Lili Wexu is an accomplished American/Canadian voice-over actress with a black belt in two languages (French Canadian and North American English). With over 25 years of experience in her field, she has written a Voice Acting bible called “Get Clever About Voice Acting & Announcing”. These three concise e-books are a must for aspiring and experienced voice actors who wish to carve a path for themselves in today’s voice acting business.
If you could give your past self some advice, what would you tell yourself?
As an ambitious, driven, and goal-oriented career woman, I would tell my younger self to trust the process of learning and growing instead of being obsessed with “getting there”. As the years go by, I’ve come to realize that we never truly “arrive”. There is always more to perfect and more to learn, so why spend years feeling behind the eight ball when we’re always exactly where we need to be? In the end, successes and milestones happen in their own time anyway.
Do you have a mantra or phrase you live by? What is it?
I’m a fast thinker and a fast mover, and as the years go by, I often have to slow down. My grandfather, an electrical engineer who built one of my voice-over studios, often said, “Go slower. It will be faster”. The more experienced I become, the more I can give credence to those words. Whether it comes to professional matters (auditions, jobs, building a studio, etc.) or personal ones, going slower is always better. And let’s face it, rushing usually leads to backtracking, which is often a slower and costlier path.
What is your number one priority when it comes to your career and daily work?
I always strive for excellence in my work, no matter what it takes. I also like to keep my sanity, which can be challenging given the speed at which things move these days. Excellence often takes time, so keeping my sanity can be a struggle, but both are worth preserving and fighting for.
What is your favourite thing about what you do in your career and why?
My favourite thing is reading great scripts that feel like they were written for me. There is nothing more satisfying. It’s like wearing a perfectly tailored dress at a great event!
What do you have going on that you’d like to share?
I’ve written three e-books about voice acting, and it’s been so rewarding to get feedback from readers who feel they have a companion to help them navigate the jungle that is the voice acting industry. I also post Youtube videos and share the things I (still) learn every day. These two endeavours are slowly coalescing into a curriculum of interactive online voice acting classes. It’s exciting (when time permits)!
