I didn’t steal this trick. I was actually given this by the generous
and very talented, Russi Taylor. Russi does Minnie Mouse, which is pretty
impressive. Even more interesting is that her husband, Wayne, supplies
the voice for Mickey Mouse. It’s a small, small world. Go figure.
Russi and I were auditioning for a commercial and we were to be India
Indians. I couldn’t do it. It was the “black hole”
of my accent universe. She pointed to a place in her open mouth and
said, “Just put the tongue there and do British” and boom!
– Insta-India Indian.
Put the tip of your tongue up and about a half inch behind your central
teeth. This is where your hard palate begins deepening. Articulate as
much as you can from this position and use an English accent.
This, of course, is an entry-level accent. It can get you through a
one-liner though. It’s just amazing to me how one little adjustment
can affect all sorts of changes.
- Pat Fraley
Voice Actor
