Conversations with Kaushal Patel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaushal Patel.

Hi Kaushal, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My voice acting journey can be mapped as far back as when I was just a kid. I remember watching a lot of cartoons and anime, and I remember thinking to myself that voice actors must have the best jobs in the world. However, I never really thought about pursuing it myself until I was at college, where I studied acting and theater.

To be honest, growing up I was a shy and quiet kid, and so part of the reason why I wanted to study acting is because I wanted to get out of my shell. Getting up and acting in front of peers really did help me become better at social situations. And at university, I had the opportunity to take a voiceover class, and that’s when I got to connect with my inner child.

After that class, I really started to think about doing it as a career. I started going on youtube and other websites to learn more about this industry. Then I got to work right away and tried to set myself up with demos, audio equipment, casting sites, and anything that would allow me to get auditions and book roles. I am happy to say that all the hard work is paying off, and I am grateful to have multiple agents throughout the US that helped me find auditions. And today, while most of my credits are in voiceover, I do have a rich acting background. Studying acting at university, I got to develop a deeper understanding of the craft, which has allowed me to use those learned skills in voice acting as well. Everything that they teach you about acting can be applied and translated behind a microphone as well.

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?
It has not been an easy road thus far in my journey. The most difficult part was getting started and keeping consistency with it all. I remember at the very start, I not only sent in a lot of auditions each day, but I spent a lot of time on youtube and other websites to learn as much about the industry as I can. The crazy thing is that I booked on the very first audition that I sent in, however, booking the second role was really difficult. It took me roughly 75-100 auditions to book my second role. And of course, there were many times where I doubted myself and the path I had chosen, but I had to keep my head high and keep moving forward regardless of how often I was booking. And the more I grew my credits and resume, the easier it got to book more. And yeah I still have doubts and major setbacks even now, but I have decided that I am going to see this through till the end, and that keeps me going. To be honest, I really don’t mind the struggles, and enjoy learning from them. I just embrace the process instead of constantly worrying about the destination.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m an actor, and I specialize in voice acting. I have lent my voice to numerous types of projects like animated shorts/series, audio dramas, commercials, video games, e-learning videos, podcast series and much more. I have had the honor to work with companies like Aural Stories, Tenderfoot TV, Praxis Labs, & Pocket Arena.

At the moment, I am working on multiple projects. Most of which are still in production. However, recently, I just finished recording for an audio drama called ‘The Royals of Rosedale.’ You can find it on any podcast streaming platform. I play the role of Dominique in the audio drama. Additionally, I have also produced it alongside voicing in it. Another audio drama I am known for is ‘Bonnie Screws Up,’ in which I play the role of Naveen, which is this funny character that fanboys over and is obsessed with Bonnie, a famous actress.

Something that I think sets me apart from others in this industry is being able to speak multiple languages. Currently, I speak English, Hindi, and Gujarati fluently, and I am learning a fourth language too. Knowing more than one language helps a lot to niche down and get more jobs in this industry. While most of my work is in English, I do get to do Hindi voiceovers once in a while. For instance, a few months back, I had the opportunity to voice an Indian local mechanic commercial in Hindi. Also, while we were recording for the audio drama ‘Bonnie Screws Up,’ I was asked to do a couple of lines of improv in Hindi, which was super fun. So, yeah, in this line of work you never know when multiple language skills can come in handy.

What does success mean to you?
Success is different for everyone. For me, ultimate success is freedom of time. Which means doing what I want and when I want and deciding for myself what I do with my time. It is very difficult to gain autonomy of your time when you work a 9-5 full-time job. Hence, if in the long term, I can thrive and sustain myself by being a voiceover artist or actor, I’d consider that a huge success. I’d also like to travel all over the world, and having complete authority and control over your time is essential for that. For me, it’s not just about being a successful actor/ voice actor because it’s fun, I also like it because it grants you freedom of time. Yes, you have to hustle and grind really hard to make it a sustainable career, but I am willing to put in that effort if it means I get to attain that level of freedom.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kaushalpatelva.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/officialkaushalpatel
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaushalPatel_VA
• Other: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13488163/