Stephanie Willing

What was the first audiobook you performed?

Song of the Current, Sarah Tolcser

What title or series are you best known for?

The Rune Trilogy by Jeffrey Deaver

If a listener wanted to get to know your work, which of your audiobooks would you point them to?

Celebrity Crush by Christy Swift
She’s a Lamb! by Meredith Hambrock
Manhattan Is My Beat by Jeffrey Deaver
The Calculation of Me and You by Serena Kaylor
West of the Sea by Stephanie Willing

Where else have we heard your voice?

Robocar Poli, Sandy. Haephestus and Aphrodite, Aphrodite. Sucker, Petra. See You in Your Nightmares, Blossom. Give Me Away, Fiona/Katie.

What do you always have in the booth?

I like to have a fidget, like a squishy toy or a crystal, to rub while I’m recording–it helps keep me focused and in my body. For mouth noise, I have water with a splash of ACV. And so long as he stays quiet, Koshka the tuxedo cat is welcome at my feet, but once those purrs start up–he’s out!

How did you come to performing audiobooks?

I am a lifelong dancer, and when I came to NYC it was the goal to dance and act. Because of a martial arts background, I first got cast for stage combat roles. I consider the ten years I performed indie theater my true training ground, both as a writer and an actor. As I began to get more work as a voice actor, my love for books and acting led me straight to the audiobook world where I’ve been a happy citizen ever since.

Anything else you’d like a listener to know?

I’m a booth crier. A found family moment, a reunion, an on-page death–I will be crying right along with the reader. I used to feel very self-conscious about how my feelings well up when I’m narrating (and to be clear, if my emoting does not serve the performance I will get a clean read sans tears, even if I have to grip an ice pack in the booth to stay grounded), but now I trust it’s a sign that I’m doing my job as an actor. I am fully connecting to the story and to the character I am portraying, and that connection and sensitivity is part of the artistry we bring to audiobook.