Jeff Garlin is an actor whose boisterous, raspy voice has been put to use in live-action and voiceover projects for years, but he remembers his debut with a certain Disney project having an irrevocable impact on the way he speaks.
A raspy-voiced Jeff Garlin appeared on the “Fly on the Wall” podcast on Wednesday, talking to hosts David Spade and Dana Carvey about his career timed to the release of his debut photography book “Best Seat in the House.” Early into the appearance, the actor spoke about his signature gruffness, citing his days filming “WALL-E” as the genesis for his current vocal quality.
“I didn’t know how to do voice work properly, and so, you know, you do like three-hour sessions, you’re in a little studio thing, and every one of my things — and I recorded for three years — at the end was me yelling and screaming,” Garlin said of his time on the iconic Disney/Pixar project. “It became this, and it’s permanent. I went to a voice doctor.”
“Who did you play in the movie, Lewis Black?” Spade quipped, noting that Garlin’s voice sounded raspier than usual.
The subject came up initially because the actor — also known for “The Goldbergs” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” — often doesn’t get recognized in public until he opens his mouth to speak.
“People see me sometimes and they’re like ‘Oh!’ you know? But generally, I go through the day until I talk,” Garlin said. “The grocery store, nobody bugs me. I get in the lane, and then a bunch of people go, ‘I thought it was you!’”
You can watch the full interview below.
In “WALL-E,” Garlin played Captain B. McCrea, the head of the Axiom ship where humanity’s last remnants have lived after abandoning the trashed and polluted Earth. Garlin called it one of the roles he is “most proud of” alongside his turn on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
This interview comes amid Garlin’s press tour for his photography book. Also on Wednesday, the actor appeared on Ted Danson’s “Where Everybody Knows Your Name,” speaking about his abrupt departure from “The Goldbergs” which he said involved mental health struggles and an on-set eruption.
