Life & Work with Vee Villain

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vee Villain.

Hi Vee, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am an actress, singer-songwriter, & voice actress for animation and video games. I started back in 2021 after a breakup, I wanted to get my mind off my recent broken heart. I had seen a friend get into a show that I’ve been following for quite some time. They inspired me, not only that but I’ve been told in the past I have a nice speaking voice and should take voiceover/acting into consideration. There I sat and asked myself if I was seriously going to put the effort in if I decided to join the world of VA/VO. I took the leap and never looked back, I did the work and believed in myself fully. By 2022 my first role ever was Glamrock Ballora from William Rabbits upcoming YouTube series titled FNAF DLC Trailer ‘Uncertain Past.’ Later that year, we showcased her voice because the internet was dying to know what Glamrock Ballora sounded like and now we’re working on bigger things for the series soon to come! Voicing for video games, I personally prefer indie horror games because it’s what I’ve grown up with my entire life but I’m a very flexible and versatile artist.

As for my acting side, I’ve been acting since I was a child. Always being very dramatic and I used to think that was a bad thing until I put that dramatic energy into the right things that included performing as a way to express myself. I did theatre plays, Hip-hop dance, color guard, contemporary dance and Jazz, Benefit Concerts and more. I used to hate doing so many things at once but now I appreciate my mother putting me into all those activities and sports because it helped keep my drama alive inside of me. I recently did some acting with King Vader for an upcoming project of his. It was such a fun experience! Right after that, I did my first ‘hero’ role in acting being a detective in Lou Ratchets YouTube video. It’s funny, people didn’t know I could act and be a voice actor at the same time. Voice acting and acting are two completely different things, after all.

I’ve always known I was meant for the entertainment industry and the best thing about that is that there are no limits in the entertainment industry. Barriers are being broken every single day in the entertainment industry and that’s what we need is growth.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t want to say it’s been smooth but I also don’t want to say it’s been difficult either. I’m blessed to have the talents I have and with those talents come open doors but alas not everything is handed to you because you’re talented. I’ve been through a few struggles that I still have complications with keeping an eye on to this very day.

The social media life isn’t for everyone, and I say that strongly. Being an influencer online is very draining in all aspects—mental, emotional, and physical. I don’t think that it’s for everyone, but I do believe that everyone can try it. When I first started being an influencer, I was doing so much that I was beginning to lose myself in pleasing the masses. There are some definite highs, but there are also rock-bottom lows, When you’re at that low, you have to be able to pick yourself up and not turn to the internet for help. I learned the hard way the road to gaining control of your reach and influence on social media comes through a lot of trial and error. I’ve always wanted to be an influencer, and it took me about three years because I started young, so I’ve had the privilege of watching the internet turn and change. I’ve definitely had my low days and months where I needed to step back from social media for my own mental health, but after everything I’ve been through, I wouldn’t change it for the world because it made me stronger. The internet world will eat you up and spit you out, only the strong can survive it and I’m happy to say I’m surviving.

In the world of acting, I was recently filming with King Vader for his upcoming project ‘Strange Blades,’ and I absolutely loved it. I had such a fun time on set; I do believe acting is another strong suit of mine. In the past, I’ve done theater, and again, I absolutely enjoyed it. It’s a hit or miss, but so far, my first couple of acting experiences have been amazing, minus one. The disrespect, the people laughing at you, the favoritism, the people not believing in you—it all comes with being in the industry. I had that happen to me for the first time, and I have never felt so disrespected in my life. I didn’t let that stop me; I kept going, and I’ll continue to keep going because I believe in myself and have enough dreams that I know I’ll be someone great. As I previously stated, it’s so important to surround yourself with working people, like-minded people with big visions, and with what inspires you and what you want to be like. Acting is so much fun because you create not only a bond but you’re making a new family, believe it or not, and nothing can ever break the bond you make with your cast and crew.

As for cosplay, it does get difficult at times, I started cosplaying in 2020 as a new year’s resolution to try something new and out of my comfort zone, and it hasn’t been easy. I’m blessed to have talent when it comes to makeup, but again, I get told I can’t cosplay certain characters because of the color of my skin. I can say that as a person of color, there’s nothing that’s going to be smooth when you’re going into cosplay. You’re going to be mocked, ridiculed, laughed at, and even shamed just because, and it’s hard because, unfortunately, words can bring some people down. It’s pretty insane that in 2023 I have to deal with racists over characters that don’t exist, but that won’t ever stop me from doing what I love to do because, at the end of the day, this is my life and cosplay is a fun hobby of mine. I used to think cosplay was super weird and lame before I tried it out myself, and it’s one of my escape outlets from reality that truly calms me down. It’s fun, welcoming, exciting, and has great communities all throughout the world. If I wasn’t doing cosplay, I would probably spend my time working in special effects for make-up, which would eventually lead me to cosplay.

When it comes to songwriting and singing, I have no problem with those two things. My creative flow is constantly working, pushing out thoughts and ideas that I can use later on. It wasn’t until last year that I had my first roadblock when it came down to writing a song, and it sent me into a panic because I have never been stuck when writing a song. When I wrote a song, it flowed like milk and honey—slow but worth the wait because it was going to turn out sweet and good enough that anyone would like it. I reached out to a dear friend of mine who’s been my inspiration since I was a child, and he gave some good advice that helped me calm down. I work well alone when I’m singing or writing a song, but that doesn’t mean I’m not open to collaborations. Two minds are better than one, but it does mean that I’m comfortable with my own flow, vibe, and craft when it comes to songwriting because I know I can get a song done in a timely manner vs. being with a collaboration that may take a bit longer to process.

Two things that I struggle with the most are imposter syndrome and burnout. Imposter syndrome is something I constantly struggle with every single day, and before it was out of control, but now I’m getting a grip on it and remembering to be kinder to myself. Imposter syndrome is when I feel like I’m not doing enough to push myself closer toward my goals, so I end up putting more on my plate, doing more, and keeping myself active under so much pressure that I start to lose track of important things such as if I ate that day, am I getting enough sleep, and is this healthy for me and my body. At first, I started to think what I was doing was okay for my age, but later on, I took a step back and realized this was unacceptable not only for myself but for my body as well. Imposter syndrome is awful, but it’s a real thing, I would go into the syndrome thinking I’m keeping myself busy getting closer to my goal when really I’m draining myself by putting in half-assed work that isn’t genuine for my work. I learned that in the end, it’s only damaging myself; luckily, I’ve learned that yes, it is unhealthy, but that now is the time to be on the road to recovery, starting by pacing myself daily.

Imposter syndrome and burnout are two different things. Burnout is more apparent when you feel yourself being busy and active when there’s so much going on behind the scenes in your personal life but you’re trying to keep it together on the surface. For me personally, it feels like a power outage or a dam bursting. The lights will flicker as a warning that ‘you’re getting close to a burnout if you don’t slow down’ If I continue and ignore common signs like fatigue or surprised feelings, then the lights will officially go out and I’ll be burned out. From a dam’s point of view, there’s too much water filling up, and so much gets filled that the dam is overflowing until it completely bursts. You’ll then have no choice but to stop and get yourself together so you can get back to functioning. I’m learning that it’s okay to relax and not do anything for a day or two, take time to be good to myself and rejuvenate without feeling guilty.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work consists of many things: I’m a social media influencer on TikTok, I dabble in fashion shoots and Theatre and more. As side hobbies, I cosplay, read, write scripts for upcoming productions, create songs for fandoms, and go see theatre plays.

I specialize in entertainment for the masses, and I’m most known for my voice acting and cosplays. What I can say I’m most proud of is my voice acting. What sets me apart from the others is my unique approach to producing voice acting, my alias, my workflow, and the relationship I have with my fanbase. I’m very community oriented! I pay attention to everything my fans say because I want them to understand that I do listen, that I’m here to form a bond with them and that I see them. They do matter to me. I wouldn’t be here today without my fan base and believing in myself. Everyone loves the villain; let’s be honest, without a villain, there is no story, movie, or show.

I’m known for my flexible range in singing and voice acting, and my innovative and creative approach is what makes me stand out from the rest. People are so used to seeing everything polished when it comes to voice acting, but I like to give the rare inside scoops, unpolished versions of takes, and more to the public’s eye of what comes behind the scenes and inside the booth of voice acting of what others wouldn’t normally see or show.

As for singing, I’ve been singing since I was young. Whenever I sing, I’m always told I have a beautiful voice, and it really means the world to me. My mother would sing to me when I was in her stomach when she was pregnant with me, and everyone in my family has some sort of touch with music on my dad’s side. I’ve been in musicals; I’ve done covers that are ready to be streamed; I post videos of me singing; in person, I can never stop singing, and it’s something I do instinctively. I do play instruments; I play the electric guitar, and it’s by far my favorite instrument. I feel most at home when I’m in a studio because I have that relief time away from the world where I’m granted peace, creative flow, and rhythm. I’ll be coming out with some new music this year, and I can’t wait because once I start, I just keep going. I wouldn’t want it any other way; I never say no to karaoke, and anything with a microphone, I immediately demand. Personally, I’m a jazz baby; I adore jazz specifically from the roaring 20s and 30s, blues, noir, and big band. They’re my strengths when it comes to singing, alongside my second favorite genre, which is theatrical music such as Hamilton or Dear Evan Hansen. My third genre of music I enjoy singing is fandom music. I take heavy inspiration from the internet band ‘The Living Tombstone.’ They raised me as a kid on their music, along with others like CG5, JTMusic, and DaGames. It’s mind-blowing to me to know that I myself am talented enough to do the same thing: write music for fandoms, join them, or even work with them to create amazing music. It makes me so happy because, of course, every artist wants to do two things. Influence people and have a strong fanbase.

Fashion has had a really big impact on me, though I’ve always loved brand-name things. I’m the only child on my mother’s side, so I was blessed to get whatever I wanted as a child. I’ve always loved the high in things, and I took a chance! I would go to photoshoots and see if I liked them. I found out that it was a love-hate experience being a model, and so I did modeling for a while, but once I developed bullimeia, I had to quit. I do plan on returning to the modeling world because it made me so happy. Now that I’m older, I can get a better grasp of myself and what I’m really capable of. I won’t be afraid to open my mouth and tell people no when I want to. I can actually be me in my own skin in front of the camera, compared to before, when it was a love-hate relationship. The works of fashion I like to do are a wide variety of fashion, in my opinion. I can be elegant and collected, but I can also pull off bold looks with an edge.

I am a woman who can do everything and will do everything if God allows it. It’s not that I can’t focus on one thing, but the fact that I can handle so many things at once makes me want more. I want to experience more in life, I want to expand into other branches, and I want what everyone else wants: to be happy in life and their workplace. How are you going to know what you’re truly happy with if you don’t jump out of the nest and fly into the world yourself?

How do you think about luck?
The role that has given me the most luck is my very first role, Five Nights at Freddy’s Glamrock Ballora. My very first role was for William Rabbit’s upcoming YouTube series, ‘Uncertain Past.’ After going over contracts, I was given the okay to announce that I was her voice actress. The internet blew up with excitement; it was circulating on Twitter and went viral on TikTok with over one million views. I was so grateful, and I still am to this day, from the bottom of my heart, for all the love and support I’ve gotten and will continue to get.

Getting Glamrock Ballora really gave me nothing but good luck. Of course, you’ll have your haters, trolls, and naysayers, but they can’t take away my accomplishments. I love that everyone received her so well. Although she is a fan-made character (created by Starbles Gumadarim and William Rabbit), I love that it doesn’t change how much the fanbase loves her. I am the type of voice actress who truly gives her all in every role I take on. My most proud role will always be Glamrock Ballora, and it’s a plus that we are similar in so many ways. I know it’s hard to believe, but even now I still can’t fathom that I’m her voice actress, but I’m absolutely sure that she means the world to me.

I keep this same energy in other roles that I’m given as well. My love and energy do not change, no matter what role I’m given. Of course, when we’re recording, things change, but my gratitude and appreciation never change for any character of mine.

My second favorite role is from JJL Productions, ‘The Family of Kanji.’ I voice Queen Marika, based off Elden Ring and I absolutely love her to bits because of how our personalities align. Here we have a queen who isn’t known for being evil, but she isn’t known for being so nice either. We’re very protective of our children. Queen Marika has such a mysterious front that she puts on. The queen is very much a power woman; she doesn’t need someone to come to her rescue and save her. There’s so much love that goes into voicing a character; it doesn’t matter if they’re good or bad; at the end of the day, you’re forming a bond with another version of yourself on some occasions.

My favorite roles to voice consist of the most obvious: the villain, the temptress you can’t get out of your head because you never caught her name, but she’s just a hard knot to crack to show her true self and the badass fighter girl who is socially awkward because of her unhealed trauma. Royalty, preferably queenly, motherly, that one hesitant character with a lisp who questions everything before making a move, and more. Characters that have such sad and sour backstories who turn on the world and become villains because they’re misunderstood, characters who have had enough, rebels, rage against the system, etc. are my favorites as well. I’m blessed to say that I can voice both male and female characters thanks to my wide vocal range. The studio is my happy place. I’m always singing or screaming at my microphone, making some sort of silly or evil noise that doesn’t sound human. In voice acting, my guilty pleasure is most definitely creature noises because it’s something so open, and what I mean by that is no one can tell you, ‘That’s not how you make that sound; let me show you’. You’re making goblin, fairy, and demon noises from god knows what, and even if you look silly, no one can see you. I think finding sound is important, but when it’s your sound, no one can take that away from you.

I’m grateful for how far I’ve gotten this far in my life, I’m thankful for my fans, the numerous times I’ve gone viral I’m thankful for the support I’ve gotten over the years, I’m happy for the love and all of the above. I’ve got a lot of stuff coming this year so buckle up.

Yours Truly, Forever Villainous
Vee Villain

Pricing:

• $25o starting price for Voice Acting and Voiceovers
• $5 Cosplay prints! (Shipping price depends on location)

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misssvillain/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/misssvillain?t=CfWpef5abVT38YcX8vJGuw&s=09

Image Credits
@DTJAAAAM, @Tbloodphotography, @daniel_images