Hey Adventurers!

Thanks for checking out this week's MythForce interview with the voice behind Maggie, actress Nazneen Contractor!

Nazneen Contractor is an Indian-born Canadian actress best known for her role as Layla Hourani on CBC's The Border, and as Kayla Hassan on 24. She has also appeared in the films Star Trek Into Darkness and Spiral, and she has a recurring voice role as Synara San in Star Wars Resistance.

What's the unique challenge of voice acting as opposed to stage or screen acting?

I equally love screen, stage and voice acting. I love each of them for very different reasons but all the same, just like one would love their children. I wouldn't say voice acting is a challenge but rather a very unique opportunity to actually be free as an actor. You needn't worry about what your face is doing like you would on-camera work. You can just focus on the character, the scene, the moment, and not be limited by your physical expression or appearance. I can be a high schooler, a superhero, an ancient evil queen, the Goddess of Love, a magician, a homeroom teacher. I can work in a group or alone in a studio. And I can stay in my pajamas the whole time! I find voice work so liberating and entirely satisfying.

How did you first become involved in voice acting?

I kind of fell into it by chance. The business manager for my husband (who was then my boyfriend) had a client who was producing an animated pilot for FOX about an East Indian Family living in California called “Rancho Cucamonga.” One night, the business manager was out to dinner with the producer and he called me and said “Hey Nazneen, you do great impressions of your family. You do voice acting right?" I promptly responded, “Yes, of course!” even though I had only done a couple of things in the past. I auditioned for the daughter and the mother and after three auditions booked the mom role. Russell Peters played my husband, and Mark Hamill (yes, the Mark Hamill) played my father! Unfortunately, the pilot did not get picked up, but I got amazing voice representation who still look after me today.

What most appeals to you about the character of Maggie?

I love Maggie's dry humor and wit. It's part of her coping mechanism to compensate for the fact that she is so young and yet so talented. I also love the way she speaks to the “copies” of herself, constantly referring to them as “Evil Maggie.” That makes me giggle every time I say it. She's brave and courageous and not afraid to poke fun at herself. She takes her work seriously but not herself seriously.

When you were growing up, what was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon?

Gosh, so many favorite cartoons growing up were those that I discovered only after I moved to North America at the age of seven. I used to watch Ghostbusters, She-ra, He-man, G.I. Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers, and Duck Tales. I watched a ton as a kid and am still a fan of animation. It's so wonderful re-watching some of these cartoons as an adult with my own kids. Makes me appreciate how good they were and how their stories stand the test of time.

What's your favorite video game? Or do you have a favorite memory of playing video games?

I loved Tetris and Super Mario 3 for the Gameboy. I got one for my 10th birthday, and that Gameboy was my best friend for the next two years, no joke! I loved that you could connect it to another Gameboy and play as a pair in Super Mario Brothers or against each other in Tetris. I also loved Street Fighter. We never had it in the house, but I'd always play it on my friend's older brother's console, when he'd let us.

Where can people follow you on social media?

Instagram: @msnazneencontractor

Twitter: @MsNazContractor

That's a wrap for today's interview. Tune in next week for an interview with the voice behind Hawkins, Alex Spencer.