Today, we are thrilled to introduce you to David Kaye, the voice behind some of the most recognizable characters in entertainment. With a career that spans decades, David has mastered the art of vocal transformation bringing beloved characters from iconic animations and video games to life. His journey from small-town radio to the bright lights of Hollywood is a testament to his talent, perseverance, and passion for storytelling.
Hi David, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
In high school, I got a part-time volunteer job at a local cable TV station, where I worked as a camera operator and board operator, doing all the behind-the-scenes tasks. I loved hanging out there after school and learning some rudimentary television broadcast skills. At the same time, I worked at the YMCA pro shop in my hometown of Peterborough, Ontario, about an hour and 20 minutes northeast of Toronto. The morning man from CKPT, our local radio station, was a regular at the YMCA. He was a big personality in town, and we started talking because I was always interested in radio and TV. I loved it, though I wasn’t sure why. He invited me to the station, where I met the program director, Rick Johnson. They recorded me, and before I knew it, they offered me a weekend overnight shift, midnight to 6 a.m. I was only 17 and still in high school, but somehow they liked what they heard, even though I thought I was terrible. That’s how things started.
At the time, I was a big fan of David Letterman and was unfortunately trying to copy his stuff which was a dumb idea. I tried to do my own thing but failed miserably. I kept failing for 20 – 30 years until finally I felt comfortable ‘being me.’ Back then I remember dreaming about where this could take me on a pretty regular basis. I thought about living in Toronto, but I was also drawn to the U.S. I admired some big personalities down there and wanted to be part of that world. I moved to Vancouver for radio, doing the morning show at LG 73 CKLG. I started doing voice work for radio stations and commercial production for concerts with a buddy of mine. I was the voice for our first tours, including Billy Idol and Bryan Adams. I also began to do a fair amount of theater at Deep Cove with First Impressions Theater Company. This led to a meeting with an agent, and I ended up signing with a modeling agency that had a commercial division. That’s where I met my first agent, Ross Rhodes, who sent me to audition for GI Joe as General Hawk. I somehow booked it, even though I had no idea what I was doing. That was the start of my voice-acting journey.
Cartoons had always been a big part of my life, and now I was in the business. I started my own company, grew my television branding business, and kept getting auditions. I also started doing on-camera work, landing small roles in The X-Files and other shows filming in Vancouver. I eventually realized I needed to move legally, so I opened a business in New York, got a visa, and started traveling back and forth. William Morris took an interest in me after a meeting with Nina Nisenholz, John Candy’s former agent, and they signed me. That led to almost ten years of commuting to L.A., building my career, and booking roles, including Transformers in 1993–94. In 2007, I was cast as Optimus Prime in Transformers: Animated, and that’s when I realized I had to move to the U.S. permanently.
After a lot of flying, shows, and growing my business, my family and I immigrated in 2013, becoming U.S. citizens. My career continued to grow, and it’s been an amazing journey. We settled around Ventura County, and the whole experience has been surreal, but I’m still having a lot of fun.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When I think about the word “smooth” in the entertainment business, it just doesn’t compute. I’ll tell you, though, I was laser-focused on making it work. I loved when people told me “no” or “you can’t.” There were enough people along the way who doubted me, but I kept my head down and moved forward. An analogy I think of is when my first child, Tiana, was born. I came home from the hospital one night, sat in the dark with just the flicker of a blue flame in the fireplace, and thought, “What now?” I quickly realized it wasn’t about me anymore; it was about them. That made me focus even harder. How good could I get? How far could I go? That little blue flame became a symbol for me — the fire is always ready, and when it’s time to perform or work, it ignites.
I never accepted “fine” or “good” as enough. I wanted to be excellent. Moving to the U.S. and working with people like Jim Cummings, Rob Paulsen, and Tara Strong — who played a big role in boosting my confidence — made me want to perform at their level. Tara even introduced me to my current agency, DPN. People like her and others, like Freddie Tatisciore, were critical in my journey. To work with them, I needed to play in the big leagues, and for me, that meant being in the U.S. The U.S. represented that higher level of performance I aspired to reach.
The moment I realized moving here was the right decision happened when I was driving home in Burbank. My agent, Kamala, called and asked how soon I could get to NBC Studios. Apparently, I was second in line for The Tonight Show job behind Wally Wingert, who was sick and couldn’t do the show that night. I raced over there, walked in, and before I knew it, I was live-to-tape, filling in. It was surreal. I saw Jay Leno, Barry Manilow, and other guests as I quickly got thrust into the role. Afterward, I was on such a high, I didn’t even want to go home. It hit me then — if I’d been anywhere else, like back in Canada, this would never have happened. That was the turning point, around 2010 or 2011, when I realized that moving here was the best decision I ever made.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Oh, yeah. I’m known as a bit of a Swiss army knife. I think it’s important, in life or even in something like the stock market, to be diversified — not to rely on just one skill, but to have many. Every year, some part of the business goes soft, like when video games went on strike. But I had animation series, commercials, trailers, and promos to fall back on. So, okay, video games are down? No problem, I can lean on animation. And if animation goes on strike or something happens, I can switch to other areas. Even in 2008 in, when the economy tanked, we kept rolling. When the pandemic hit, we just kept rolling.
I had invested in my craft, career, equipment, and studio long before anyone mentioned the pandemic. I was ready to go from day one, and nothing really changed for me. I always say it’s great to be good at one thing, but nowadays, you need to be good at a lot of things. If one part of the business slows down, you need to be able to shift to another part that’s still going strong. It’s just a fact of life.
One of my most notable achievements is my work as Megatron. Landing that role was a pivotal moment in my career. Another role I’m particularly proud of is Clank from the Ratchet & Clank video game series. Clank’s cleverness and charm resonated with gamers, and it was a privilege to contribute to the series’ success.
I consider myself a Swiss army knife when it comes to voice work — whether it’s trailers, promos, or anything else. It’s like turning a dial on a stereo knob; I adjust to whatever style is needed. My goal is always to make the producer’s job easy. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time. Be professional, get the job done, have fun, and get it out the door so they can move on to their next task.
As for what sets me apart, I don’t know. We’re all different, unique individuals. I’m David Kaye, and someone else is who they are. That’s what sets me apart — just being me.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Happy? Number one is waking up next to Maria. That’s something I never take for granted, although after 37 years of marriage, it’s easy to let little things annoy each other. As I get older, it’s not just about snoring or minor things — sometimes it’s about getting down over something. In the past few years, I’ve dealt with the numbness in my foot, which has been tough because I’ve been an athlete all my life. I went down the rabbit hole a few times, feeling miserable, and it’s not fair to those around me. But after the surgery, I’m on the road to recovery, and everything’s fine now. It was a bulging disc pressing on a nerve, but it’s taken care of. Still, waking up in pain for three years wasn’t the best way to start the day.
Maria is everything. The kids are, too. I love my work, and honestly, I never really started working, so I’ll never truly retire. But it’s the people around me who make it all worthwhile. When my daughter was born, a light bulb went off — it wasn’t just about me anymore. It’s about them. That’s what makes me happiest.
Sure, there are things that bring monetary satisfaction, but that’s way down the list now. When I was 30 or 35, I thought that was the goal — just keep pushing for more. Now, I’m just grateful. I can sit in my little corner of Tuscany here in California and think, “Yeah, all those years of working and dreaming made this happen.” It all starts with a dream, but life and the people in it — that’s what really matters.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.davidkaye.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dkayevo/?hl=en
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/dkayevo?lang=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/dkayevo
Image Credits
Bo Roberts
