Roger Craig Smith is the voice behind Sonic The Hedgehog and Batman, two characters having a big October with video game releases.
The Orange native has done voice-acting work for several prominent companies, including Disney, Sega and Viz Media. But he got his start on local stages.
“I liked trying to emulate the acts and timing of comedians,” Smith said in an email interview.
As a youth growing up in Orange County, he joined MYART (Musical Youth Artists Repertory Theatre), discovering a talent for stand-up comedy.
In high school, Smith’s teacher suggested he put “character voices in (his) stand-up act.” But eventually, Smith said he “realized that stand-up wasn’t looking to be a viable career for income.”
However, his character voices led to people asking him if he did voice acting. Smith, a graduate of Chapman University, seized that opportunity when he took a Los Angeles-based voice acting class.
“I enjoyed the class and started pounding the pavement in OC to drum up work,” he said. “After my first paid (voice-over) gig — I never looked back.”
Smith creates his characters by “listening to what my director/client wants and then playing around,” he said. “And even though the voice is what people hear, I think voice actors approach creating an actual character more than just a voice.”
“It’s all ‘acting is acting is acting is acting’ as an approach,” he added, “so the ‘voice’ is discovered as you try to shape a character based on the input from the client.
“That said, the background in theatrical work, as well as honing comedic timing from years of stand-up absolutely helps shape my version of Sonic’s character,” he added.
In addition to Sonic and Batman, Smith voices many other characters that may sound familiar in video games and cartoons. He voiced Chris Redfield in Resident Evil, Ezio of Assassin’s Creed, and Captain America in various Marvel adaptations. But perhaps his longest-running role is as the narrator on “Say Yes to the Dress,” a position he began in 2007 and continues to this day.
Sonic is a speedy blue hedgehog that became a mascot for the Sega brand after his first appearance in the early 1990s.
From 1986 to 2015, San Francisco served as Sega’s base of operations in the United States. But in 2015, the company moved to Irvine, right in Smith’s own backyard.
“It’s great whenever OC gets an entertainment company moving into the neighborhood,” he said.
Besides Sega, some other video game entertainment companies that have bases of operations in Orange County include Blizzard Entertainment, known for World of Warcraft, and Bandai Namco, known for the fantasy role-playing Tales series and Pac-Man.
Smith thinks the entertainment industry is so prevalent in Orange County, he said, because of the number of connected businesses and its livability.
“Orange County’s a great place to live, so you have a massive population with way more folks looking into entertainment for work because of the viable opportunities,” Smith said. “The fact that video game companies have realized how nice it is to live and work in the region means you’ll have a greater chance of folks who create careers of note in that industry living in OC. It’s either that, or there’s something in the water.”
Over his years in Orange County, Smith has worked with the Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
His association with the organization began when he visited a friend receiving treatment there during his time as a high school freshman. He admired CHOC’s health care team and facilities, he said. Years later, another friend was supporting the in-hospital radio station that entertains the young patients. Because of these connections, he got involved with the organization.
“The people at CHOC are amazing,” he said, “and I’m thrilled to have supported the organization.”
Smith’s latest game, Sonic X Shadow Generations, will be released on Oct. 25. Camouflaji and Meta Studios are set to release Batman: Arkham Shadow on Oct. 22.
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