--- title: Speaking <i>Up</i>: How to Be a Cartoon Voice | TIME description: John Ratzenberger—who appears in Pixar's 'Up' and all nine of the studio's other movies—teaches Rebecca Keegan the tricks to voicing animated films canonical: https://time.com/video/CNLB6TCP/ og:title: Speaking <i>Up</i>: How to Be a Cartoon Voice og:description: John Ratzenberger—who appears in Pixar's 'Up' and all nine of the studio's other movies—teaches Rebecca Keegan the tricks to voicing animated films og:url: https://time.com/video/CNLB6TCP/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/CNLB6TCP/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Speaking <i>Up</i>: How to Be a Cartoon Voice twitter:description: John Ratzenberger—who appears in Pixar's 'Up' and all nine of the studio's other movies—teaches Rebecca Keegan the tricks to voicing animated films twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/CNLB6TCP/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # Speaking _Up_: How to Be a Cartoon Voice > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: Speaking Up: How to Be a Cartoon Voice [Watch (HLS stream): Speaking Up: How to Be a Cartoon Voice](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/CNLB6TCP.m3u8) (6:05) ![Speaking Up: How to Be a Cartoon Voice](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/CNLB6TCP/poster.jpg?width=720) _Published 2009-05-29. John Ratzenberger—who appears in Pixar's 'Up' and all nine of the studio's other movies—teaches Rebecca Keegan the tricks to voicing animated films_ --- Jul 27, 2023 1:10 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [Airbnb Lists Replica of Pixar’s Balloon 'Up' House](/video/i0htzkh9/) ### Airbnb Lists Replica of Pixar’s Balloon 'Up' House [Pixar's 5 Biggest Cash Cows](/video/ULnrf3sH/) ### Pixar's 5 Biggest Cash Cows [World Premiere\! Pixar's 'Inside Out' Trailer 2](/video/QRsX9PpE/) ### World Premiere! Pixar's 'Inside Out' Trailer 2 --- ## Transcript >> Today, John Ratzenberger teaches me how to find my cartoon voice. >> Uh, no. Yes. Tell your boss over there that you boys are ruining our house. I'm Rebecca Keegan and I used to be the Hollywood correspondent for Time magazine. Sweet gig, right? Well, when the economy nosedived, I became a full- time freelancer and now, I'm pounding the pavement, working my movie industry contacts to try and get a job in Hollywood. Most people know him as Cliff Clavin, the know- it- all barfly from Cheers. But John Ratzenberger has another unique claim. He's the only actor to voice a role in all 10 of Pixar's movies. John has played a piggy bank, a flee, an abominable snowman, a school of fish, a tractor- trailer, a waiter, a kinda slothy guy in the future, and in Up, a construction foreman. >> Hey, good morning Mr. Fredricksen. Need any help there? >> Up is the story of a 78- year- old balloon salesman named Carl Fredricksen voiced by Ed Asner. >> Oh, for the love of- >> Carl's house is surrounded by a construction site overseen by John Ratzenberger's good- natured foreman, Tom. >> Well, just to let you know, my boss would be happy to take this whole place off your hands and for double his last offer. >> Fulfilling a life- long dream, Carl ties a bunch of balloons to his house and flies away to South America. >> So long, boys. >> I'm hoping John will teach me the tricks of the voice actor trade so maybe someday soon, I can voice a piggy bank or a slothy guy or something. I hear that Pixar kinda considers you their lucky charm. >> Yeah, it's- >> They cast you in every movie. >> Some- I'm right there with you. Equivalent of a rabbit's foot. >> It's not just luck. John has the skills. -" You doin' all right -?" " Hey, Jimmy. Put my boot in my hay ." " A'right, you're yank, are ye ?" >> This guy can find a voice in anything. Even inanimate objects. >> If you animated these 2 objects, they'd be 2 different voices. >> Right. >> So, like, " Hey, how ya doing ?" " Oh, it's good to see you. Are there any books that- can you sell me a book ?" You know, " Hey, baby ," you know, " slow down ," you know. So, you've got 2 different personalities. >> Before I get to tackle a Pixar character, John gives me a more basic assignment; creating a voice for a stuffed animal. What do you do once you look at it and you are trying to come up with its sound? >> Well, that expression, " the eyes are the window to the soul ?" >> Uh huh. >> What do her eyes tell you? >> Well, she looks sort of sweet and content and like a happy little- >> She looks very happy. >> Yeah. >> And energetic. >> Uh huh. >> And earnest. >> Uh huh, yeah. >> So, there's- >> She's not- she's not snooty or- yeah. >> That's- So, try putting that in your voice. Let's just say a line. You know, " Mommy, can I have some orange juice ?" Okay? You're a little puppet. I want you to stand over there- >> Okay. " Mommy, I just left the mall and I want some orange juice. Please ?" I don't know why she had- >> That's great. >> to say mall. She's from Long Island. >> Yeah. But that's- See, that's perfect. >> Well, that's kind of fun, actually. >> Yeah. >> Now, I'm ready for the real deal. Voicing Ed Asner's old man character in Up opposite John as the construction foreman. >> Remember, it's the eyes being the window into the soul. >> Right. >> So- >> All right. Here we go. This will be take 1. >> See, I can't hear anything. >> Now- >> Okay, here we go. >> I have one more question. >> Sure. >> My throat's starting to hurt. >> Uh huh. >> Does that happen to you? >> No. >> No? >> Why is your throat hurting? Because you're- Is that why you're- >> I think 'cause I'm trying to sound like an old man and it's- >> Well- >> like right here. >> The more you do it, the less it'll hurt. >> Really? >> It's like any other muscle. The more you do it, the muscle- it recognizes that, " Okay, this is part of the deal now ." >> Old man voice done. >> That's right. >> Just bring it. >> Uh huh. >> All right. >> Hey, g'morning Mr. Fredricksen. Need any help there? >> Uh, no. Yes. Tell your boss over there that you boys are ruining our house. >> Well, just to let you know, my boss would be happy to take this whole place off your hands and for double his last offer. What do you say to that? >> Next, it's time for playback where the recording engineer syncs our performance to the real animation in the film. >> Hey, g'morning Mr. Fredricksen. Need any help there? >> Uh, no. Yes. Tell your boss over there that you boys are ruining our house. >> Well, just to let you know, my boss would be happy to take this whole place off your hands and for double his last offer. What do you say to that? >> There we were. That was us. Since I'm not a beloved character from one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, I asked John for some more attainable ways to get started in the biz. >> This is a business like any other business; you want to find someone who's got an entrée into that business. It's usually an agent- >> Uh huh. >> because that's what they do and then make yourself a tape. >> Uh huh. >> And the tape should be- do different voices. Do an old man, do a baby, do your version of what a dog is or kitty. >> And what about things that have more to do with sort of growing as a- as an actor or an artist or, you know, being able to have the background that you do to- >> Uh huh. >> to put some character in a character? Is there anything you can do to learn that? >> Uh huh. Read. >> Read? >> Read as much as you can. Read good books. The classics are the classics for a reason. >> Uh huh. Inspired by John's advice, I get to work in my home studio on my cartoon voice demo tape. I am a leprechaun. Like a leprechaun. Hey. Huh? Mama. Eew. Hey ya, hippie. Ah- Oh, yeah. Up opens May 29th. >> Hey, how ya doin' lad? Well, come on in here. 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