And The Voice Talent Of The Month Is...
Adriana Sananes

This month we interviewed one of our beautiful Spanish voice talents, Adriana Sananes. Adriana has been a much requested voice at the Great Voice Company for almost 15 years. A versatile actress, she is the Spanish language voice of Citiphone Banking and for many of AT&T’s Spanish language voice prompts. Adriana has done voiceovers for Lifetime, US Mint and Celebrity Cruises and she reminds you to “Fasten Your Seatbelt” in Spanish on Continental Airlines. She also does recordings for books on tape. Recent projects include the best selling novel "My Sister Frida" and "The Dark Bride."

Where are you from originally?
I don't like to say because I don’t want to be typecast. Suffice it to say that I've played many nationalities: Greek, Spanish, Italian, Indian, and various Latin Americans.

What languages do you speak?
Spanish and English fluently, and some French.

Do you do accents?
In English I do generic Spanish, Mexican, Italian, and what is known as a continental accent, a geographically untraceable European accent. In Spanish I do Mexican, Argentinean, Cuban, Castillian and what’s referred to as neutral or generic Spanish.

How did you get into voice acting?
When I started acting, about 20 years ago, talent agents liked my voice and
immediately started to send me out. I got my first radio spot for Seagram's
Wine Coolers. I thought it would be a great way to supplement my income.
A few weeks later I was selected to do a character called Juanita in a book on tape. It was a western by Louis L'Amour, and the producers hired a veteran sound effects man who did the sound effects when we taped, just like old-time radio.
He had a small suitcase full of gadgets which produced everything from crickets, to doors opening and closing, to horse hooves to telephones and footsteps. I loved every second of it. I started listening to all the old radio shows like Jack Benny, Eve Arden, Orson Welles. I just fell in love with the microphone.

Do you have formal training?
Yes. I have a Bachelor’s in Music from Manhattan School of Music and I’ve studied acting. I have experience in Mime, Commedia dell'Arte, Shakespeare, Jazz Dance, Flamenco and Ballet. I have had the tremendous luck of being onstage with one of the best actors in the Spanish Theatre, the Cuban actress Ofelia González. My first important role was the Bride in Lorca's "Blood Wedding." Ms. González played the Mother. I learned more from that amazing woman than from any class I could have taken.

What are some of your favorite voiceover stories?
Once my husband called AT&T, heard my voice, and told me to get off the phone because he was calling AT&T! Another time a producer of a TV voiceover told me to sound more as if it were dusk and the sun had just set. She was dead serious!

What are you most proud of in your career?
I recently got my first review for a recorded book in a literary journal. It was for "Desires and their Shadows" by Ana Clavel. The reviewer wrote: "Adriana Sananes does an excellent reading of the novel, with hints of a Mexican accent, although her voice remains mostly neutral and well-paced. She does an excellent job of highlighting dialogue and providing a different voice for every character. Highly recommended..." I'm pretty proud of that one! I’m also proud to be accepting the HOLA (Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors) award for Best Supporting Actress for my role as Florentina in the play "Bernarda". The ceremony will be held in New York City and Antonio Banderas will also be accepting an award that evening. Imagine... Antonio Banderas! My teenage daughter is beside herself!