(This article was written by Maddie Morrow and originally published in Temple of the Geek on June 6, 2022.)
Anime Riverside brought us incredible voice acting talent. Among those voice actors was Kayleigh McKee. She is known for dubbing the anime voices for Yuta Okkotsu in the hit anime movie Jujutsu Kaisen 0, Pina in Netflix’s BEASTARS, Tasuku Kuresawa in Sasaki and Miyano, and Testament in Guilty Gear Strive.
Kayleigh McKee is a transgender woman who has an inspirational story behind why she decided to become a voice actor. We asked Kayleigh why she chose to become a voice actor and if this was always something she had set out to do. Kayleigh said:
My dad…liked anime before I was born. And he also played tabletop RPGs. So he got me into anime and tabletop like, as a very young kid. And so I always loved them. And then I loved, like, cartoon network and things like that, and video games… I got into acting. I got into drawing. I was into anime and dungeons and dragons, you know, from a very very young age.
Kayleigh goes on to say:
As I grew older and I kept doing acting, I kept drawing, I really decided that it’s what I wanted to do with my life. And how better to synthesize art and acting than voice over where I give life to these characters. Especially with the range that I have as a trans-woman. You know, I don’t want to play men on-screen, but I will give voice to men, you know, male characters, with the range that I have.
We also asked Kayleigh, of the characters she voices, who she connects to the most. She said:
On a personal level, I think Yuta I connect with the most with life experiences. I’ve lost friends who were close to me. I’ve experienced that trauma. And I’ve also had a hard time in high school, and then I transferred high schools to a high school where I made new friends. And I was able to grow as a person and overcome some of that trauma that I had in my life. And I did a lot better at that new place. And that’s exactly what happens to Yuta.
You can follow Kayleigh on Twitter @GhaspeyVO and Instagram @ghaspeyvo. She also has a website where you can learn more about her career, personal history, and her art.
Anime Riverside is a convention put on by NERDBOT. NERDBOT also hosts Anime Pasadena. In Riverside, California, the Downtown area surrounding the Riverside Convention Center was turned into an exciting anime convention space on June 4th and 5th. Outside, there were carnival rides, food trucks, and a concert stage. Inside, the convention offered karaoke, a full artist alley, a variety of voice actor guests, and vendors. Anime Riverside also offered a gaming lounge with gaming competitions. Also, there was a free after-party for attendees on Saturday.
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