Nothing shoots you into a good story faster than a powerful performance. Austin Gage, whose voice emanated a grandeur performance throughout the FanFic Gala's reading of TMNT: Blood Brothers, gives us an extraordinary interview about being an Actor and Author with integrity:

 1) You participated in the World Premiere of FanFic Gala, as reader. What was your favorite role in the festival, and why?
Master Splinter and I share old souls and spirits. I found striking similarities in our desires:  his objective is to get his sons to fulfill their destinies compared with my want of my brother reaching his utmost potential. A wise figure, a spiritual guide, and an adoptive father who ties the family together, Splinter embodies the qualities I admire most personally: faith, hope, and love.

2) Accents were everywhere at the FanFic Gala. Do you specialize in any, and how often do you speak in a different accent, as an Actor?

I performed a Nelson Mandela piece at a collegiate forensics team, which centered around a South African accent, so it’s my favorite to do because I researched, trained, and worked regularly with it. I enjoyed employing a Brooklyn accent for Casey Jones because the words are at the top and tip of the tongue, so it’s easier to speak clearly and confidently. There’s also a roundness that creates a resonance, so it rings musically.

3) Kids these days want to be voice actors. As practicing Actors, what advice would you give for these aspiring talents?

Find your voice. You find it by being yourself fully and unapologetically. When you start to discover who you truly are, you can speak from that source and that will be your strength. Voice acting for me isn’t about searching for someone else’s voice to emulate, but to find the volume and tone in your own. The rest is talent and technique in terms of tongue placement, vocal quality, and believability. There are two sides of this coin: play and business. If your passion and process for acting fuels you, then there’s reward in any outcome. You don’t act for fame and fortune; you act for the fulfillment of your calling to tell stories, share characters, and add to the human narrative.

4) What's your next project? Where can we find more of your work? 

My poetry book ONE OF A KIND comes out soon on Amazon Digital Publishers! In addition, I have a podcast coming out where I interview actors. I post all of my work on social media: @imaustingage

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