Interview With Kate Higgins

- How did you get associated with voice acting?
- I was singing some songs for a project at a studio where a woman from Disney heard me. She hired me to do work on the Disney Channel, cause she liked my voice. Then it really just became about meeting people. Directors from Disney were also involved in anime. It's like any business, it's who you know.

- Did you aspire to be a voice-actor since the very beginning, or was it behind a whim or some chain of events?
- Well, like I said, I fell into it. I really didn't even know what it was. I always wanted to act, but didn't really think of voice acting. Although....when I was little , I used to make up commercials for products like tooth paste or something and loved being the announcer!

- You've done a lot of work voice-acting in video games, do you find working on video games harder than voice-acting in anime?
- Video games are pretty easy, but they can really hurt your voice. A lot of screaming and what-not.

- Do you have any special rituals or things you have to do to get into character?
- No rituals really. I just take a minute to really embody the character. Take on their facial expressions, stand like the character, etc. so I can really BE the character.

- You've done a big role in Naruto, quite the smash hit in Japan and almost everywhere for that matter, Sakura Haruno. How was it going for such a role knowing you'd have the pressure of exceeding to some level in the character?
- I never felt the pressure, cause I really didn't know just how big it was. In fact, I couldn't even go to the call-back for the part, cause I was out of town. But they gave it to me any way. That made me feel like I really "got" Sakura.

- The Japanese version of Sakura changes a lot from the starting point of the series - was it hard to capture this image going from shy and suppressed to a more aggressive in your re-make or did you strive to make your own Sakura from the start?
- Well, I have to take that kind of direction from the director. So she let me know when that transition was happening. I don't think it was hard, as I've been both shy and gutsy.

- You've also done a big part in a very popular anime as well, Karin Kurosaki in Bleach. Do you think you'll be a household name in anime in American soon enough seeing as you're being cast into big parts in series that are constantly growing in popularity world-wide?
- Well, I certainly hope so. I love doing it.

- To go along with these two, you've done several anime characters in different series. Any that have been your favorites or that you'll look upon and go "that was one great piece I did..."?
- Well, I think a lot of what I've done as Talho in Eureka Seven has been meaningful to me from an acting stand point. There's a lot of depth to her.

- You've done quite a lot of music as well as voice acting. Do you think your music background helped you with voice acting or vice versa? Did music push you towards using your voice to other endeavors?
- Being a singer/musician definitely helps with voice acting. I think I have a pretty good sense of timing, which helps when you're looping and needing to speed something up a tiny bit or slow down a tiny bit. The music background helps with the "music" of a phrase, and it has given me better control over my voice.

- We've heard of actors doing pranks to each other on movies-sets, but do voice-actors do them to each other while recording? And if you do, can you give us an example of what has been done to you or you have done recently?
- Well, since we're the only one in the booth doing anime, we can't really play pranks on anyone. Except the director. I will sometimes just say crazy things out of the blue where my line is supposed to go and the director's like "what?!!". The actors like to leave notes for each other on the scripts too. :-)

- Any animes you've always wanted to work on, but you haven't had the opportunity to work on?
- I think I'm pretty happy with what I'm doing.

- If you could have your choice of character, how he/she acted and was like in personality, what would that character be like? Please give some insight into what would be the perfect character to act.
- Insight into what would be the perfect character to act... I'd like to do someone really itchy! Who just gets to say whatever she wants whenever she wants. Probably, cause I'm not like that.

- Have you ever wished for a part in an anime or a cartoon so you could sing, just like in the older Disney productions back in the day? Or have you had a chance already to do so?
- Had a chance already to do so? I've been in some children's cartoon that involve singing, and I love it. But I'd really love to do a big Disney feature, like the Little Mermaid or something.

- Do you watch a lot of anime in particular on your free time? Have you ever watched something you've done yourself, like a couple of episodes of Naruto for example, and what were your thoughts on it if you did?
- Naruto for example, and what were your thoughts on it if you did? I have watched episodes of Naruto, because I like to see the work as a whole. Like I said before, we don't get to be in the booth with the other actors. I like it. I can be critical of myself sometimes though, but not a lot. In general I have fun watching it!

- What genre of anime or cartoons do you like to do especially? Any preference among e.g. comedy, serious drama, action or horror and why?
- I like them all really. But my least favorite to do is action, just because it can be exhausting. Lots of screaming and huffing and puffing! It can be taxing on the voice and really give you a headache! seriously... ;-)

- Any projects you're working on now? Mind letting us in on some inside information regarding the work you're doing?
- Well, I'm doing a couple of kids shows, that will be on in the new year. They're not anime - they're CGI and really cute. Just got done working on Everquest III, the video game, and a bunch of toys for kids. Came really close to getting a part on the X-Men series. I was bummed I didn't get it. Oh well, can't get them all!

We thank Kate for taking the time and talking to us. We wish her all the best for the future!

Catherine "Kate" Davis Higgins is a voice actress, singer, and jazz pianist, best known as the English voice of Sakura Haruno on the hit anime series Naruto, and more recently Saber from the anime Fate/Stay Night.

The interview was conducted on the 22nd of October, 2006.

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