Photo from Zenkaikon Entertainment.

On March 21, 2025, I had the opportunity to attend Zenkaikon, a convention in Lancaster near Moravian’s very own Theological Seminary, and host an interview with Michael Kovach, an accomplished voice actor known for his work in The Amazing Digital Circus, Hazbin Hotel, Lackadaisy, and more.

During our conversation, he shared insights into his creative process, the nature of the industry, and a sort of behind-the-scenes look at the world of voice acting – one that’s almost as interesting as the characters he plays. What does it take to find your voice? Let’s find out. 

Have you ever improvised any lines that made it into the final cut of a project you’ve been working on?

Oh, plenty. I’ve definitely done that for a few things. 

 From the Hazbin Hotel pilot on YouTube, I had an improvised line – I didn’t expect this to go into the final product, but we were talking about the inhabitants of Hell because it takes place in Hell. We had one line where I just kind of offhandedly said, “I got a bunch of effing harlequin babies down here.” I just said it as a joke, and it ended up in the final product. There are other examples of that that happen all the time.

Usually, I incorporate weird little noises and quirks into characters. As far as lines go, that happens all the time. That’s kind of the joy of getting to work independently with some creators. They’re very lax about letting you put a little more of yourself into a character and play around. And it’s really fun! I love exploring characters and adding things that weren’t originally on the paper.

What inspired you to pursue a career in voice acting?

Oh my god, I just loved cartoons. As a kid, I loved Sonic the Hedgehog.

 And just cartoon characters. I would listen to Mickey Mouse, for instance. Mickey Mouse is one of those characters where you hear the voice, and you know it’s Mickey Mouse. Like, instinctively, you recognize it – that high-pitched, very in-the-back-of-the-throat kind of sound. But you don’t know who the voice actor is. You just know the character.

That always fascinated me – just knowing, “Okay, I don’t know who the people are that actually do this, I just know their voices.” That was inspiring to me. So, I wanted to learn more about the actual people behind it and what went into all of that. And yeah, that’s what inspired me – cartoons and hearing cartoon character voices, seeing how people do that.

How do you typically prepare for a new role?

So, typically for new roles, we audition first. We’re given audition sides, and sometimes we see what the character looks like, and get a little backstory on who they are. Sometimes they even have voice references – ideas of previous performances that are similar to what they envision.

I take all those qualities into perspective. Let’s say I take Angel Dust, just because that was the first big role I got to do. That character is an Italian mobster from a crime family. Very effeminate. Very feminine. So, their voice is in a more neutral, androgynous kind of place.

A really stupid one? They don’t have a nose. So, I made their voice a little nasally. You know, little things like that – quirky things you don’t really think about. This character doesn’t have a nose? Let’s make them a little more nasally.

A lot of it boils down to what this character has been through. What are their motivations? How has life affected them?

For example, another cartoon I work on, called Lackadaisy, has a character named Rocky. He’s a generally young dude, but we wanted his voice to be a bit more rugged, a bit more rough, like he smoked a bunch of cigarettes, even though he’s not a smoker. That reflects his rough upbringing.

So, it’s just little things like that. You think about why a character sounds the way they do and how life has shaped them.

Do you have a favorite project you’ve worked on?

A favorite project? Digital Circus is a really cool one. My friend Gooseworx is the creator, and I’ve been friends with her for years. I’ve always adored her work – before Digital Circus, she did the music for Hazbin Hotel and made cartoons like Little Runmo, Ghost of the Year, and The Pink City.

Her comedy, her writing, her character designs – they’re all fantastic. It’s a privilege to work with her again, especially on something that has blown up the way Digital Circus has. 

Also, I just love the very goofy aesthetic of it. It’s super colorful and fun.

If you could give any advice to aspiring voice actors, what would it be?

Don’t wait until you’re ready, just do it now. Because if you wait until you’re ready, you’ll never be ready. Just get started.

Maybe don’t go all in and start applying to agencies right away, because you’re definitely not ready for that. But don’t hesitate on starting with smaller things. Most of us aren’t going to be great at first, and that’s okay.

If you hesitate too long, you might never start because you’ll never feel ready.

Are there any actors or fellow voice artists who have influenced your style?

As far as my style goes, I looked up to a lot of the classics, Tom Kenny, Rob Paulsen, Jim Cummings, Frank Welker. Mostly older cartoon voice actors.

I don’t know if I’ve necessarily taken inspiration from them in terms of style, but I definitely developed certain quirks from doing impressions of their characters growing up.

Can you think of the most challenging voice role you’ve ever recorded?

Doughy from Poppy Playtime. Doughy is an amalgamation of three children merged into one giant Play-Doh monster. Each child has their own personality. One is a kind-hearted leader. One is a goofy, emotional kid. One is bratty and angry.

They constantly fight for control, so I had to keep in mind who was talking at any given moment. Sometimes, mid-line, the voice would shift between personalities. That was a real challenge to balance.

Is there anything people might not realize about being a voice actor?

Many people think it’s super easy, you just walk into a room, talk, and act. And sometimes, for experienced voice actors, it is that easy, but only because we spent years honing our craft.

It’s like being a carpenter or a skilled tradesperson. If an expert finishes a job in an hour, you’re not just paying for that hour; you’re paying for their experience.

Finally, are there any particular roles you’d like to voice in the future?

I love playing silly, goofy, almost himbo-like characters; they’re just full of life and positivity.

But I don’t often get cast as intimidating, serious characters. I usually play either silly or angsty roles. So, I’d love to take on a truly serious, stern character at some point.