BILL TIMONEY
The Voice of Parn

Bill is a voice-actor that started in the popular Legend Of The Overfiend series, and moved on to do the lead character of Parn in the Record Of Lodoss War OVA and then again in the Chronicles Of The Heroic Knight TV anime. He has also performed in other various anime and animated programs like Digimon and Outlaw Star, and directed some titles for Media Blasters including Gokudo and Jewel Bem Hunter Lime. Plus, he has done voice-overs for various live-action films such as Storm Riders and Shadow Warriors.

BILL'S CREDITS

Battle Arena Toshinden, Battle Athletes, Cowboy Bebop, Demon Womb, Digimon, El Hazard, Fist Of The North Star, Gatchaman, Gokudo, Gundam Wing, Iria, Jewel Bem Hunter Lime, Lain, Legend Of Black Heaven, Legend Of The Overfiend, My My Mai, Outlaw Star, Perfect Blue, Record Of Lodoss War, Storm Riders, Street Fighter II V, Trigun, Voltage Fighter Gowkaizer

Interview taken over the internet. (December 2001)

• WHAT GOT YOU STARTED AS A VOICE ACTOR?
  I got started in anime by auditioning for the dub of Legend Of The Overfiend. I was unaware of contemporary anime until my audition. I was not prepared for the extreme nature of the content. However, I really wanted to get into dubbing. I really needed rent money that month, and the box did say, 'Absolutely Not For Children'...so I did it. Voiced Nagumo, the gym teacher demon, Nicky, the Overfiend fetus...had a fantastic time! I worked fast, and the producers liked what I did, so I got more opportunities. Did Demon Womb, then swore off Anime 18 titles. As a consumer and a citizen, I ain't too crazy about the series. But as an actor, I'm happy I got the opportunity, and I'm pretty happy with my work. One of my fave voices was a brief bit as the baseball stadium announcer; I did it like Bob Sheppard, the Yankee Stadium voice.
  
  
• WHAT'S YOUR IMPRESSION OF PARN FROM THE FIRST LODOSS SERIES?
  Parn is my favorite anime character. In the original, he's a brash, energized teenager, wanting adventure and heroics. But he's respectful of elders and desires peace. I love it that he doesn't know how to deal with Deedlit(on a romantic level, that is)and it's also great to play his need for a paternal figure; looking for his dad Tessius in King Cashue, etc.
  
  
• HOW DO YOU THINK PARN CHANGED IN THE MADE-FOR-TV REMAKE?
  In the TV sequal(it's only kinda a remake, right?), Parn is initially the Parn we know, but that jump in time(so the narrative can follow Spark)allowed me and the dub's director, the late Mike Alben, to age Parn to what was my own age. Parn is now wiser and more understanding of when to use(and not to use)his energy, his passion and his anger. He's also now in a mature relationship with Deed. I understand that some fans of the dub were not happy with an aged Parn, but I believe that vocally, it was choice for the character.
  
  
• WAS IT HARD DOING SUPER-DEFORMED PARN IN THE LODOSS ISLAND BITS?
  I loved doing super-deformed! I found the voice right away, I used my delivery on 'pow pow Parn!' as my warm up mantra before we each cue. Also used 'what you've all been waiting for!'. Mike Alben worked very, very hard to make those sequences funny for English-language audiences, since the originals are based on Japanese puns which wouldn't read to us. I'm proud of his work on them.
  
  
• HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY KIND OF BAD PRESS FROM BEING IN OVERFIEND?
  No one outside the USA otaku is even aware of Overfiend, so I haven't experienced repercussions. Maybe someday, if I became well-known, the credit will get dragged outta the trunk of Access Hollywood or something.
  
  
• WHAT OTHER ANIME HAVE YOU HAD A MORE PROMINENT ROLE IN?
  The male lead in E.Y.E.S. OF MARS(Dew), my 3rd anime. The lead's an older brother of Kazahiro in Here Is Greenwood, the bad guy Lord Bakkemon on an episode of Digimon. Lots of supporting roles and bit parts in Iria, My My Mai, Outlaw Star, Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Voltage Fighter Gowkaiser, Lain, Legend Of Black Heaven, Battle Arena Toshinden, Perfect Blue, Battle Athletes, Fist Of The North Star, Streetfighter II V, El Hazard, Gundam Wing, Gatchaman II...you get the idea.
  
  
• YOU'VE ALSO DONE VOICE-OVERS FOR SOME FOREIGN FILMS? WHICH WOULD THEY BE?
  Just dubbed some good roles in Lumumba, one of my favorite films of 2001. HBO will be running the dubbed versions of the Oscar-winning movies Koyla and Il Postino. Worked with the famed German director Volker Schondorff(The Tin Drum)dubbing his John Malkovich, The Ogre. Did roles in Jackie Chan's Project A, and the genre pics: Shadow Warriors, Tokyo Raiders, and Storm Riders(bits and walla, no leads).
  
  
• WHAT LIVE-ACTION MOVIES HAVE YOU DONE WORK FOR?
  I'm the voice of the spacecraft in Mission To Mars, the voice of the Mindhead Center with Eddie Murphy in Bowfinger, and the voice doing the NASA lift-off and re-entry countdowns in The Astronaut's Wife. On-camera, I'm the dad of the lead kid(and the son of Robert Wagner)in the Fox Family film: Rocket's Red Glare. Also in the independent film Last Chance(directed by Malcom In The Middle's Bryan Cranston)and The Last Late Night, neither of which has been released yet.
  
  
• DO YOU PREFER DOING VOICE-OVERS FOR ANIMATION OR LIVE ACTION?
  As an actor, I love working! Doesn't matter if it's anime V/O, live-action V/O, on-camera film & TV, or theatre. I actually spent several years early in my career on the soap opera All My Children, so I love that medium too. Currently filming some TV commercials. It's work, so it doesn't matter. But I must admit that I paticularly enjoy anime.
  
  
• ARE YOU INVOLVED IN ANY UPCOMING ANIME TITLES?
  Just voiced the role of the title character's dad in the CPM Himiko's Story. Adapted and directed Heoh & The Blaze-A-Trons, which has yet to find distribution. Adapted and directed the dub of a Media Blasters title called Jewel Bem Hunter Lime. Currently adapting and directing the Media Blasters title Gokudo, which I'm absolutely crazy about!! It's almost Lodoss War, only with an obnoxious jerk for a protagonist! I can't wait to see how anime fans will respond to it. I think it will be extremely successful!