Anglotopia Podcast: Episode 58 – Ian Russell – British Voice Actor – Cultural Insights from an Expat in South Carolina

In this episode of the Anglotopia podcast, host Jonathan Thomas speaks with Ian Russell, a British voice actor who transitioned from a successful banking career in the UK to voice acting in the United States. Ian shares his journey of adapting to life in South Carolina, the cultural differences he has encountered, and how his British accent has become a unique asset in the American voice acting industry. The conversation also touches on the challenges of maintaining British traditions, the humor differences between the two cultures, and the importance of networking in a new environment. Ian reflects on his experiences as an expat and the evolving nature of his British identity while living in America.

Links

• Ian Russell's Official Website
• Ian Russell Instagram
• Ian Russell Facebook
• Ian Russel LinkedIn

Takeaways

• Ian transitioned from banking to voice acting after moving to the US.
• His British accent has become a significant asset in his voice acting career.
• Cultural differences between the UK and the US have impacted his family.
• Networking in the US is more direct compared to the UK.
• He has embraced American customs like Thanksgiving and Halloween.
• Ian's daughters have adapted differently to life in the US.
• He has faced challenges in voice acting, including accent expectations.
• Tea culture in the US is vastly different from the UK.
• Humor styles differ significantly between British and American cultures.
• Ian plans to spend more time in both the UK and the US as an empty nester.

Sound Bites

On His Career Transition:

"I volunteered as tribute, you know, and they let me go. And then we said, well, what are we going to do next? And so we went, let's sell up. Let's move to the US."

On His British Accent as a Professional Asset:

"You kind of stand out don't you? In a crowd of people there might be 400 people in a room and you probably might well be the only Brit so you stand out and that makes you memorable."

On Cultural Differences in Business:

"In the UK, we're also apologetic about everything... 'Well, I if you really must have my card, you know, that sort of thing.' Whereas here it's like, 'here, buddy, take my card. If you need a voiceover, give me a give me a shout.'"

On Voice Acting Challenges:

"Most British actors think they can do an American accent and most American actors think they can do a British accent. And probably most of the time we can tell."

On Tea Culture Shock:

"They got some iced tea and put it in the microwave to heat it up... I had sweet iced tea with creamer. I was I couldn't drink it."

On American Assumptions:

"Are you from Australia? And I think they sense that I'm from somewhere else, but they're not quite sure where. And so they pick Australia because maybe it's a bit more exotic."

On British Heritage in America:

"Almost every American will claim to have English, Irish or Scottish heritage. And I think that's a desire for the root, where am I from?"

On His Unique Position:

"My naivety when I arrived, I thought I'll be the only one. And of course, I'm not. There's dozens and dozens. But most of us are friends now."

Chapters

• 00:00 From Banking to Voice Acting: A New Journey
• 02:49 Cultural Adaptation: Life in South Carolina
• 05:32 The Voice Acting Transition: Embracing New Opportunities
• 08:25 Cultural Differences: Comparing the UK and the US
• 11:03 Networking and Business Culture: A New Perspective
• 13:55 The Evolution of British Identity in America
• 16:46 Challenges and Memorable Roles in Voice Acting
• 19:34 The Power of Accent: A Unique Asset
• 22:21 Authenticity in Casting: Misconceptions and Realities
• 29:05 Cultural Differences: Tea and Traditions
• 34:34 Assumptions and Misconceptions: Being British in America
• 36:55 Missing Home: British Culture and Food
• 38:34 Embracing American Customs: Holidays and Sports
• 42:27 Humor Across Cultures: British vs. American Comedy
• 44:46 Language and Expressions: Code-