Introducing Melissa Altro, The Voice of Muffy in Arthur

What career! For the past 15 years, Melissa Alrto, one of Canada’s leading voice talents, has portrayed Muffy Crosswire on the four-time Emmy Award-winning series Arthur. Recently, Melissa talked to me on the phone about her career, what it means to be Muffy, and his services as a trainer.

Oh Muffy Me! An interview with voice actress Melissa Altro

Stephanie: How did you get the audition for Muffy on the TV show “Arthur”?

Melissa Altro: In September of 1994, I got a call from my agent about the audition. It was the first time I tried the role of a cartoon character. I had a lot of fun in the studio reading for a bunch of different roles on the show. When they called me to say that I got the role of Muffy, I was very excited to get started.

Stephanie: How much of Melissa is there in Muffy?

ME: I was definitely an outspoken kid and I loved playing roles and taking charge like Muffy does. I hope that at this point, as an adult, I am a little less aggressive with my opinions than Muffy! Say oh!

Stephanie: You mentioned on the phone that you grew up recording Muffy’s voice on the show. Are there any particular memories you’d like to share about being a child voice actor and what that was like?

ME: It was always a joy to record in the studio during my childhood/teenage years because I felt like I was part of something really special (I especially loved being let out of school early on a recording day!). I especially had fun recording the songs for the show and working with the other actors. They are such a talented group of people.

Stephanie: How often do you see other members of Arthur’s voice cast? Do you record the show together in the same studio or do you each come separately to perform?

ME: All of the original cast members live in Montreal. So I haven’t seen them in over 5 years. There are some cast members that I see at recording sessions here in Toronto, but we rarely record together in the booth. Most of the time we will record separately (it’s more time and money efficient that way).

Stephanie: Do you have a favorite episode of the show? If so, what makes it so special to you?

ME: I really enjoy the episode called It’s Only Rock n’ Roll with the Backstreet Boys show. I was a teenager at the time we recorded it and a huge fan of the Backstreet Boys (blushing), so I was really excited to be able to sing on a track with them. Muffy gets the idea that she is the manager of his dreams and sings about it. Pretty funny stuff!

Stephanie: When children star in cartoons as the voice of a character, most of the time they lose their roles when they hit puberty or they can’t stay true to the character in terms of their voice having matured. While this is particularly true for boys—for example, the character of Arthur has been recast several times—there are also girls who stray from their roles and recast with a similar sound. Considering Arthur has been running for over a decade, and I wonder how he managed to keep his job. Why do you think you can still voice Muffy, a third grader, in her twenties?

ME: I think Muffy’s attitude has been and always will be accessible to me because I stay in close contact with the child in me. I play, I sing out loud, I do funny voices, I dress up and say what’s on my mind. As for the voice, it’s like riding a bicycle. Every time I get on, I know how to do it. I seem to go into automatic muffy mode! Also, our voice director always had a very clear idea of ​​how she wanted the characters to sound, so she would constantly bring us back on track if she felt the character’s voice was off or didn’t sound like it did the week before. That said, some days, if I’m not warmed up properly, it can be harder to maintain that tone or if I forget to breathe along my lines, I feel a little out of breath.

Stephanie: How does it feel to have been the only voice for Muffy? Has the character become like a family to you in any way?

ME: Yes, definitely. I find her quite adorable even though she can be tough and demanding. The good thing is that spoiled little Muffy always shows up and grows up in an episode and I think that’s great.

Stephanie: Over the past year, he has started teaching in a formal setting and now offers voiceover workshops in Toronto. What is her focus and what kind of students is she looking for?

ME: I created Voice Pro Studio last fall and I am very pleased with how well it has gone. I’m giving workshops to actors in Toronto who want to learn about the world of animation voice recording. I am also producing animation voice demos to help actors promote themselves and be heard.

Stephanie: If there were a few words of encouragement you could impart to someone who wants a career like yours in voice over animation, what would they be?

ME: Don’t be put off by the competition. Stay focused on what you have to offer even though it’s easy to get distracted by those trying to do the same around you. Training and promotion (doing a voice demonstration) is also very important. I also think it’s important to know what characters you’re good at playing, but at the same time don’t limit yourself to trying new things.