So, I was fiddling around the other day, just kinda browsing, you know, and ended up going down this rabbit hole about this voice actor, Robert Tinkler. It wasn’t like I planned it, it just sort of happened. I think I heard a voice in some old cartoon my nephew was watching, and it sounded so darn familiar, but also really distinct, you know? Made me curious.
First thing I did, obviously, was just punch the name into a search bar. Robert Tinkler. And a bunch of stuff started popping up. It’s always like that, you start with one little thread and then you’re pulling on a whole sweater.
What I found was pretty interesting, actually. Turns out this guy has been in a ton of animated shows. It’s like, he’s one of those voices you’ve probably heard a million times but never really put a face or a name to. I started looking through the list of his work, and it was like, “Oh, that guy!” for a few of them.
Here’s some of the stuff I remember seeing that he did:
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There was a character in that old Sailor Moon series, Rubeus, I think? Totally different from what I first heard.
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And then, get this, he was apparently Diesel 10 in one of those Thomas & Friends movies. The one with the claw! My kid actually had a toy of that train. Never once thought about who was doing the voice.
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He was also in stuff like Beyblade, and a bunch of other cartoons that were on when I was younger or when my kids were little. The list just kept going.
So, I spent a bit of time just, well, practicing, I guess you could say. Not practicing voice acting, ha! More like practicing my listening. I tried to find some clips online, just to hear the range. It’s kinda wild. You hear one voice, all deep and villainous, and then another one that’s completely different, maybe a bit goofy or something. And it’s the same person!
It really makes you think. We watch these shows, especially kids’ shows, and the voices are such a big part of the characters. But you rarely stop to consider the actual person behind that voice, doing their thing in a studio. I tried to imagine what it’s like, having to switch between all those personalities, all those sounds. Must be pretty demanding, actually. More than just reading lines off a page, that’s for sure.
My whole little exploration into Robert Tinkler’s work, it didn’t lead to some grand discovery or anything. But it was a good reminder, you know? A reminder that there’s a lot of talent out there that just kinda flies under the radar. These folks are craftsmen, in their own way. They build these characters with just their voices. It’s not like building a shelf, which I also tried once and, well, let’s just say the books didn’t stay on it for long. This voice stuff, it’s a real skill.
So yeah, that was my little journey with Robert Tinkler. Just a bit of curiosity leading to a bit more appreciation for those voices we hear all the time. It’s funny what you can learn when you just start digging a little.
