Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawn Gann.
Hi Shawn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m a bit of a semi-immigrant to this country as I was born in the Philippines (Clark Air Force Base) and lived my young life wholly overseas before coming to the U.S. for university. My family were part of the evacuees from the Mount Pinatubo eruption of 1991, so we moved from the Philippines to Germany then, eventually, to South Korea. All this to say I bounced around a lot before finding my way to Texas; and had zero clue how life would be in America.
As with many kids of the 80s, I grew up on Saturday-morning cartoons and anime such as Robotech, Voltron, Transformers, Speed Racer, TMNT, Looney Tunes, and on and on. I never thought too much about how those shows were created or that the voices behind the characters were even possible as a career, but they sparked creativity in me nonetheless. From elementary through high school, I performed in theatre, made films, wrote scripts, and just kept playing pretend. My friends and I entered into a few Far East media festivals and managed to win in several categories. Though I wasn’t seeking to gain accolades, the recognition of our work enforced and validated my love and pursuit of the arts.
Flash forward to me moving to Texas and living in the U.S. for the first time in my life (hell, I hadn’t even driven a car till I got here) and all the culture shocks that came with it. Being a Filipino in D/FW was difficult enough as it was hard to find identity, community, and stories that I fit into but, on top of that, I made all the mistakes a young person could possibly make. Yet somehow, some way, I managed to build friendships, professional artistic relationships, and a career that I am proud of. From watching Dragon Ball Z with my college mates to touring the U.S. with Dallas Children’s Theatre and from my first session at Funimation Studios situated above a Frost Bank in Northwest Fort Worth to voicing, casting, and directing at Crunchyroll’s 60,000 square foot facility in Coppell today—I’ve helped create theatre companies, been a company member to many others, voiced in anime like Dragon Ball Super, video games like Borderlands, and media like freaking Star Wars for over 20 years, and now direct, cast, and educate on top of all that for my livelihood. There are so many wrinkles, nuances, stories, and crash outs in-between but here I am.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I mentioned “crash outs” right? Ha! There have been several large chain restaurants that have overheard my meltdowns as I lamented my career opportunities to my previous girlfriend or some other unfortunate friend.
There were definitely points in my journey where I thought this industry wasn’t going to allow me to be a part of it any significant way. What does one do with a Filipino lad that looks Hispanic/Native American but really doesn’t share in those cultures and lived experiences? Certainly there were plenty of cabana boys, drug dealers, service folk, etc. that I could play (and did), but my desires were to tell deeper stories and connect with a larger sphere. Fortunately for me, Shakespeare and voiceover became my outlets for expression; and, in turn, became my way to reach back to help others.
My troubles and experiences led me to focus heavily on a platform of accessibility, inclusivity, and representation. I consider the new hurdles, dynamics, and backgrounds in relation to my growth in the creative industry and approach my directing, casting, and teaching from a place of empathy and care. It’s tough enough being a creative soul and I do my best to level the playing field.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Close to home, I’m known for a long theatrical career that has taken me to most major stages in D/FW, building theatrical spaces, touring North America, and performing overseas for events like The Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Outside of Dallas and the theatrical community, I’m likely better known for being a voice actor and an anime dubbing + casting director. Fortunately, telling stories has always been at my heart and that serves both fields.
These days, my full time work is in anime. I’ve voiced in many of our industry’s biggest properties like One Piece, Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, Black Clover, Fire Force, Fruits Basket, Dragon Ball Super, Star Wars: Visions, and hundreds of other shows. I’ve cast and directed amazing titles such as The Apothecary Diaries, Kaiju No. 8, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian, Buddy Daddies, Aoashi, Laid Back Camp, and many others. And recently, I assistant directed for Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc which opened as the number one movie in America and is now eligible for Oscar contention. What a crazy time for anime!
I’m proud of all the work I’ve had the privilege to help create, but I’m proudest of all the connections, understanding, and steps I’ve taken to be a better storyteller, educator, and collaborator. It is my belief that the technology and capacity is in place for any studio to be a home and opportunity for artists near and far. And I will always push to get that notion closer to a reality.
What are your plans for the future?
There are always big shows or opportunities coming down the pipeline (several for myself that I’m super excited to eventually share) and I’m an old school workaholic, so what I’m most excited about is that I’ll be visiting my province in the Philippines and my wife will get to see my home for the first time ever; plus, we’ll be visiting Japan as part of our excursion. It’s a long overdue disconnect from working and a beautiful chance to reconnect with the world.
Part of what I teach is about keeping one’s heart and mind open to possibilities. In my career, I’ve made so many pivots from paths I truly thought were going to be everything to me. And yet from being a silly theatre kid to serious filmmaker to professional stage actor to theatre-maker to voiceover artist to anime director and educator, I’ve jumped to wherever the calling was strongest. My hope is that I find ongoing success in the field I operate in now but that I’m able to keep myself open to the scary and exhilarating idea of change.
Pricing:
- Audition Coaching – $100 ($50 per extra copy)
- 1-on-1 Coaching for Acting, Anime, Industry – $200/hr
- Voice Demo Directing – $200/hr (2-hour minimum)
- Voice Demo Scripting – $200
- Practical ADR Workshop + Materials – $800 (contact for specifics)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shawngann.art/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readykafka/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Readykafka
- Twitter: https://x.com/ReadyKafka
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheReadykafka
- Other: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=71529
Image Credits
Jordan Fraker, Zack Huggins, Crystal Gann, Leslie Boren
