I Am Absolutely Framing This Quote From Anime Producer, Director, and Voice Actress Colleen Clinkenbeard About Careers Not Being Linear

In celebration of Women’s History Month (and today being International Women’s Day), I got the chance to chat with anime voice actress, producer, and ADR director Colleen Clinkenbeard. Like a lot of anime industry folks who have been at this for, in Clinkenbeard’s case, almost two decades, I had the total embarrassing fangirl moment of realizing that I’ve been watching her progress through the industry for years. While I definitely recognize her for characters like My Hero Academia’s Yaoyorozu, One Piece’s Luffy, and my recent love of one quirkily overprotective SK8 the Infinity mom, Nanako Hasegawa, I had no clue that she was ALSO in Kiddy Grade, an anime I enjoyed back in 2004. Anime just be like that sometimes.

You may also know Clinkenbeard as an ADR director, with credits such as My Hero Academia, Full Metal
Alchemist, Steins;Gate, Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle,
xxxHolic, Black Butler, Kiddy Grade, Kodocha, Negima, Moon Phase, Aquarion, Code Breaker,
Fractale, Kenichi, let’s just say that Clinkenbeard has quite an extensive resume.

The two of us discussed Clinkenbeard’s introduction to anime and her work in the industry, but it was her advice for women hoping to have a career in anime that really stuck with me, because I realized I had, unknowingly, done the exact same thing she talked about.

How did Colleen Clinkenbeard get into anime?

A lot of the voice actors I’ve interviewed have talked about discovering anime by accident. Back in the day you’d come across it while flipping through channels, or if you’re like me, a random kid in your class would talk about “this cartoon that wasn’t really a cartoon” and you’d give into curiosity and discover something like Vampire Hunter D.

Clinkenbeard’s introduction into anime is the exact opposite. “I didn’t watch anime growing up. I didn’t have any experience with anime, I did not know what anime was until I met Laura Bailey.” Bailey, in case you don’t know, has voiced a good portion of my teenage anime upbringing. From young Trunks in Dragon Ball Z, Keiko in Yu Yu Hakusho, Tohru in Fruits Basket, the list goes on. Bailey, as it turns out, was Clinkenbeard’s roommate and best friend for years, and would end up becoming her gateway into anime. “I came into anime as a professional first, as somebody who was auditioning so I could make money in the industry. Then, together, we started watching all of Fruits Basket (Clinkenbeard’s first anime), and then we watched Kodocha (which Clinkenbeard would go on to direct). It all kinda went bam, bam bam!”

Clinkenbeard went on to say what really made her into an anime fan was the fandom. Seeing everyone’s love and enthusiasm for anime got her to watch more of it. “It’s so much fun to fangirl with people about things!” Clinkenbeard is also, well, a huge nerd, proudly declaring that it’s all over her house and it’s what she and her husband bond over. The jump into anime wasn’t “a far jump,” she said. “I love shows and books and movies and games with complicated magical systems and fantastical creatures. I fit right in.”

She also took the time to talk about other women in the industry who inspire her. “I’m inspired by anyone who is able to work in the industry and still keep a level head and be themselves. The entertainment industry makes it so easy to lose yourself and end up imitating whoever you see as a successful version of what you are trying to be,” she said. “People who can maintain their own voice, embrace competition and opposing ideas, and manage to be kind while doing so, are definitely worth watching. Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Luci Christian come to mind.”

And, to add to her nerd status, she included some fictional women, too. “Hana in Wolf Children or Egwene in Wheel of Time.”

Her advice for women looking to get into the industry

When I asked Clinkenbeard what advice she had for women looking to get into the anime industry, what she said resonated with me in a way I didn’t expect. That’s because working with anime in such a way hadn’t been her initial plan—and when I stop and think about it, nor had it been mine.

Here’s what she told me:

Mostly I encourage people to seek diversity in their careers. Don’t pigeon-hole your dreams and say something silly like, “I’m going to be an anime voice actor.” That’s setting yourself up to be disappointed if it doesn’t happen the way you envision it. A career should not be linear. Take every opportunity that is offered if it sounds even a little bit interesting or if it could educate you in any way. If you’re acting, write your own content. If you’re directing, inquire about producing. If you’re still looking for any way in… look into interning or engineering school, or workshops with established VAs. There is no one path, but if you don’t take any steps then you’ll never find your own.

When I was growing up, I knew that I wanted to be a writer. What that meant to me, at the time, was writing a book that would go on to become a bestseller/animated series/fanfiction tag on your favorite fanfic site. I still very much have that dream, but along the way, my goal to be a “writer” has gone in directions I never planned for. To be honest, I didn’t really have any interest in journalism until I saw a panel at an anime convention about writing for an anime-themed website. I was in college at the time, so up until that point, all I was focused on was writing fiction. Over the years I’ve stepped outside of that box as I learned that there are so many aspects to writing and so many ways to go about it.

Trying to take a linear path would’ve meant missing out on opportunities I didn’t even think were possible.

The same can be said for Clinkenbeard, who didn’t even have anime on her radar at first. She was already a professional when she discovered anime and could’ve easily turned away from it, but instead, she embraced it. And even when she embraced the voice acting side, she went on to do more in the industry. “Starting out it took me a while to get used to directing myself, and then to trust other actors so that the project as a whole encompasses many different voices rather than sounding homogenous. Nowadays most of my time is spent producing, so it’s a luxury when I get to direct or act and flex the creative muscle a bit.”

I really appreciate the advice on careers not having to follow a set path. A lot of times, it can feel like they’re supposed to, and I’ve certainly gotten upset when my vision board took a massive detour (hello 2020, my old friend). You want to do (insert career), therefore, you follow (insert steps), but we all reach a point where those steps don’t pan out the way you expected. This can lead to a lot of frustration as you scramble to try and figure out how to get back on track, but maybe the solution is to go in a slightly different direction.

It’s okay if you want to do a particular thing, just be open to the idea of doing other variations of it. In the case of voice acting, be open to voice acting in other mediums, or even doing other things within the industry. With me and writing, I’m still chasing that bestseller dream, but there’s no reason why I can’t write reviews, think pieces, and cool interviews along the way.

For funsies, here’s her three favorite moments from her time in the anime industry

“I’m totally going to cheat on this one, so prepare yourself,” Clinkenbeard said when I challenged her to keep her favorite moments down to three. “First, the longevity of recording Luffy in One Piece. I love that we’ve been able to see this story through for so long, and it is my biggest career goal to see it through to the end.”

Ah, it’s good to know that Clinkenbeard is going to have a voice acting gig FOR LIFE, as One Piece will NEVER end.

“Second, directing Full Metal Alchemist, Steins;Gate, and My Hero Academia (see, I told you I’d cheat).” LOL, I guess I can let it slide. “And three, the deeply emotional roles I’ve been able to tap into where I feel like I really met the character where they lived and got to bring the original intention to the fans. Hana in Wolf Children, Akito in Fruits Basket, Riza Hawkeye in Full Metal Alchemist, and so on.” That’s also kinda sorta cheating and breaking that “three moments” challenge, but when you got a resume this stacked, it’s unfair to try and narrow down your achievements.

(Image: Colleen Clinkenbeard/Crunchyroll)

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