CHRISTIAN HEDLUND TALKS SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
"You jump straight into the recording"
Daniel John
This isn’t the case in most parts of the world, but in Sweden, dubbed voices are almost exclusively associated with animated films. Perhaps that gives them an extra kind of magic, the voices become so closely tied to childhood experiences that later turn into nostalgia. Hearing them again instantly transport you back to being a kid. Is there a voice that give you that feeling?
Absolutely. The feeling you describe is what drove me into this profession. I’ve wanted to do this ever since I was six years old! One voice that takes me back is Annica Smedius, who voiced both the Tommy and Angelica characters in 'Rugrats'. I really loved that series as a child, and Annica’s voice was what truly made me realize that voice acting was an actual profession.
When did you do your first voice acting role?
My very first professional role was in an Ajax commercial in 2003. I got it after doing a voice test and managing to get into the voice bank of one of Sweden’s largest voice acting-agencies at the time.
You are now the Swedish voice for Sonic the Hedgehog in his first feature-film, based on the classic video game. Are you a gamer yourself?
Absolutely. I play daily, either on PC, PS4, or Xbox One, and I’m looking forward to the new consoles that are planned to be released in 2020. I started playing when I was about six years old. Back then, Nintendo’s 8-bit console was the thing to have. Since then, games have more or less been present throughout my entire life. From 2009 to 2013, I spent my time covering the games industry in various ways, and today I have both worked in the industry and done voice acting in a number of games. On top of that I run a gaming-focused YouTube channel, where I also talk a little extra about voice acting in video games.
Is voice acting in video games different from, for example, voice acting in film?
Yes, it is. The most recent ones were 'Generation Zero' from Avalanche Studios and 'Rain of Reflections' from Lionbite Games, which I also cast. It’s extremely different because you don’t have a finished reference to work from. Instead, you’re the one creating the character, which gives you an enormous amount of creative freedom! You can create not only the voice, but also several other small characteristics, and even influence the character’s appearance through the way you shape them. Games also often contain greater freedom and more choices than films do which means that scripts in games are always much more multifaceted.
What did you think when you first got to read this 'Sonic the Hedgehog'-script?
You never get to read the script before dubbing. Most of the time, you don’t even get to see the film. You jump straight into the recording and have to rely on direction, experience, and creativity to make it work. 'Sonic the Hedgehog', however, is one of the few times I’ve been allowed to see the film beforehand.
You don’t get to read the entire script beforehand like other actors do?
Nope, never.
When actors record the original voices, they sometimes change quite a bit of the script based on what they come up with in the moment. I imagine that same freedom isn’t necessarily available at this, so to speak, second stage. But is there still room for improvisation, or for changing something if another phrasing works better in Swedish?
Well, not to nearly the same extent. If a character says, “I don’t know, I guess so, but I really don’t understand” in the original, then what I say in Swedish not only has to mean the same thing, it also has to be exactly the same length and match the lip movements as closely as possible. So there isn’t a huge amount of freedom. That said, sometimes, as an actor, you can swap out words and rephrase a sentence if it feels better to say it in a different way than what is written.
How much do you take the original voice into consideration. How much of Ben Schwartz is there in your portrayal?
It depends. In Sonic’s case, I was cast because my voice sits in a similar range to Ben Schwartz’s. So, I try to follow his tone, while giving it a Swedish feel, and adding my own personal touch to the whole thing.
It is an absurd and therefore funny film. Were you always able to keep yourself from laughing while recording?
Yes, for the most part. I’m there to do a job. Also, I only see the parts that I myself am in, so most of the time it becomes a rather fragmented experience. But if something funny happens on screen in a scene I’m in, then of course I laugh! And especially in a project like this, when you get to play such a dream role, the corners of your mouth are practically up by your ears the whole time!
“Comedy is harder than drama” is an old acting truth, and while this is admittedly a children’s film, it’s also a comedy for everyone, what was the experience of doing comedy like?
Comedy isn’t unusual at all when it comes to dubbing, since the target audience is most often children. And I feel very much at home in that territory. I’ve worked in entertainment my entire life and am often cast as comedic characters, so it wasn’t a problem.
What is your relationship with Jim Carrey’s cinematic legacy?
Jim Carrey was my biggest idol when I was a kid. At that age, I knew 'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective' by heart. So this is probably the closest I will ever get to meeting or acting opposite him!
Speaking of legacy, you also became the bird Zazu in 'The Lion King' a few years ago. How did that feel, and again, especially from the perspective of someone who grew up with it yourself, to forever be a Disney character?
It was a dream in every way. It was my first Disney feature film, and the first time I got to be part of a soundtrack as an original voice! Words are not enough to describe that experience. I cried when I got the news that I had landed the role.
Would you ever like to act in front of the camera?
Nah, I’m comfortable behind it. I love the fact that I can practice my art, make a living, and entertain lots of people, while avoiding being recognized. At the end of the day, I just want to be myself.
Is there any kind of work you’d like to do more of?
I would like to do more acting in games. There is so much potential when it comes to characters. And the creative freedom I mentioned earlier is so exciting to work with! I’d also love to try motion capture while I’m at it.
