Hi Noel , welcome to VENTS ! How have you been ? Thank you – glad to be here ! I ’ m very well thanks – hope you are too !
Having started on theater - how does that particular background influence your acting overall ? I would say that it gave me the courage to explore a wide range of characters both physically and emotionally and taught me how to serve the audience and my fellow actors . It also gave me a respect for story telling because each “ take ” was a 2 hr . performance !
Does your approach tend to change when you are doing voice acting rather than live action ? It does change because of the nature of the medium , but in both cases body energy plays a role . When you ’ re on the mic , you only have your voice to connect and engage with , which requires a lot of dramatic physical movement and energy . Whereas with live action , because the audience is visually receiving you as well as hearing you , your body has to communicate energy more subtly , so you can afford to be more internally experiencing the character .
Let ' s talk about Somewhere Between - what was the audition process like ? It involved several rounds of auditions , and was unlike anything I had experienced , mainly due to how the character I played , Danny , who “ overtook ” me from the moment I read the audition script . I hadn ’ t really experienced that as strongly before , as I usually explore the character and play with different versions of them . But when I first received the audition , even though I wasn ’ t sure I could play the role , having not done anything like that before , as I read the script over , he literally inhabited me emotionally and as soon as I gave him physical life he would simply run the show – I think I tapped into his vulnerability right away and he allowed me to express what had been lurking in me for quite some time . So even in the first audition I was deeply in character by the time I walked in the room , which carried over in the call back process . In the audition process itself we experimented with the varying possible levels of Danny ’ s condition , Deletion Syndrome , by exploring different levels of physical and speech conditions .
What made you want to look after such a special role ? Were you looking for a challenge ? Because I hadn ’ t done anything like it before , I was drawn to the initial challenge of it . I always like trying things that I don ’ t think I could do , because it brings out the best of me I think . But with Danny , I wasn ’ t prepared for what happened very early on in the process . The challenge of it was quickly replaced by a deeper connection to who he was and how important my relationship to him was - I felt I had to protect him and his vulnerability . What I wasn ’ t prepared for was how much he would end up protecting and taking care of me . His “ disability ” became an emotional strength for me and I was so honored to be able to express him and to bring him to life .
Did the role hit any close to home ? Have any close friend or relatives has Danny ' s same challenges ? Yes , it did , it tapped immediately into my childhood vulnerability . Because I was the eldest of 3 with a working single mom , there were many times that I had to take care of myself and get things done on my own . That was good because I learned how to fend for myself , but also challenging because I had to take care of myself emotionally as well and there was a vulnerability that repressed in many ways . Danny released that vulnerability and we connected immediately .
How did you prepare for this role ? Emotionally , as I have mentioned , we connected right away , so much of that underlying preparation was in place . However , of course when it came to his Deletion Syndrome condition and circumstances in the story , there was much to do in terms of physical and speech preparation that I took considerable time developing . On set I would sit with him quietly and stay in character pretty much the whole time
What role does Danny plays in all this thriller ? Danny is Nico ’ s brother , and has a daughter Ruby and a mother Grace . He ’ s caught in a very dramatic situation both in life and in family where he makes choices that affect him for many years . He can be seen as the victim and perpetrator at the same time , and as the story much is revealed with respect to that . He represents unbounding love despite incredible odds , and is willing to sacrifice everything when the time comes .
What else is happening next in Noel Johansen ' s world ? I ’ m off to do a Hallmark movie , “ Peared with a Kiss ” playing a completely different role as a snobby city slicker who has a darker side . So I ’ m excited about that and looking forward to working with all the brilliant talented folks on the show . I ’ m also very excited about the future and I ’ m hoping Danny lends to more opportunity to play such rewarding roles .