INTERVIEW WITH KIRBY MORROW

Kirby Morrow is a well-known actor who lends his wonderful voice to many animes. You may recognize him as Van from Escaflowne, or Trowa from Gundam Wing, or Goku from DragonBall Z. Or maybe you've heard him in some non-anime roles such as Michaelangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Tommy from Yvon of the Yukon. Either way, his unique voice is easy to pick out of a crowd and helps define him as one of the best known and most loved voice actors to ever exist.

For more information on Kirby, check out his official site! ^^

At CN Anime 2002, I had to pleasure to meet Kirby Morrow and he agreed to an interview. This interview took place on Saturday, August 24, 2002 after one of his autograph sessions. ^^

And without further ado, here's my interview with the wonderful Kirby Morrow...




Kirby-sama: *points to a sign and reads it* I am the last person in line.

Pan: Can we borrow that? *someone hands her the sign* Would you like to pose with the wonderful sign of doom?

Kirby-sama: *hold up sign* (funny voice) I am the last person on Earth. *pretends to cross out word "line" and replace it with "Earth"* So, who are we all? What's the story here?

Pan: I run a website called LELOLA.

Kirby-sama: LELOLA?

Pan: LELOLA.

Kirby-sama: LELOLA.

Pan: It rhymes with Ebola. *laughs*

Kirby-sama: Lovely.

Pan: And it's an anime website. At Anime North, we got an interview with Scott McNeil and it was a big hit. So, we thought we'd try it again here with you. I am completely and totally aware that you get asked the same few questions over and over again. Why? Cause I can see that, and if you read any interviews with you, you're asked the same questions over and over again. So, we thought we'd try something a little different.

Kirby-sama: (foreign funny voice) Oh... sneaky, huh?

Pan: Yes. *heh* This first question comes from a friend of mine named Daniel. He waited in line and he really really really wanted you to answer this question, so I'm going to ask it first. Who did you like playing more - Trowa or Van - and why?

Kirby-sama: I liked playing Van more because there was more diversity to the character. Trowa was very one-dimensional and always in the same range. The odd time he'd break out of that vocal range, but Van had the intimate scenes, the fear of losing Hitomi scenes - "Hitomi please don't leave me!" - Plus, all his battles were crazy. I thought the story [of Escaflowne] was a little more fantastical and more into that realm of fantasy that I like.

Pan: Do you like cats?

Kirby-sama: Sometimes. *heh* Some cats I like. Some cats are mean so I don't like them.

Pan: So I take it you don't have pets.

Kirby-sama: No.

Pan: You don't have pets? Uh... no... I like cats. ^^ Do you like flamingos?

Kirby-sama: I love flamingos! You stick a little spite on them, then put them on your lawn and they look fantastic!

Pan: What is your opinion on flamingos?

Kirby-sama: (geeky text book voice) Well, there a largely misunderstood creature. The flamingo is really one of the noblest birds out there. It's all pink and such. So it's a really great kind of bird.

Pan: What is your favorite role that you've ever portrayed?

Kirby-sama: In voice work or...

Pan: In anything, not just anime. I know you've done things besides anime like Yvon of the Yukon. When you come to these cons people usually only focus on one role, but you've done a lot of roles.

Kirby-sama: Michaelangelo was a lot of fun (from Ninja Turtles). I did a show called "Brats of the Lost Nebula". *asks the audience* Do you know that show?

Random People from the Audience: Yeah! ^^

Kirby-sama: That was so much fun. I was hoping that show would go on forever, but it only went one season. It was the Jim Henson Company, like the Muppet Show. It was really cool - like muppets in space. I thought that was a fantastic idea. So, that was one of my favorites.

Pan: Do you have any relation to the pink marshmallow character of the same name?

Kirby-sama: (geeky text book voice) Well, we did some DNA testing and apparently: no. We thought there might be a whole love child incidence, but apparently there is no correlation between pink boy and myself.

Pan: Would you ever want to dress up as him just to confuse people?

Kirby-sama: I don't think that would ever happen. No.

Pan: Is there anyone you wish to dress up as - especially at a con. Maybe characters you've portrayed or something like that?

Kirby-sama: Umm...

Pan: Or would you dress up as everyone you like all at the same time?

Kirby-sama: *laughs* A little visor like Cyclops, wings like Van, and actually be inside Heavyarms at the same time. That would be great to have a life-size Heavyarms, kinda like *start making sound effects of a Gundam moving*. That would be cool.

Pan: If you could have three wishes, what would they be?

Kirby-sama: (silly voice) For a million more wishes. (normal voice) *thinks* If I could have three wishes... anything in the world...

Pan: You magically unlocked the genie in your water bottle and it would like to grant you three wishes.

Kirby-sama: Honestly, I'd wish for omnipotence, so I'd know everything. I'd wish for ideals that would lead to world peace and would end world hunger, and a long a healthy life.

[LINKEE --- TerryFoxRun.org - Terry Fox is one of my personal heroes, which is why I asked Kirby-sama about this.]

Pan: I've learned that your hero is actually Terry Fox. And I think he's incredibly cool. So, I was wondering, if you were ever given the chance, would you ever like to do something like he did?

Kirby-sama: Oh, absolutely. To do something like Terry Fox is just phenomenal. You reach a point where you know your life is going to be cut short by you have a disease like cancer. It's so easy to give up and just feel sorry for yourself. But Terry did something that was phenomenal. He ran across the country, and he raised awareness and raised money. Even when he was really really down, he kept fighting and kept pushing, because he knew he had a goal. That's such a strong message in life. It doesn't matter what your standing is, or where you are, you have to have goals, and you have to keep reaching towards them no matter what is preventing you from reaching your goals.

Pan: That's a great answer.^^

Kirby-sama: Thank you.

Pan: Do you like Star Trek and Star Wars?

Kirby-sama: I like them. In all honesty, I thought the most recent Star Wars movies were crap. I thought they were horrible ploys to make more money and didn't follow the original trilogy at all. When did R2 all of a sudden fly!?

*crowd laughs*

Kirby-sama: Come on. If he could fly then, why couldn't he fly in the other three? No... that is just wrong.

Steven: (from the audience) To keep a low profile. He's a well known droid.

*crowd laughs*

Kirby-sama: *laughs* And all of a sudden Yoda is Jackie Chan? Come on! He's walking around with a cane the whole time, then all of a sudden *starts making martial arts noises and poses*.

Chapel: (cameraman) What do you think about 3PO?

Kirby-sama: C-3PO is pretty cool. Everyone likes C-3PO.

Aggie-chan: (from the audience) How about Obi-wan?

Kirby-sama: Who's playing him?

Aggie-chan: (from the audience) Ewan McGregor.

Kirby-sama: Ewan McGregor, that's right. Ewan did a fantastic job. Actually, he did a really really good job. I didn't think the whole love story in the second one was very strong. I don't know. Did you guys like it?

Steven: (from the audience) A lot of things weren't very strong in that movie.

Kirby-sama: *heh* There were some weaknesses...

Pan: If you were given the chance and could play any role - voice work, or otherwise - what would you like to do?

Kirby-sama: Hmm... I'd like to play a character in a story much like the Terry Fox story. Somebody whose has an ultimate conflict in their life - physical, mental, anything - and struggle through it. Something that has a lot of dimension to it, so you could see them at the strong points in their life, at the weak moments in their life, and just charting that path through the story where you just make people laugh, make people cry, make them angry, whatever. Anything that evokes a lot of emotion in people. That's the kind of role that I really want to do.

Pan: What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Kirby-sama: Almond Dutch Chocolate! ^^

Pan: Never heard of that.

Kirby-sama: Ohh... (silly voice) Chocolate and almonds - the greatest conjoining of... anything, err... ever.

Pan: So, if we brought you a bag of almonds and dumped chocolate on it, you'd eat it?

*crowd laughs*

Kirby-sama: *heh* It's not really wise to eat anything that people bring you, that you don't know very well. (goofy voice) Eat this! Really, it's just chocolate and almonds!

Pan: And the next thing you know you're on the floor and you're turning purple.

*crowd laughs*

Kirby-sama: *pretends to have a stomach ache* Yes.

Pan: Speaking of that, do you like squid?

Kirby-sama: Yes. Yes, I do. As a pet? No.

*crowd laughs*

Kirby-sama: What? Squid calamari? You know where the best calamari is from? Monterey, California. Now you know. *heh* It's very good.

Pan: Have you ever played a Japanese version of rock-paper-scissors?

Kirby-sama: I don't think so.

Pan: OK... does anyone have another pen?

Kirby-sama: Am I going to get hurt doing this?

Aggie-chan: (from the audience) I've got one.

*someone hands Pan a pen*

Pan: Thank you! We got one! ^^ K.

Kirby-sama: This isn't that bot (?) thing is it? 5, 10, 15, 20. No.

Steven: (from the audience) There's no rocks or paper.

Kirby-sama: So then there's a whole lot of scissors? *pretends to play against himself and both of his hands are scissors* Scissors again? We've been tied for seven years! *pretends to play against himself and both of his hands are scissors* You almost threw me with that one.

*crowd laughs*

Pan: *heh* We're going to use the bunny on my head. *takes Kuma off her head* This was originally played by voice actors from a Japanese TV show named Weiss Kreuz.

Kirby-sama: Weiss Kreuz?

Pan: Yeah. It means "White Cross".

Kirby-sama: O... K...

Pan: The voice actors actually come together (there's four of them), to create a music group. They're also... how do I put this...? Slightly off-kilter.

Kirby-sama: That means crazy!

Pan: At the end of the sixth Weiss Kreuz tape, they do this little contest. It's in un-subtitled Japanese, so we improvise. They play it with a bowl and two squeaky hammers, and were going to play it with a stuffed pink bunny rabbit and two pens.

Kirby-sama: *looks confused* O... K...

Pan: It's works the same way as rock-paper-scissors and the visuals are the same, but you say it in Japanese. *shows actions* And it's back, forward, back, forward. And you say 'sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon'.

Kirby-sama: Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-pan... ?

Pan: If you don't know it, just mumble something.^^

Aggie-chan: (from the audience) We'll help.

Pan: These lovely people here *signals to the audience* will help.

Kirby-sama: I need somebody... *points at Aggie-chan* You're my helper.

Pan: YAY! Go, Aggie-chan! This doesn't work unless we're facing each other, which is what I'm trying...

*random people show up through curtain in the background*

Kirby-sama: Hey, buddy.

Pan: Good morning.

Random person: Good morning. What's going on?

Kirby-sama: A modelling (?) session.

Pan: Mwhahahaha!

Random person: How were you this morning?

Kirby-sama: I was fine.

Random person: Oh yeah?

Kirby-sama: Oh yeah. Have a good time?

Random person: [mumbling Pan can't make out]

Kirby-sama: I wanna hear stories.

*random people leave*

Audience: o.O;

Kirby-sama: *laughs, then makes a funny face at the audience*

*crowd laughs*

Pan: Alright. If we play rock-paper-scissors and I get scissors and you get paper so I win... no... uh... somehow, you win. I have to cover myself with this *covers her head with Kuma* before you hit me with this *picks up the pen*

Kirby-sama: Oh my gosh.

*crowd laughs*

Pan: Now, if you lose, and I win.

Kirby-sama: Bring it on.

Pan: *heh* Like I give you scissors and you give me paper, you have to cover yourself with the bunny before I hit you like this. *hits Kirby-sama in the head with a pen*

*crowd laughs*

Kirby-sama: (kid voice) I don't like this game.

Pan: Now, as wonderful as this game is, there's something you should know. If I cover myself with the bunny and you hit the bunny, we keep going until someone actually hits the other person in the head with the pen like this. *hits Kirby-sama in the head with the pen (again^^)*

*crowd laughs*

Kirby-sama: See, she's got me twice now. *makes a fist*

Pan: Anyway, want to try it?

Kirby-sama: *heh* K, a short game of this.

Pan and Kirby-sama (with Aggie-chan's help): Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon!

*Kirby-sama = scissors // Pan = scissors*

Kirby-sama: OK.

Pan: Ready?

Pan and Kirby-sama (with Aggie-chan's help): Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon!

*Kirby-sama = rock // Pan = rock*

Pan and Kirby-sama (with Aggie-chan's help): Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon!

*Kirby-sama = scissors // Pan = scissors*

*crowd laughs*

Pan and Kirby-sama (with Aggie-chan's help): Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon!

*Kirby-sama = paper // Pan = paper*

*crowd laughs*

Pan and Kirby-sama (with Aggie-chan's help): Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon!

*Kirby-sama = rock // Pan = scissors*

*Kirby-sama goes for the bunny, then grabs the pen, but Pan blocks just in time*

*crowd laughs*

Kirby-sama: *laughs* I was going to give you the bunny.

*Pan re-sets up game // Kirby-sama looks at Kuma more closely and starts treating him like a baby*

*crowd laughs*

Pan: Bunny got dirty. They *points to audience* got orange soda on him.

Kirby-sama: Hey, there's vodka on him too! *points at audience*

*crowd laughs*

Pan: His name is Kumagoro.

Kirby-sama: *puts a pen cap on one of the pens* Someone is going to get a pen in the eye.

Pan: Mwhahahahaha!

Kirby-sama: They do this with hammers? Plastic hammers?

Pan: Yeah. They're squeaky and they go "squeak". Except one of the guys looks like a girl (Yuuki Hiro).

*certain members of crowd giggle* -_-;

Kirby-sama: OK, you ready?

Pan and Kirby-sama (with Aggie-chan's help): Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon!

*Kirby-sama = rock // Pan = scissors*

*Kirby-sama grabs the pen and ties to hit Pan, but Pan blocks just in time*

Kirby-sama: I'm going to cheat now. *holds down Kumagoro's ear with his elbow* OK.

*crowd laughs*

Kirby-sama: *releases Kuma* Ready?

Pan and Kirby-sama (with Aggie-chan's help): Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon!

*Kirby-sama = paper // Pan = scissors*

*both try to figure out what to grab, Kirby blocks just as Pan is about to hit him with the pen, and then the pen goes flying somewhere in the background*

*Kirby-sama puts Kuma on his head and Aggie-chan rescues the pen*

*crowd laughs*

Kirby-sama: (still with bunny on his head) Danger!

Pan: Danger! Danger, Will Robertson!

Kirby-sama: *takes Kuma off his head* Ready? This is our last one.

Pan and Kirby-sama (with Aggie-chan's help): Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon!

*Kirby-sama = scissors // Pan = scissors*

Pan and Kirby-sama (with Aggie-chan's help): Sai-sho-wa gu, jan-ken-pon!

*Kirby-sama = rock // Pan = scissors*

*Kirby-sama quickly grabs pen and hits Pan with it before she can block*

Pan: Ah... you won.

*crowd starts clapping for Kirby ^^*

Kirby-sama: *flexes* What'cha gonna do?

Pan: *raises his arm* The champion!

Kirby-sama: Uhh... yes. I want to thank my trainers, and everybody in my corner. We worked hard for this honor.

*Aggie-chan briefly massages his back* ^^

*crowd laughs*

Kirby-sama: And I seemed a little rough before the game, but, uh... it came together. It was good.

Pan: Lastly, would you like to pose with Kumagoro?

Kirby-sama: Would I! *puts Kuma on his shoulder*

Chapel: (cameraman) This footage is going to haunt you.

Kirby-sama: *takes bunny off shoulder and looks at it* Ah, yes, you and I on the internet, little one. *pets Kuma*

*crowd laughs*

Kirby-sama: (talking to Kuma) Look at you. Clean yourself up! *hands Kuma back to Pan*

Pan: Thank you incredibly much for the interview. I hope you had some fun.

Kirby-sama: Your most welcome.

*Kirby-sama and Pan shake hands*

Pan: Have you ever had a weirder interview?

Kirby-sama: Uhh... this was pretty weird. ^^

Pan: YAY! ^^

*crowd laughs*



WEEEEEEEE!!! That was fun, wasn't it? ^^

Join us next week when we find out how they get the caramel into the Caramilk bars. ^^