Chris Flockton is a British actor, writer and voiceover artist based in New York City.

He was a member of New York’s acclaimed Rumble in the RedRoom sketch comedy ensemble for 4 years, and has worked extensively in theatre, film, voiceover, and countless corporate events around the world.

Chris’ voice can be heard as the narrator of VH1′s top-rated show, The Fabulous Life, and is also a member of the sketch comedy troupe, The Belgian Summers.

He is a Gemini and fond of penguins.

Interviewed by Joanna Parson

How did you start getting into voice-overs?
I was looking for something that had flexible hours and would be easy on my nails, and voice-overs struck me as ideal. But seriously, being a British actor with a deep voice living in the U.S., it seemed like a natural fit. I had been living and working in Boston and was encouraged by casting directors and friends in the business to make a demo reel and start auditioning for V.O. work. I took a class and made my original reel. It contained 100% studio-manufactured work. In other words – nothing I had actually done professionally. From there it was a slow build over the next 15 years to the lucky position of working regularly today.

When the VH-1 series “The Fabulous Life” came along and you became the narrator, did you know that it would be such a big hit? What were your expectations?
Gosh. My expectations were so low as to be almost immeasurable. It was just another audition, and when I got a call from my agents at Buchwald telling me that they wanted me to narrate “The Fabulous Life of Jennifer Lopez,” I laughed and said, “Are they paying American money? Great, why not.” It was a pilot at that point, and no one had any idea that it would become a staple show for VH-1 for the next four years and counting. Believe me, no one is more surprised by the success of the show than I. Every year I assume it will go away, and every year it’s picked up again. We’re about to do our 100th show. Who knew?

How has that steady gig changed your career?
The old adage, work begets work is certainly true. Over the years, the steady gig has created something of a Fab Life cottage industry. As the show became more popular, I guess more people wanted to associate themselves with it. People got in contact and asked me to lend my voice to all sorts of odd projects. From the World Wrestling Federation to promoting expensive real estate, and everything in between. Mostly I am glad for the work. Other times the requests are a little too out there to actually do. Other than that, it’s boosted my visibility and that can only be good. Also, I work with some terrifically talented people who go on to do other things in the industry and hopefully remember me. It’s lead to other unrelated jobs and opportunities for which I am very grateful.

Your delivery on “Fab Life” is reminiscent of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” host Robin Leach— were you asked to deliver that kind of parody at your first audition? Have you gotten any reaction from Mr. Leach himself?
Yes, it’s an inevitable comparison. Similar subject matter, and British hosts. But no, I was never asked to emulate his delivery. At the audition I tried a number of different reads. One of them I did as a total goof was an over-the-top version of myself. That’s what finally became the voice of The Fabulous Life. Ultimately, I think using a British voice allowed the show do a lot of ironic, tongue-in-check humorous fun-poking (if there is such a word) and get away with it. The over the top read just added to the silliness of the whole thing.

And yes, a while ago I was made aware of a newspaper article in which Mr. Leach commented on my work in the show by saying that it was “a very bad imitation of his voice,” and that it “made him want to throw up.” Something like that. I immediately, and with great glee, posted his comments on my website under the headline, “Chris Annoys Robin Leach.” If anyone knows him, let him know I’d like to invite him to dinner.

Talk about the logistics of your voice-over career. At this point in your career, do you have to live in New York City? Do you work through a home studio, or go into recording facilities?
No, I don’t have to live in NYC, and in fact, I don’t anymore. After I got married in 2005, my wife and I moved about an hour north of the city to northern Westchester County. Is it more convenient to live in Hell’s Kitchen? Sure. Did moving out of the city affect my career? I don’t think so. It just requires a little more planning on my part. The best part is, I’ve put together a home voice-over studio in the house. I record many of my voice-over auditions for my New York and L.A. agents from home and send them in via e-mail. Also, since moving out of the city, I’ve encouraged promo and commercial clients to book me from my home studio. It saves them money on studio rental, and is far more convenient for me (I like recording in my PJs). We do the session over a phone patch, then I upload the files to an FTP site for them to retrieve. It’s actually very easy.

For larger projects like Fab Life, I still go into a professional studio in the city. I’m not an audio engineer and know to leave the big projects to the pros.

What advice can you give people starting out that want to become voice-over artists?
First of all, if you’re British and have a deep voice – just don’t do it. It’s a crowded field and I don’t need the competition. OK, I’m kidding. (Not really. I know people and I will find you.) But seriously… It really is a tough field. An actress I’ve know for a long time wrote to me recently and asked the same question. I told her that it was a very hard field to dabble in. If you want to be a V.O. person, you have to be willing to give it many years of consistent effort, and deal with the near-constant rejection. For the few people who make the really big bucks (and believe me, I’m NOT one of them), there are thousands who book the occasional radio spot for $180, and spend the rest of their time going to auditions. Be realistic. If you have a unique voice, you may do well. If you have a great voice, but one that’s similar to the thousands of others in your demographic, then more than likely, the guy who’s been in the industry 5 or 10 years longer than you, and who all the casting people know may book the job even though you’re every bit as good. Like many things in this industry, it just takes a huge amount of perseverance.

Of course, your mileage will vary. If you have a burning desire to get into this peculiar corner of the biz, it’s fascinating, fun work. By all means jump in (unless you’re British with a deep voice).

How did you first establish a relationship with your agents? Do voice-over actors need to make a demo tape, or can they meet agents without one?
I was lucky. I came to New York from Boston with a few agent referrals from a casting director. I owe her a lot. My referrals got me in the doors, and led to signing with my first commercial agent a few months after arriving in the city. From there I switched agents a couple of times until I found a good fit for me.

For those who might not have an introduction to an agent, yes, a demo is a very good idea. Most agents will expect you to have one. Don’t worry if you haven’t done any professional work. There are many studios out there that offer demo reel packages. They can help you find appropriate copy, coach you on the delivery, and provide professional-sounding production. I’d suggest making a demo a minute long – your best minute showing your versatility. Don’t worry about mixing commercials with promos with narration or animation at this point. Once you get an agent interested in you, they will advise you on how to refine your demo reels.

As far as getting in the door, I feel having a friend refer you is the best way to meet an agent. Ask everyone you know who already has an agent if the would feel comfortable referring you. If they don’t feel comfortable, it’s probably not a good idea and you should move on. Other than that, by all means send out those demo CDs to agents, casting directors and production companies. In addition, get a website and put all your demos online.

Does your work as a voice-over actor translate into other acting jobs? Which parts of the industry have opened to you more because of voice-overs?
Voice-over work usually begets more voice-over work. But sure, I’ve been asked to do live appearances, hosting work, even contribute to rap songs a result of the Fab Life show. Also, when your voice really gets out there, it raises your general profile and it’s just inevitable that more work will come your way.9. You were born in Scotland and raised as a child in the UK.

Talk about being a British actor in the United States. How do you think it has helped or hindered you? Did you ever consider working in the UK? Do you ever audition or perform using an American accent?
Being a British ex-pat has been a mixed blessing, but on balance I’d say it’s a positive thing. I tend to audition with the same group of talented Brits, Aussies and Irishmen over and over again and we all know each other. “Hello Nigel. Hello Trevor. Hello Simon. How’s it going?” If I hear something on the radio or TV that I auditioned for and didn’t get (an all too frequent occurrence), I can usually tell you whose voice it is. So it’s helpful in that you’re nearly always called for British work if it’s in your age range, but the flip side of that is that it’s more difficult to get considered for other work that you might well be capable of. I have worked with an American accent in theatre, commercials, and other projects. Depending on whom you ask, I either pulled it off or sounded like an eccentric patrician with a speech defect. A few years ago I booked a radio spot for Rolling Rock cast as a beatnik poet guy. When I showed up at the session speaking like I normally do, the producer told me that there must be some mistake, and that they had hired the wrong person. I was delighted to prove him wrong. That producer is now my wife. OK, I made that last bit up.

Sure, I’ve thought about working in the U.K., but I’ve put down roots here and I really enjoy living in the States. Maybe someday.

The podcast you began producing in January has become quite popular and was named an iTunes “New and Notable” download. Why did you decide to start putting together podcasts?
Actually, deciding to do the podcast was a happy afterthought. I’d been experimenting with writing short essays, a new format for me. They were very much in my own voice, so I started recording them in my studio. Then it suddenly occurred to me that I could publish them on my website and call them podcasts. That’s what the hip people are listening to these days, right? This then led to submitting them to iTunes and other podcasting websites. It’s a great way to get your work listened to by a wide and diverse audience.

Beyond the writing stage, is it easy or hard to put podcasts together? Can you describe the process?
It’s actually pretty easy. All you need is a computer that can record sound, any half-way decent microphone, a program that can create an MP3 file, and podcasting software to create your “feed” and upload your podcast to the internet. Many of these tools are available for a very low cost. Do a quick Google search for “podcasting tools” to get some more info. Also, many companies have started selling podcasting kits that include everything you need to get started, but they tend to cost several hundred dollars.

I’m more than a little biased, but if you use a Mac podcasting is particularly easy. I use Apple’s GarageBand software to create all my podcasts, then upload them directly into iTunes.

How many people have been listening to your podcast? Have you had any interesting responses from faraway fans?
Millions. Next to Ricky Gervais, I’m pretty much number one globally. OK, not really. iTunes doesn’t tell you how many people are listening to your podcasts, but by looking at the stats on my personal website, I can see that literally thousands of people have downloaded my essays. Who are they? I really don’t know. But surprisingly, the download are from all over the world, not just the U.S. and U.K. Once you put your stuff out there and take advantage of the global reach of the web it’s amazing how widely it can be distributed. And yes, I do get the occasional e-mail from folks around the world telling me that they’ve enjoyed a particular piece.

How do you think it has or will influence your career going forward, building up a body of work through podcasting writing and producing?
I feel it helps enormously to have a body of work out there that you can point people towards if they’re interested in knowing more about you. Even better if they can access it with a simple click of a mouse. It’s been said before, but technology really is the great equalizer. It levels the field between you and the big guys. It’s also a great and inexpensive way to keep in contact with people in the business. I have an e-mailing list that people can sign up for. It’s become a pretty big list over the years. Any time I add a new podcast, I’m doing a show, or I have anything else even vaguely interesting to crow about, I fire off an e-mail and direct people to my website. I would say this though, be selective about what sort of stuff you put out there. Once it’s on the internet it’s public forever. I never would have done that photo spread if… well, never mind.

Why do you think it’s important for actors to create their own projects, like the podcast, and your sketch group, The Belgian Summers?
It’s rule number one: Always be working, right? It’s one thing to go to auditions day after day and wait for someone to give you a job. It’s another thing entirely to create that job yourself. It gives you a level of control and empowerment that’s frequently absent in this business. Some of the most rewarding work that I’ve done, both personally and professionally, in the 12 years I’ve been in New York are projects I’ve created myself or as a collaboration with like-minded friends. It’s also a matter of constantly trying to stay creative and find outlets for your creativity. For example, not long after we stopped doing the Red Room, a previous sketch comedy group after four crazy years, a few of us felt like we were getting soft by not using those writing and performing muscles regularly. So we created another group, The Belgian Summers. People loved it, and we created a nice, if somewhat disturbed, little following. You never know where something like that’s going to lead you. Plus, Belgium is a sorely neglected and underrated European country, and anything I can do to help them out makes me feel all warm inside.

You continue to do theatre and have a longstanding relationship as an actor with the Depot Theatre in upstate New York. That can’t pay as well as your V.O. work—why is it still important to you?
Well, we all know that until you’re either famous, on Broadway, or both, you’re not in theatre for the money. And even then, it’s definitely a passion rather than merely a job. Theatre is where I started out and it’s what makes me feel most alive as an actor. Regardless of what other work I do to pay the bills, I would be very unhappy if live theatre didn’t remain a part of my life.

The Depot Theatre in particular has been an amazing summer home for the past 8 years. It really feels more like family at this point. It’s a charming little theatre in a renovated, but still functioning railway station in New York’s beautiful Adirondack State Park. Every year that I go there, I leave having worked with fantastically talented, kind-hearted people, having received my theatre “fix,” and feeling refreshed, energized, and ready return to the craziness of the acting biz in New York. It’s a real blessing. Plus, the 401K is the bomb.