Kidzworld sat down with anime voice actor Justin Cook from the popular Cartoon Network show, Yu Yu Hakusho. Find out what he had to say with his interview right here! - Page 2
Cameron: What other shows are you interested in?
- Justin: I'll assume that you mean shows that we're not dubbing here at FUNimation, because for the record, I'm interested in all of our shows. Other shows by other companies, Cowboy Beepbop has always blown me away. I've been really amazed with that series. Every episode, its motion picture as well as its soundtrack just really kind of floor me. So that show definitely.
Judee: Is it weird when you're voice acting and you have to do the reckless screams and fake crying?
- Justin: No... Like I was saying, when I'm getting prepared for an episode or whatnot, like for instance, preparing for the episode where Yusuke inherited the spirit wave orb from Genkai, I knew what was going to happen the night before from when I watched the episode. So when I came into the booth the next day I knew that I was going to be screaming and yelling and carring on and I was going to be in agony and blood's spurting from my forehead and stuff like that. Sometimes events like that are obviously completely made up. Yu Yu Hakusho in my life though, is kind of an offbeat note. I have a lot of correlations that have come across so a lot of those big fights and whatnot, I had altercations in my life too that were kind of helping me get into that character and stay in that character.
Sophia: Did you practice doing voices when you were younger? How did you learn how to voice act?
- Justin: My mom spent a good year and six months doing her best to get me to talk. Once she did, I never shut up. So I guess I've been practicing all my life. And I had a face for voice acting. I'm not a very good role model in the respect that I didn't go to school or train to be a voice actor. I just went to the school of hard knocks and I just never gave up till I made something work for me.
Brian: Do you see yourself voice acting indefinitely?
- Justin: Till they fire me, I am here.
Guy: When you first met all your co-workers for the various shows you've worked on, who did you click with the most?
- Justin: I would have to say Chris Sabbat. I mean he taught me everything of what I know that I'm doing up here. And anytime that I've got quesitons or need answers, he's the guy that I can give a ring to and he'll help me out. So he's definitely probably my best friend, as far as in this business. Which is ironic that he plays Yusuke's best friend in Yu Yu Hakusho.
Shayna: How musical are you?
- Justin: Ummm, my life is like a musical. I break into song and dance on occassion when in Best Buy or anywhere else. No... I'm a piano player actually. My mom forced me to take lessons when I was a kid and so I quit. And then when I grew up and got enough to realize that I wanted to do this on my own, I started taking some jazz piano lessons.
Shayna: What kind of music do you like?
- Justin: I like a lot of music. I recently have gotten into rap. I really love classic rock, jazz - Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock are probably my two favorite muscians. No country though.
darkangel: Do you like Outkast?
- Justin: Oh yeah, I like Outkast. Yeah, I'm an Andre 3000 fan.
Jay: What's been your favorite project to work on so far?
- Justin: Yu Yu Hakusho and Fruits Basket. And that's a real close tie. But really even Kiddy Grade was something. It kind of goes back to that comment I was saying about your children. It's just really hard to say that one cast satisfies you as a director more than another cast did.
Ninna: Do you know why they took Yu Yu Hakusho off Toonami?
- Justin: I have no idea. Cartoon Network marches to the beat of their own drummer. But I'm sure that when they feel fit to put it back on the air, they will and it will be spectacular.
Veronica: When did you start to feel like you were a celebrity?
- Justin: I haven't. Well, maybe when I started doing this Kidzworld online interview. I don't really, and I don't just say that out of whatever pride I might feel by not wanting to be that but the whole idea of a celebrity is very negative and any kind of grandstanding at all, I would like to stay away from. Nothing in this job, or nothing that I have done, did I do just on my own. Anime comes from Japan, that why it's a wonderful show, because it was a wonderful show before. What I did was just join into an already established family tree that was flourishing and growing very well before I ever had anything to do with it. With a best friend that taught me everything I know about what I'm doing, I don't like to think that I'm a celebrity.
Jordan: Do you like to dance? Have you ever danced in a dance competition?
- Justin: Only behind closed doors. But in high school I did compete in a dance competition. I did a ballet dance kind of a thing and I didn't do very well.
tonypegues: Will you ever make new episodes for Yu Yu Hakusho?
- Justin: I think that's going to have to be one of those wait and see kind of things. There are other things out there and I hope, as I'm sure as the dedicated fans of Yu Yu Hakusho do, that we get all the special features and things that have come out of that series. But as of yet, there's really not much I can say. What I can say is that you'll get 122 episodes of Yu Yu Hakusho from FUNimation. That's a guarantee. Everything else is keep your fingers crossed.
yusukefan: What's your favorite video game?
- Justin: I like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas right now. But I'm a fan, pretty much of everything that has Star Wars written on it.
yusukefan: Favorite game console?
- Justin: I have all three, so Xbox is probably my favorite with Playstation running a close second.
diamo: What's your favorite color?
- Justin: Green.
Elana: Favorite food?
- Justin: I like mackerel. Mackerel sushi.
Brittany: Favortie TV Show?
- Justin: Right now it's Alias with Las Vegas on Monday nights as a close second.
Katie: Favorite Movie?
- Justin: My favorite movie of all time is Lawrence of Arabia and I think everyone should see it.
Justin: Favorite book?
- Justin: Ummm, let me see... The James Bond novel, Casino Royale.
lana: What advice do you have for kids wanting to get into the voice acting business?
- Justin: First piece of advice is to follow your own heart. Don't follow anybody else's dreams, that's the most important thing. Cuz who knows what's going to wind up. It might be on a college bound course, and most of them are, it might be within the school of hard knocks and few people succeed going that way. But whatever it is, follow your dreams and follow your heart. If it's a voice actor that you want to be, look for things that allow you to use your voice in public - which would be radio and theater and any type of acting or singing or performing or anything at all. You're going to start off horrible and you're going to continue to get better, the more and more and more that you try. Whatever it is that that is, keep it going full speed. Never give up.
- Justin: And just to let everyone know, the new Yu Yu Hakusho, King Urameshi DVD is now out in stores, so be sure to pick up a copy!
To read the first half of Justin Cook's interview, Click Here.
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