Today we’d like to introduce you to Bonnie Gordon.
Hi Bonnie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Louisiana – My backyard was literally on a bayou! I was a huge nerd and became obsessed with fantasy and sci-fi right away… an obsession I still have today – Just call me Ensign Bonnie Baggins and give me Second Breakfast on the Enterprise! A love for musical theatre, comedy, and music got me performing on stage at a young age, and I never stopped – It was a way for this socially awkward/hyperactive nerd to truly express herself, all the while playing pretend AND getting laughs and applause?!
After Hurricane Katrina, I decided to move to Orlando, FL where I worked for Disney World for about a year. I got cast in a show outside of Disney called ‘Tony N Tina’s Wedding’ and soon was transferred full-time to the Las Vegas cast. That show gave me so much freedom as a character actress and as a lover of improv while giving me a creative space to really hone my craft.
While I was in Vegas, I solidified my passion for performing and made the decision that it was what I wanted to do for a living full-time. I sang in two bands, performed in multiple shows, and was an actor in The Star Trek Experience (adding to my impressive nerd credentials and turning me into a Trekkie!)
In 2008, I made the decision to give Hollywood a chance and I’ve never looked back! I continue to juggle a handful of jobs all the while knowing I’m so incredibly lucky to say I get to do what I love for a living: I’ve been a performer, member, and employee of The Magic Castle for over 13 years; Singer in THREE bands, (including a nerd parody band I co-created with Xander Jeanneret), which has kept my music chops intact; Starred in a fantasy reality show on ABC called “The Quest” where I got to sword fight and run from ogres on a daily basis; I get to perform/guest at comic cons and geek pop culture events all over the world; I am a professional TTRPG player in a handful of campaigns on multiple Twitch channels; and finally, as an actress I felt I didn’t truly have a place in Hollywood, but then I discovered the industry of voiceover acting and going down that career path has been the best decision I’ve ever made! I am not a rich person by any means, but I feel like I’ve lived very richly with the incredible experiences I’ve had and the love of the creative people I surround myself with day to day.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
As many know, the entertainment industry can be very unpredictable and full of rejection. As a young child in elementary/middle school, I was bullied pretty badly, so that feeling of inadequacy can sometimes stay with me, and on occasion rear its head in the back of my mind.
Also, gigs in the industry can be few and far between… you can book something exciting and then not book anything else for months and months – even years.
As a curvier girl, by Hollywood standards a Size 12 is considered too large for most roles. It’s one of the main reasons I’m so grateful for the VO industry – Being behind a mic in a booth, I’m not judged on the way I look.
Imposter Syndrome is something I (and most people in the entertainment industry) deal with on a daily basis. In this town, you can get so close to booking something incredible, only for it to be taken right out from under you and given to someone who is ‘more famous,’ ‘has more Instagram followers,’ or who simply is ‘prettier’ than you.
However, when I start to fall into that cycle of questioning my work and self-worth, I just look back on the path I’ve taken and the things I’ve accomplished… and keep telling that seed of doubt in the back of my mind to BACK OFF.
I have never been one to give up on something I’m passionate about, so don’t expect me to start now!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My career really started blossoming when I started focusing more on VO and music.
With music, I have a blast singing with my nerd parody band, Library Bards. We take top 40 hits from many different eras and parody the lyrics to be about nerdy fandoms such as Star Trek, Star Wars, comics, video games, DnD, The Hobbit, etc. Basically… we take all those songs you hear on the radio and make them better! 😉 With the Library Bards, it gives me an opportunity to celebrate some of my favorite fandoms using two things I love – comedy and music. We started with the idea and ran with it… now we have two full albums, a handful of music videos, and over 150 live concerts under our belts! I currently also sing female vocals with two other bands based in the Los Angeles area: The Legendary Pot Roast (a Meatloaf/Jim Steinman tribute band) and Jump City Rocks (lots of 60s/70s classics!)
Also, keep an eye out for info regarding my new solo album in the works! I’ll be going back to my Louisiana blues/jazz roots and doing a lot of original music. There will be a few surprise covers thrown in too! I have so many original songs that I’ve been hesitant or afraid to release into the world, afraid on how they would be received by others. What this pandemic has taught me is that I can’t be afraid to share my personal creations – When everyone was locked up at home, joy was found in the art of others, so now I think it’s time for me to muster up the confidence to share mine too.
Whoa – I tend to ramble … Whoops! Let’s talk about voiceovers, I started voicing characters in small video games just by sheer luck and my reputation as a character actress from theatrical productions around the LA area. As I got more experienced and developed professional relationships with the different studios in Hollywood, my resume’ got longer and longer! Some of the video game characters I’ve voiced that people might recognize include: Rainbow Mika in Street Fighter V; Silque in the Fire Emblem series; Bounce Man from Mega Man 11; Eva from Code Vein; the list goes on…
I made the jump into animation when Kyle Carozza took a chance and cast me for multiple characters on Cartoon Network’s Mighty Magiswords. It was such a blast working/voicing two seasons on that show!
Now, as a HUGE Trekkie, the moment I saw (back in 2019) that there would be animated Star Trek shows in the works, I knew I had to find a way to audition! Dan and Kevin Hageman brought me into the Star Trek: Prodigy cast first to do the scratch vocals for Gwyn and Captain Janeway. I was on Cloud 9 just being able to work on a Trek project – let alone doing the scratch vocals for my favorite Captain! I stayed on working with them through the Covid pandemic (recording remotely) and continued to do scratch, all the while crossing my Vulcan Salute fingers I would be offered a permanent role in the cast. My dream came true and I can finally announce that I am the voice of the Ship’s Computer on Star Trek: Prodigy!
I know that this is just the beginning for me and my VO career, and I can’t wait to see what happens next… I will boldly go where no VO actor has gone before!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.conartistalbum.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BonnieBellG
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BonnieBellG
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/LibraryBards
- SoundCloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/library-bards
- Other: www.imdb.me/bonniegordon
Image Credits:
Doug Pasko, Justin Baker, Taylor Wong
