The Voices of Princess Celestia: The Changeling Queen · 5:46am Sep 6th, 2016
It's been a while since I've blogged and yes I'll do a Bronycan retrospective post later, but for now something fun.
So while working on Equestria's Changeling Queen and the Abyssal Empress and trying to write some dialogue in my head, I realized I didn't quite know how the voices of my characters sounded like. I mean... as an author you can sortof see the scene and assign a voice to them, but it's never specific unless you internally designate it.
So I went and had a go at figuring out the voices of some of the characters I have created and who would voice them.
Alternia
Preferred VAs: Tilda Swinton or Cate Blanchett
Voice references: The White Witch (The Chronicles of Narnia movie series), Queen Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth and Queen Elizabeth the Golden Age)
Weirdly enough, Nicole Oliver wouldn't be my first choice to voice Alternia. For a while Alternia did have her voice, and in fact, for most of PC:TCQ, when Alternia is disguised as Celestia, she would be speaking as the canon character Nicole Oliver gave life to. However, I always imagined Alternia's changeling voice as different from Celestia's. She would have a sharper, perhaps hoarser/raspier voice, though mothering when she needs to. Hence, if I had to pick, Tilda Swinton's White Witch from the Narnia movie series or Cate Blanchett's Queen Elizabeth would be fairly close representatives of how Alternia would sound like. Yes I know the White Witch played by Tilda Swinton is your typical tyrannical queen, but listen to this voice.
Seriously, have a look at this scene.
If you didn't know the white witch was a homicidal maniac or any context regarding Edmund's family situation, you'd think she was being nice and queenly and helpful to Edmund.
Chamelia
Preferred VAs: Nicole Oliver, Julie Andrews,
Voice references: Queen Lillian (Shrek) or Queen Clarisse (Princess Diaries),
This one was a toughie. I had to really really think hard about it and listen to some of the favorite female character roles I could think of, while also thinking of my favorite female characters. Nicole Oliver was a shoe in because of how motherly and wise she sounds as Celestia, which made her ideal for the wise and solemn Chamelia. Julie Andrews would work great because even when she was voicing/acting as older female characters she had a regal quality to her voice and yet was able to sound mischievous and lighthearted.
Simulacris
Preferred VA: Lena Heady
Voice References: Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones)
Mainly because I think Cersei's voice would work well for a character that has a tendancy to try to be deceptive, but be fairly emotional when it comes to her family. It also is a voice with the quality befitting of a queen (cough cough cough Season 6 COUGH).
Belladonna
Preferred VA: Kate Higgins, Mindy Sterling, Ashleigh Ball, Angelina Jolie
Voice references: Toph Bei Fong (adult, but not elder) from Avatar: The Legend of Korra, or Lin Bei Fong
Any of the three actresses that I listed would work due to their work playing tomboy/tough female characters with voices that tend to be more full or raspy. Belladonna would sound kinda like Toph Bei Fong as an adult, or Lin Bei Fong, a no nonsense kinda tone with
Lamia
Preferred VA: Seychelle Gabriel
Voice reference: Asami Sato
Yes, I am such an Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar: The Legend of Korra fan. So when I think about a character's voice that is elegant, refined, can express fun, and at the same time emotion and deep hurt, I think Asami Sato from Avatar: The Legend of Korra.
Cyndra
Preferred VA: Danica McKellar
Voice Reference: Miss Martian (Young Justice)
When thinking of Cyndra, I needed a voice that could be vulnerable and yet not too. Cyndra is a trained changeling scout after all, just under a lot of emotional pressure in PC:TCQ. So I went with Danica McKellar's Miss Martian.
And that's all for now folks. I'll be putting up ECQtAE's voice cast list when I have time... which may be some time, I'm continuing my graduate studies (Masters) in history on the east coast of Canada. SO it might be some time before I update, but not too long I hope.
Sincerely,
vren55
I quite agree with all your choices! Now we just need a ton of money to make this a reality.
Yes, all the yes for Alternia and Chamelia's voices xD
Hm, it's actually really interesting, these were, for the most part, largely the voices that I always heard while reading your stories, with perhaps the exception of your voice for Simulacris for her I always heard as Angelina Jolie's take on Malefecent. But 100% agree for Asami Sato's VA for Lamia, I was so happy to hear that. I kind of always heard Kate Blanchette's Galadriel - a husky, musical and calming tone, for Alternia, though I really have to agree with your take on Tilda Swinton/ the White Witch's voice being spot on. She was way too axe crazy to even be on my register for that one.
May I ask, who do you hear for Tethys? I always seem to alternate between Sharon Stone's Catherine Tramell and Zelda Williams' Kuvira.
4195938 ACTUALLY... I would go with Zerviel's idea that Tethy's voice will be like Slappy Squirrel from Animaniacs voiced by Sherri Stoner, except her voice being much lower.
NO seriously, listen to this:
4195938 On second thoughts though, if Kuvira sounded older then that would be pretty close. My opinion only though, not zerv's.
Empress Tethys should be voiced by Gary Busey!
Kidding!
I think Pat Carroll, the voice of Ursula in The Little Mermaid would be great for Empress Tethys.
4195989 *laughs* Oh my god that is glorious. I have a much harder time taking her seriously though. Though the disparity would make her much more frightening.
4195989 On another note, I am having one hell of a hard time getting the image of a very young Chamelia belting out "The Sound of Music" while pronking through the fields out of my brain. I am so sorry.
4196239 She originally had the voice of Ruth Williamson complete with the accent from her role as the Scotsman's Wife.
4196134 That's not a bad idea, but Ursula is.... more sexual due to her rounder voice quality. Tethys is harsher. You'll see what I think who Tehtys should be voiced by