If you’re looking to hire an African American male voiceover talent that is resonant, memorable, authoritative, with a baritone that sounds like James Earl Jones, meet George Washington III! For over 17 years, George has been the voice of clients like McDonalds, ESPN, Spotify, Planned Parenthood, and Burgerville. Before that he was working in IT and after 20 years, he joined the Opera Carolina as a baritone voice. From there, using his expertise in voice performance and being inspired by an opportunity to narrate a corporate video, George eventually achieved his true dream: being a full time professional voice over talent.
You can hear him in radio and TV commercials, e-learning, or corporate narration among many other genres. He works with clients all over the world from his professional broadcast quality sound booth on the east coast.
When he’s not in the booth, you can catch him photographing a sports event, watching his favorite movie “Interstellar” while chatting about his love for science and space, or maybe eating his favorite meal – a perfect medium rare ribeye steak with a slice of strawberry-rhubarb pie for dessert.
Meet George Washington III – your next voiceover pro who’s voice ranges from trustworthy guy next door to passionate burger aficionado and everything in between. Imagine a voice that can deliver your most potent political message with integrity – then pivot to an energetic charm that makes a burger and milkshake undeniable. That’s George Washington III – Your next professional voiceover talent. Memorable. Resonant. Versatile.
Tell us a little about your broadcast-quality home studio. Where is it? What kind of equipment do you have? What do you like about it?
- Mac Mini m4 24 GB RAM 512 GB storage
- UAD Apollo Twin X Thunderbolt interface
- Sennheiser MKH-416 mic
- Neumann TLM103 mic
- Adobe Creative Cloud (Audition, Premier, et al)
- Izotope RX10
- SourceConnect 3.9 +4.0
- Studiobricks One Plus VO Edition Isolation booth
- Synology DS216play Network Accessible Storage (12 TB)
Flexibility is what I love most about this setup. I can do pretty much anything I want with this set of tools, even send files from my home storage if I am out of the studio. Having the ability to switch quickly from one mic to another depending on the job type and production requirements is actually exciting to me!
What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?
I am an unbelievable softie. Just let me talk about something that has moved me, and the tears will flow. Listen, there is this Doctor Who episode…<sniff>
How did you get into voiceover work?
I was an IT professional at First Union National Bank in Charlotte. I happened to get on an elevator with a woman named Elizabeth Taylor…I know, right? And she asked me if I would like to be the on-camera host for a series of videos for that segment of the bank. I said yes, and started hosting. One of the videos required that I go to Concentrix Music and Sound Design to narrate part of it. Getting that chance really sparked something; it was fun and challenging, and I can get paid for this?
Do you remember the first voiceover job you ever did?
My first paid voiceover gig was for the now defunct newspaper The Augusta Chronicle. It was recorded at Jay Howard Audio in Charlotte, NC, and I was in a group read with at least 3 other FAR MORE experienced talent. Somehow I survived!
What can you offer to a new client who’s working with you for the first time?
I want this job to be as successful as you do. So tell me what you want, when you want it, and how you want it, and I’ll give it to you. I am very experienced taking direction, even if you aren’t as experienced giving it! So I will give you as many variations as we can think of so your production choices are right there for you.
Join George and Balthazar as they navigate life as a voice actor and an occasional bark actor!
What has been your favorite voiceover project – political or otherwise – to date?
I have two! One is my current ongoing voice as Green Lantern in DC Universe Online. I have been the voice of John Stewart, DC Comics’ first African-American superhero, for 13 years, and as a comic book fan since I was a child, this is one of my dream jobs. The second: I was one of the original app voices for the National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington, DC. This was a job I got because of my long-time friendship with fellow BWVO actors Rosi and Brian Amador. We all recorded the audio for the Museum for its opening in 2015. That museum took 100 YEARS to get approval for and build. Knowing I was a part of a significant part that is humbling.
What is your biggest voiceover pet peeve?
Right now, the belief that AI is going to be able to do our jobs. We provide the emotional connection between the copy and the listener. It is not just about the information transfer. Our job is to make the listener feel something through our own feelings. That’s irreplaceable.
If you could tell political voiceover clients one thing that would help you do your job better, or help them get what they want faster – what would that one thing be?
Honestly, my political VO clients have been great. Flexible, fast paying, good at giving direction…basically that’s what we want. Tell us what you want and pay quickly. That’s the best!
What advice do you have for talents who want to do political voiceover?
Don’t sell yourself out. Give the client what they want from the real feelings you have. And that honesty will come through in your performances. Be honest about what you feel. Then get that specific demo done!
What hobbies do you have outside of your voiceover work?
For the last two years I have been getting into photography. I started out with an interest in astrophotography but I have moved into sports photography through the company I am working with as an intern. It gives me a chance to think outside of sound, of audio. Telling a story visually, learning how light works, learning an entirely different toolset. Definitely challenging and fun!
Any final thoughts?
I have said this many times: being a voice actor for my living sometimes feels like a pretend moment. I perform for a living. I don’t push papers or install PCs. I use my voice to make money. Which in a way was what I wanted all those years ago in college. And here I am!