Try this new technique to shake up your voiceover auditions.

This fun exercise is great for breaking out of old ruts, assumptions and habits.

Gift of Gab: Cast Yourself—Using TV Characters to Shape Your Reads

Try this new technique to shake up your voiceover auditions. - 4:56

Hey guys, it’s Gabby—welcome to another edition of The Gift of Gab!Today’s video is about a technique I’ve been playing with lately in my coaching sessions, and I’ve gotta say—it’s been working like magic.

So if you’re a little bit of a TV junkie or someone who gets character-obsessed with shows, you’re going to love this.

Throwback Time: Which One Are You?

Let’s take a little walk down memory lane.Back in the ‘90s and early 2000s, when Sex and the City first hit the airwaves, every woman wanted to know: Are you a Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, or Charlotte?

It became this huge pop culture identity thing—people related deeply to these women. But today, we’re going to use that idea for something totally different—and very VO-friendly.

The Technique: Read It Like a Cast Member

Here’s what I’ve been doing with my students:We take ensemble casts from popular TV shows—ones you know and love—and we use them to inspire new ways of approaching scripts.

Why? Because these characters are fully developed. They have distinct personalities, speech patterns, rhythms, and emotional energies. And if you already know them well? You can channel those traits instantly.

Let’s say you’re stuck on a script—it’s just not clicking the way you want.Try this: Read the script as if you’re one of the characters from the show.

Seriously. Read it like Bailey from Grey’s Anatomy. Now try it again—as Yang. Wildly different, right?

Same words. Different take. Different voice. Different energy.

Pick the Right Show for the Script

• If it’s character work, go with sitcom casts (Friends, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Schitt’s Creek—whatever speaks to you).

• If it’s corporate narration, eLearning, or audiobooks, you might pull from more dramatic ensemble shows like Grey’s Anatomy, The West Wing, This Is Us, or even Breaking Bad.

• Anime fans—you already know how distinctive character voices are in your favorite series. Try this technique with your favorite dub cast.

The combinations are endless, and the results?Totally fresh reads. It’s playful. It’s creative. And it gets you out of your head.

Bonus Insight: Separate the Actor from the Character

One important reminder—when you do this, think about the character, not the actor.

People used to confuse Sarah Jessica Parker with Carrie Bradshaw. But they’re not the same. SJP is not actually Carrie—she just plays her.And the version you’re pulling inspiration from? That’s the character’s voice, energy, and worldview—not necessarily the performer’s real-life self.

Why This Works

This exercise gives you a chance to connect with a script from a completely new angle.It helps you flex your imagination. And most of all—it’s fun. Which is something we could all use more of.

So go ahead—give it a try. Let me know how it goes!

If you liked this tip, you can always reach out via my website, email me questions, leave a comment, like, subscribe, and yeah—hit the bell 🔔

Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you in the next one!

704-674-8294 / GabrielleNistico.com / gabby@voiceovervixen.com

Gabrielle Nistico, Gabby Nistico, The Voiceover Vixen, The Business First VO Coach, #VoiceoverVixen #VoiceOnFire #BusinessFirstVOCoach Voiceover, Charlotte, North Carolina, Voiceover Demo, Voiceover Coaching Advice, acting technique