GERMANY
- How did you enter the dubbing world?
Actually, I was born in an family of actors. So as a child, I guess I was 8 years old, a studio in Hamburg asked my parents if I could dub a little girl (5 years old), standing at a fence, singing, and some other little takes. That was my first entrance. Already with singing, now that I realize ;)
- How did you get the role of Nala, you first Disney role?
My first casting was not a real casting: I was so fond of the Disney movies, that one day I went to one of the Production Managers of the German company here, in Berlin, Frau Elsholtz. She knew me for a long time, I dubbed many characters in cinema for her already. So I wondered, she might not known that I could sing too. And she didn't know. She said the casting for Aladdin was already done, a few days ago, but that I could ring Andreas Hommelsheim (the Musical Director at the time for all Disney movies in Germany) and make an appointment. "We'll try out and see". At that time, things like this were much easier than nowadays for young actors and actresses.
I arrived at the studio, but Mr. Hommelsheim wasn't there, only his recording master. That was probably good for my nerves ;). He said that Mr. Hommelsheim would arrive soon, but that we could start already. And that was the best for me. I got "A Whole New World" from Aladdin as casting song, and started singing. All over the sudden, Andreas stood in the studio, perplex, listenning, and said : "How did you learn to sing like that ? And why do I not know this ?", something like that. I was stunned. He spoke with Nikki Rabanus, she was also very touched by my singing. I remember her phone call: "How can you sing like this as an actor", she said.
They even wanted to send it to the US for Aladdin, although they already sent their choices. And this was the next good thing that happened to me. It was too late. First, I was disappointed, but it turned out to be the best for me that way, as you know. Otherwise, Pocahontas wouldn't have been possible.
Nikki knew that I was disappointed because of Aladdin. But with this song, I gave a good business card as entrance, as we say in German. She wouldn't forget to invite me to further castings. And that's the way I got cast as Nala in 1994.
I arrived at the studio, but Mr. Hommelsheim wasn't there, only his recording master. That was probably good for my nerves ;). He said that Mr. Hommelsheim would arrive soon, but that we could start already. And that was the best for me. I got "A Whole New World" from Aladdin as casting song, and started singing. All over the sudden, Andreas stood in the studio, perplex, listenning, and said : "How did you learn to sing like that ? And why do I not know this ?", something like that. I was stunned. He spoke with Nikki Rabanus, she was also very touched by my singing. I remember her phone call: "How can you sing like this as an actor", she said.
They even wanted to send it to the US for Aladdin, although they already sent their choices. And this was the next good thing that happened to me. It was too late. First, I was disappointed, but it turned out to be the best for me that way, as you know. Otherwise, Pocahontas wouldn't have been possible.
Nikki knew that I was disappointed because of Aladdin. But with this song, I gave a good business card as entrance, as we say in German. She wouldn't forget to invite me to further castings. And that's the way I got cast as Nala in 1994.
- How did you get cast as Snow White in 1994? How did you feel about dubbing the one who started it all?
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They had just casted me as Nala, but there was no decision made at that time. But they already knew me. Then, Nikki Rabanus, the German production manager at that time, came along with the idea to cast me on Snow White. Since she already heard me singing once, she knew about me and my capacities.. The decision for Nala was made in the US, Snow White was decided in London, so the little miracle happened that, all over the sudden, in the same year, I dubbed two main Disney characters, which never happened before.
As far as I remember, I was only asked for the singing . But they told me from the very beginning that I had to sing in a very special way, old fashioned so-to-speak, 'cause it was already clear that they would not record all the singing parts again: for example the coloratura (vocalizes) takes remained the original ones. And it had to match with that. |
But obviously, I brought the innocence with my voice which was needed for that character. It was one of the most demanding things for me. I had never done such a demanding singing before. So I got the first Disney Princess ever in the new dubbing. Still, I can't believe it and feel very honored.
- Have you ever heard the previous dubbings of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (original 1938 dubbing and 1966 redubbing)?
Actually as a child I must have seen one of the old versions of Snow White. But I can't remember it. And as an adult, I can't remember at all. Of course we worked with one in the studio, but that was only bits and pieces. As far as I known, and remember, they were some technical problems, that's why they decided to make a third version. But I am not sure of that.
- Then, in 1995, you got to dub Pocahontas!
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I went to the casting and they accepted me. Blake Todd, who was the boss at that time in Disney US for foreign voice-overs, was in holidays and someone else decided that I should do only the singing parts. And then Nikki Rabanus, the German supervisor from Disney at that time, called me one day, while I was playing theatre every night in Aachen, close to Cologne. She said it was weird, but they couldn't find a voice matching to mine. It was a windy night, I remember it well. They flew me to Berlin early in the morning some days later, and then Blake Todd, who was back in the studios, decided clearly, that I should do both speaking and singing.
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- We can find some covers of you singing "Where Do I Go From Here" from Pocahontas 2: Journey to a new world on the Internet, is it a song you prefer over the songs of the first movie?
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You find more covers of "Where do I go from here" than "Colors of the Wind" for a simple reason :
A german nun, Sister Teresa, who became pretty famous here in Germany decades ago, fell in love with that song "Where do I go from here". And she often invites artists for special events, who are recorded and the videos uploaded on Youtube. "Colors of the Wind" never lost its deep meaning and truthfulness to me. |
When we recorded "Colors of the Wind", it was a first shot take. It was already pretty late that day, we spent a lot of time on all the other songs, but I still asked to get a chance to sing it during that moment. I sang it with all my love and deep from the bottom of my heart. Andreas walled me to the director box, where they all sat and listened to me. And they all said : "This is it ! You couldn't come closer to the meaning. We got goosebumpses". In the end, we won the price of the US Disney Company for the Best Foreign Dubbing of that movie.
Another nice story : I was invited to come along to the Disney Studios by Blake Todd, who was the decision maker for the foreign versions of the time. I met him twice before I think, and he told me how they usually make their decisions, 'cause they do not speak the language of every version.
Anyhow, when I arrived at the entrance hall at that time, where his office was, I thanked God, because there I saw three big movie Posters on the wall : Snow White, The Lion King, and the third : Pocahontas. And I stood in front of it and thought, wow, I was allowed to give my voice and love for characters in all the three of them !
Another nice story : I was invited to come along to the Disney Studios by Blake Todd, who was the decision maker for the foreign versions of the time. I met him twice before I think, and he told me how they usually make their decisions, 'cause they do not speak the language of every version.
Anyhow, when I arrived at the entrance hall at that time, where his office was, I thanked God, because there I saw three big movie Posters on the wall : Snow White, The Lion King, and the third : Pocahontas. And I stood in front of it and thought, wow, I was allowed to give my voice and love for characters in all the three of them !
- The same year as Pocahontas, you also voiced Marina in The Pebble and the Penguin. Did you enjoy dubbing this movie?
Andreas Hommelsheim invited me to that casting. Again the demand was to sing it in a special way, as you can hear. The movie was never as successful as the Disney ones, but I liked the songs that Marina had to sing, very much. The story is touching, even if it might be a bit overloaded. To put it in a simple way, I really enjoy to sing in animated movies !!
- What was your favourite animated dubbing to do?No doubt, Pocahontas :) !
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- Other than Disney, what was your most difficult dubbing?
Spontaneoulsy, I would say Charlize Theron in "Head in the Clouds", 'cause the development of the character was from childhood to death. Charlize Theron had several months to prepare this character and to play it, and she did it brilliantly ! I had only five days... and I am happy with my work.
The other was Julie Deply in "Two Days in Paris", 'cause French people speak so quickly and German is sometimes more complicated to explain things. On top of it all, I had to dub many of Julie's french lines in French too, 'cause the movie is bilingual. And I hadn't speak so much French since my school days ! :o I asked to see the movie in front, and to get the lines to prepare myself, which is rarely possible in dubbing. In the end, I was nominated for best female dubbing work here in Germany for that movie.
The other was Julie Deply in "Two Days in Paris", 'cause French people speak so quickly and German is sometimes more complicated to explain things. On top of it all, I had to dub many of Julie's french lines in French too, 'cause the movie is bilingual. And I hadn't speak so much French since my school days ! :o I asked to see the movie in front, and to get the lines to prepare myself, which is rarely possible in dubbing. In the end, I was nominated for best female dubbing work here in Germany for that movie.
Interview by Guillaume Zabou
July 31, 2016
July 31, 2016
