Today we’d like to introduce you to Reagan Williams.
Hi Reagan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story is a bit different than most. I grew up in Southwest Virginia (a very small, mining town) and moved to Tennessee for college in 2011. I stayed in TN until this year, actually – so 10 full years. Isn’t that insane?
During my time in Tennessee, I went to two separate colleges, interned at radio stations, worked retail jobs, made friends and lost friends, studied abroad in Japan, and ultimately received two degrees. My studies were based in Theatre, Radio/TV/Film, and Japanese (1st Bachelors), as well as Japanese and International Business (2nd Bachelors). Now, while I did enjoy my experiences and I definitely wouldn’t be who I am today without them – I knew that I wanted more and my calling is certainly something that I didn’t “study” for.
Since my childhood, I’ve always wanted to work in not only Voice Acting but also work in the production of my favorite shows. My purpose for wanting to move to Atlanta is simply that – some of my favorite networks, such as Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, are here. I’ve been working in the realm of TV Production since 2018 and I found this type of work my last semester of college. It’s a bit ironic because while I did study TV and Film in college, I never really thought I’d work in it, or at least in this manner. But, I love it and I hope to fulfill one of my dreams by getting into Adult Swim or Cartoon Network while I’m here in Atlanta.
I’ve worked with companies that have given me valuable experience, everything from Home Shopping Networks to True Crime Television Production Companies, like Jupiter Entertainment. & Here I am, still coasting along, gaining experience, and pushing forward!
If you can’t tell, I’m a huge nerd and love anything and everything anime, Japanese, cartoons, 90s sitcoms, comics, and the like. My passion for Voice Acting came from a young age and it used to be the ONLY thing I wanted to do! So, I studied Acting in college. But over the years, I’ve come to realize that I want to do Voice Over AND work behind the scenes in Production for my favorite shows. I also found Twitch a little over a year ago and am making a part-time job out of streaming + gaming, yet another passion of mine. A skilled gal, or a 3-in-1 special, if you will.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been smooth. I do recognize that I have been given chances and came so far from where I was 10 years ago. However, it definitely hasn’t been easy.
I come from a very small town where jobs are… nothing, really. I’ve made it way past that and here I am, working in content creation, acting, and television production. I get told “no” quite often and even while I was on my quest to move from Knoxville, TN (previous city) to Atlanta, there were times I felt hopeless and asked “Why will no one hire me? I’ve got skills and a HUGE drive to succeed!” …Someone finally did hire me, but I want more.
Life isn’t always fair and sometimes you seriously have to fight for what you want. I’ve struggled not only in the acting scene but also in the production scene. “You’re over-qualified” or “We decided to go into a different direction” or “They dismissed the position” – are all common explanations that I’ve heard. It sucks, huh? We all go through it though and rejection sucks. You’ve gotta keep going to conquer those dreams. I will never give up. I stay as humble as I can, but I do know that I deserve to get what I want in my career. It’s a delicate balance.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Currently, I work in Television Production by day and Content Creation/Voice Over by night. My Production job isn’t too fancy at the moment, as I mainly view, cut, and create various types of content regarding Court Trials around the country. It is great experience, though!
I spend my evenings streaming on Twitch, 3 nights a week, and outside of streaming, I casually create various content on Instagram and YouTube. My specialty is Voice Over and JRPGs (Japanese Role Play Games) – but I also love a good Hack/Slash game, or horror game. I think what I’m known for in my realm of creative spaces is my random voices and loudness, as well as my constant lust for fictional men. (hahaha, yes I am a fangirl)
I’ve always been known for my voices and have been doing voices since I was a kid. It’s fun and a hobby of mine, which I’m making into a career as we speak. People also love that I can spout random 2000s anime knowledge – Dragon Ball Z is one of my favorites!
Oh… I think that my style is also a special feature of my character and persona. I dress very grunge/alternative and still listen to the same emo bands that I listened to in high school. (Miss you, 2006-2009)
I’m a nostalgic lady, can you tell?
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
There are a lot of things that matter to me, honestly. I want my career path to be successful and I want to “go where I want to go”… if that makes sense. I have a constant fear of not being able to get to my goal, but I suppose we all have that fear sometimes.
Overall, besides my career path, I would say my cat (Jasper), my social life and family, and my online creative space matters most to me.
Why? My friends and family, including Jasper, have always been there for me. We all deserve to feel loved and wanted, and to have a support system… that is what gets your drive going, right? My online creative spaces matter to me because that is where I feel welcome, where I feel like I belong and people accept me for my nerdy, alternative self!
Contact Info:
- Email: reagzvoice@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/reagzvoice
- Twitter: twitter.com/reagzvoice
- Youtube: youtube.com/reagzvoice
Image Credits
Grace Costigan Photography (Knoxville, TN)
