shout-outs?

GINNY: Thank YOU for reaching out to me for this interview. I was really excited to hear from you! And yes, I'd like to say thank you to everyone I've had the opportunity to work with and to everyone who supports me in my career choices, I am so grateful to have you in my life. Words cannot even express how much you mean to me.