Hello Beautiful People,
Will Townsend is best known for the voice of Elliot in the animated film, Open Season. 
Elliot, Boog and all your favorite woodland creatures are back in a brand new, comedy adventure, OPEN SEASON: SCARED SILLY. When a case of mistaken identity leads both humans and animals to believe there is a monstrous werewolf on the prowl in Timberline National Forest, former hunter Shaw seizes on the opportunity to re-open open season. With Shaw on the loose and all the animals at risk, it’s now up to Boog, Elliot, and Mr. Weenie to face their fears, track down the elusive werewolf, and get open season closed permanently.
I’m so happy to feature him in our latest Actors & Actresses Q&A Series.
MM: When did you know you wanted to be an actor?
WT: I actually never intended to to an actor or voice actor, but sort of fell backwards into it. I had done a bunch of school plays in middle school, but nothing more than that. I moved out to LA with an intention of getting into marketing, but now I get to be a voice actor.
Long story ahead: So before they animate anything for an animated movie, they start with basic storyboards (simple black and white drawings) to figure out the pace of the movie and the timing of the jokes. This process takes many months, and involves little tweaks to the script every single day. So, instead of bringing in the professionals every single day, they have people in our office provide the storyboard voices (called scratch voices) and then bring in the professionals at the end of the process for the final cut. I was asked to do the scratch voice for Elliot, since I sound and act like him, and then Mr. Weenie the German Wiener dog when they found out I used to do a silly German accent for the kids at a summer camp I worked at growing up. It was an awesome experience and I thought that was the extent of my acting career. But then the director did something awesome and included my scratch lines in with the audition tapes from a bunch of professional actors. The executives liked my takes on the characters ended up casting me for both parts. After the whole experience of recording the movie for the final cut, I decided this was the coolest thing I have ever done and will definitely be pursuing more voice acting opportunities in the future.
So I knew I wanted to be an actor once I had already booked a feature length film. Not the most typical way to do it, but I have no complaints.
MM: What books are permanently on your bookshelf?
WT: The Stand by Stephen King: The author’s extended version was incredibly long, but was still one of the most captivating books I have ever read.
-The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster: This is my favorite book from childhood. It continues to entertain me with it’s creativity and humor even after reading it for twenty years.
-The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard: A new book, written by one of my best friends, that is taking over the YA book scene.
MM: What animated character is most like you? Least like you?
WT: Ironically, Elliot from Open Season is the character most like me. I am extremely enthusiastic, overly energetic, and love going on adventures with friends, just like him. He may be slightly more idiotic than myself, but my friends will tell you otherwise. It was a natural fit to voice a character that is just like me.
Probably Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. I’m a very positive person, so I think a mopey donkey would be the least like me.
MM: Why would you advocate for arts education in schools?
WT: Art education in schools gives children a chance to express their creativity. It’s a positive outlet for kids of any background to express themselves in ways that aren’t available in a textbook. Art Education, including music, dance and theater gives children tools to express their emotions in healthy ways and encourages creativity to build and design. We need art education to motivate kids to develop the next line of technology, new music or movie for the future. Without these outlets, kids will struggle to grow these skills.
MM: What’s the best piece of advice you could offer an aspiring actor?
WT: To stay positive and friendly to everyone that you meet. Not only is it the right thing to do, but in an industry built entirely on ‘who you know,’ this will open many doors for you.
MM: Who is/was your greatest teacher?
WT: Dr. Jim Gantt of Lake Forest High School was the greatest teacher I ever had. He taught AP World History, but through his actions taught how to be a better person. He always motivated his students to think a step beyond the obvious answer, to understand not only how something happened but more importantly why something happened, and to take that extra step in everything that you do even if that means stepping out of your comfort zone. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us and able to motivate the next wave of students. But the impact he had on me will never be forgotten.
Live, Love, Learn,