![]() We are always going to go with who fits the character,” Sheh noted. “In a perfect situation, whenever you’re dubbing, we try to respect the original language version, but it can also come down to debating between different actors that could potentially be cast in a role, who may not have the perfect voice, but do have a better emotional match with the character. Sheh affirmed that the voice match was purely coincidental. When an official English medley of the songs in “Belle” was posted on YouTube as a means of teasing the movie’s release and hyping up fans, many commented on the video, wondering if the reason why McNeill was cast was because of how similar her voice was to the original Japanese voice actor’s, Nakamura Kaho. We had a lot of freedom there, but on the GKids side, we were equally excited about Kylie from the beginning.” “Studio Chizu was really generous with us in terms of what they shared from their process,” Uhler added, “and they were also clear that they wanted the English version to be its own thing, and that we didn’t have to strictly adhere to what they made the original Japanese version sound like. “In the end, Kylie made a perfect Suzu, and when she needed to, she could turn on the charisma of Belle,” Sheh recalled. She also needed to prepare in the event that the perfect Suzu wasn’t the best singer, and Belle needed to be cast as a separate entity. I don’t think anyone else will work.'” McNeill’s submission came to their team through a traditional route (an agent), but Sheh said that prior to making the final decision, she personally spent several hours watching virtual concerts, videos, cold-emailing and DMing people on social media just to cover all the bases on who could be a good match. ![]() “I remember that as soon as Michael and I started the callback process, he said something along the lines of ‘I found her. “Looking back on my own notes, Kylie was always in the top two, right from the get-go,” Sheh said. It started with over 250 submissions, primarily from agencies, and Sheh and her co-dubbing director Michael Sinterniklaas, along with Uhler’s team over at GKids, pored over the auditions and whittled it down to eight candidates. It was easier to cast Hunter Schafer, Chace Crawford and Manny Jacinto in their respective voice acting roles in “Belle.” Their acting merits, unique voices and star power served not only the emotional and creative elements of their characters, but also aided in marketing the movie in the United States and attracting fanbases that may not be ardent followers of the latest in anime.įinding McNeill, however, meant ensuring that no stone was left unturned in the pursuit of the perfect Suzu/Belle. Though she majored in theater at New York’s prestigious Professional Performing Arts School - which has churned out singers and musicians like Alicia Keys, Tru Collins, Taylor Momsen, Britney Spears and Elena Satine - McNeill has, thus far, kept a low profile. Much like her character Suzu in Mamoru Hosoda’s highly-acclaimed and visually stunning “ Belle,” Kylie McNeill is just a soft-spoken teenager that likes to record herself belting her heart out from the comfort of her bedroom. And, boy, does she have the pipes to prove she belongs in the big leagues. It is therefore refreshing and rare when a 19-year-old from Manhattan with no internet fame whatsoever is plucked from relative obscurity and given the chance of a lifetime: voicing the protagonist of one of the highest-grossing anime movies in Japan of this past year as her industry debut. ![]() In an era of TikTok favorites getting record deals and lead acting roles, follower counts and blue checkmarks seem to be a requirement for getting a big break in Hollywood.
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