Today is my birthday! Just in time to celebrate I have finished my interview with DB Cooper:
"Being female, it's going to be a blast! And being a Yankee I think it's going to be wild. I'll be bringing my own very peculiar frame of reference and we're just going to see where it goes."
I have recently cast DB Cooper as the Doctor in my fan non-profit Doctor Who audio "A woman's Touch". DB Cooper is an professional voice actor with a huge fan base. She is most noted for the voices she has provided for video games.
I first came to know DB Cooper through my work for DAM productions. I voiced the part of a receptionist, while she got the more juicy role of the villain. I remember then being impressed with her obvious talent.
For some fans of Doctor Who, being female may make DB Cooper, seem like a controversial choice. So I asked her in February 2014 if she would kindly do an interview with me. I wanted the target audience for this project to get a chance to get to know DB Cooper in the meantime, while the work is being done to complete it!
Lee: "I happen to know that you were an Artist Model in the past. Did you enjoy that work and how did that work? Does it feel odd to see pictures of yourself from that time?"
DB Cooper: "I was an Artist's Model for a quite a few years in the late eighties and early nineties, because I knew a number of artists in the area. I either posed for sketch groups with professional artists, or single artists for a single project, or for the nearby college and other art schools. It's either very energetic and athletic— because you're doing lots of short dynamic poses— or something that requires you to be still for a very long time.
It was great fun meeting all the different artists. When I see the work done of me— with the exception of the very beginning students who really don't know how to draw yet, which can be a little daunting!—when you see what an accomplished artist has done, it really is quite gratifying! Because what you find out is, that you're really a lot more attractive than you think you are."
Lee: "How did you become a voice artist?"
DB Cooper: "I suppose I got my start because we had a reel to reel tape recorder in the house when I was growing up— my friends and I would make our own audio dramas.
I was on the radio starting at the age of nine! I became part of the afternoon radio program in Honolulu, on KGMB radio with Granny Goose— that was the personality's name. I called him up with the riddle one day, and I called him up the next day and I ended up just being part of his show for a number of years.
I was in drama in high school. I was in radio in high school, and in college. Also had drama in college. Then I ended up marrying into a theatre family and I came to New England in the mid eighties. A nearby radio station needed commercial voices and they came to the theatre, and I've been working as a voice actor ever since.
Lee: "I've had the privilege of working on a number of projects for
DAM Productions. Have you enjoyed making Doctor Who audios with DAM?"
DB Cooper: "DAM Productions' Doctor Who audio adventures, working with David Nagel, gave me the opportunity to create some wild characters, and I had an absolutely spectacular time."
Lee: "If I remember rightly you said to me that you are mostly familiar with Tom Baker and David Tenant eras of doctor Who. Are you a big fan of Doctor Who?"
DB Cooper: "I can't claim to be as great a fan as many people. I haven't seen all of the episodes. But I will say this: I am a great fan of the fans of Doctor Who!"
Lee: "I was so impressed with your acting that I cast you as the Doctor for my fan audio project: A Woman's Touch. Being only one of a very few female incarnations, what do you think you can bring to the role? How would you like to play (perform) the Doctor?"
DB Cooper: "Being female, it's going to be a blast! And being a Yankee I think it's going to be wild. I'll be bringing my own very peculiar frame of reference and we're just going to see where it goes."
Lee: "I know you are a professional voiceover artist, and your work has included video games. Could you please tell me more about your professional work?"
DB Cooper: "My favourite thing on earth, I love playing games and I really love to be in them.
Some of the notable titles that I'm in; Bioshock 2, Syndicate, Firefall. Recently, Go Home Dinosaurs and DC Universe Online. DC Universe Online recently released a new chapter in which I am up blood-spewing super villainess named Bleez. She's one of the Red Lanterns and she's such a fun role to play, because her key emotion is rage.
In Go Home Dinosaurs I'm probably about 30 different characters. From the player character that you play as— a little gopher who's trying to protect his Barbecue!— to the giant tyrannosaurus-rex. I play tough guys in battle and helpless people. It's great fun you have this wealth of characters you can play. It's not just the big games that are fun! Independent studios, the Indies, are putting out little games all the time— stuff you can play on a mobile device, a PC or Mac, short games, point-and-click games that have a nifty aspect of drama to them.
I've been anything from a Spanish lady, the old Spanish lady who gives you your mission, to a Russian fortune teller, to the English woman who is looking for her grandfather. So many wonderful roles, and so many really beautiful games."
Lee: "I kind of already know the answer to this. For my readers. How do you feel about having Doctor Daniel Jackson from Stargate-SG1 as your companion?"
DB Cooper: (laughs). "I can't wait!"
Lee: "I happen to know you are a big fan of the long running BBC radio soap The Archers. I have to say my uncle is also a big fan and listens to the omnibus addition every Sunday. Do they have The Archers on American radio? Lately I have been listening to it myself, or do you like me download the BBC pod-casts?"
Who are your favourite characters in The Archers?"
DB Cooper: "(Do they have The Archers on American radio? ) No. They. Don't! I have to get my Archers fix from
bbc.co.uk/archers every day. I get the podcast. I've got to listen every day or I seriously go into withdrawals.
(Who are your favourite characters in The Archers?) Can you have a favourite character? You know I really loved the Russian adventure recently, with Lillian and Matt. I love Matt! Lillian is as a scream. I think that Pat and Tony are a couple stiffs! I think Helen is the perpetual damsel in distress. I'm so glad that Tom is going to marry Kirsty, I think that Jennifer is an absolute prat! And when Pip was hanging out with that fellow in her college—I can't even remember his name— I just wanted to smack her. She's such a brat!
I cried when Nigel died. I love everybody and I don't think I could possibly pick a favourite character."
Lee: "I would like to take the time to thank you for doing this interview for me."
DB Cooper: "I am totally looking forward to our project Doctor Who A Woman's Touch. I'm looking forward to working with you. Eager to see what happens next!"
