Ray Porter
Ray Porter has garnered two Audie nominations and a multitude of enthusiastic reviews for his sparkling narration of audiobooks. He has also appeared in numerous films and television shows, including Sons of Anarchy, Frasier, ER, Will & Grace, and Almost Famous. A veteran of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.
DOSSIER: Please tell us about the secret audiobook narrator’s underground competition studio that exists for top tier voice actors. Newly acquired Dossier intel indicates that it’s something between Fight Club and the scene from the movie Zoolander where Derek and Hansel (he’s so hot right now) battle to the finish in a male model runway walk off. We need to know … how far are you willing to go to beat out Scott Brick / Ray Porter to win that coveted gig with a favorite author you’ve always wanted?
PORTER: I am fully prepared to stand atop a flaming garbage truck doing 95 mph down the interstate while wearing a striped and sequined Lycra bodysuit and playing “Cuanto Le Gusta” on a fully distorted Les Paul through 4 Marshall stacks while serving delicious Yorkshire puddings from a platinum Star Wars lunchbox that was used in a failed exorcism. Not this time Brick! You’re going DOWN.
DOSSIER: There you have it, folks. Best one-sentence answer, ever! Get with Ray on Cameo and he will hook you up! We’re done here.
Voice breaks in overhead. “Wait, you’ve prepared more questions.”
Dossier guy sits back down and wonders how he talked Ray into agreeing to this interview in this cramped audio booth, Carmen Miranda’s “Cuanto Le Gusta” now stuck in his head on a loop.
DOSSIER: Regarding your process for delivering exceptional quality in your audiobook narration, how many times do you read through the book and how much book/author research do you do before you hit that record button?
PORTER: Full Disclosure: Erm….. I don’t. I mean, I certainly check in with the author regarding any specific accents/voices they require for the story. But I learned my lesson from doing the process as I felt I should once. Terrible reviews. I realized that, for me, if it is happening to me as I read it then it is happening for the listener. So, yup! Cold reads. Every narrator has a different process and I found that this way works best for me. I do NOT recommend it to other narrators. But in my case I have found that if I’m too fully versed in the book before I record, I’m serving reheated leftovers to the listener. But that’s just me and my weird brain.
DOSSIER: Although you skillfully craft your narration around your interpretation of each book character, do you have a particular style you save for certain kinds of books or specific authors you work with on a regular basis?
PORTER: Every book has its own “voice”. If you really are attentive, it’s there. There are regular series I narrate and when I get a new title in a series it is like meeting an old friend. There are characters in them that I’ve developed over time and also new characters coming out to play in the series. But for new books or standalones, I try to find that book’s individual voice. Yeah, sounds kinda voodoo but years of doing theatre has really taught me to “listen” to the text.
DOSSIER: Can authors request that you narrate their book? How would that work?
PORTER: They can, but usually it is best to have the publisher reach out or try to contact me through my agent. I’m grateful that I have a queue of books, really grateful! But that can also mean I’m not available for months.
DOSSIER: What’s the biggest mistake you made in recording an audiobook and how did that work out with the author, producer, and/or audience?
PORTER: Ohhhhhhhhhhh gods. I did a full book where I mispronounced a major location AND a name. My own terrible research. In the end, we just re recorded the whole thing. Still gives me nightmares.
DOSSIER: When are you at your best in the booth? Morning, afternoon, or night? Do you have a particular routine, requirement, or practice that helps you operate at the top of your game?
PORTER: That so very much depends. On a lot of things. Mornings are great but LA is a noisy place, so often I record late at night. In the summer I definitely do as it’s a bit cooler then. And, yes, I’ve narrated in my underwear on really hot nights. (See if you can tell which chapters.)
I find that if I get up and walk around about every 30 minutes or so (wearing trousers! Don’t freak out.), it is very helpful. Also, healthier. I used to think caffeine was my best recording friend. I was wrong. Drink water, move around, stretch. Timing meals can be tricky. You don’t want your stomach getting a narration credit by adding unneeded growls under the recording. Maybe cool for a horror story, but not generally advisable. I’m a hockey dad and I have to remind myself to cheer for my son without blowing my voice out at games.
The Bonus Question!
DOSSIER: What’s the biggest message writers and listeners need to hear from audiobook narrators about the whole audiobook process that would help you produce the best possible rendition?
PORTER: To writers: Stephen King wrote a wonderful book. “On Writing”. In it, he mentions that adverbs are not your pal as a writer. As a narrator, I wholeheartedly second that emotion. If you’ve set up a scene or dialogue clearly enough, your readers and listeners will know when Jane says something angrily without having to tell us. Adverbs are like dill in cooking or cowbell in a rock song: less is more.
To listeners and people who are thinking of narrating: It seems silly to say that narration is hard unless you’ve done it. Please trust me when I say it really is. I’ve done Shakespeare outdoors in thunderstorms and forest fires. I used to work construction.
Narration is seriously tough.
It isn’t “Oh, you just read books out loud all day? Easy!”. The people who do the work of narration have my undying respect. There are so many factors in play when narrating an audiobook. It is mentally (and yeah, physically) challenging. For actors it can also be a kind of lonely endeavor since it tends to be a bit less collaborative when you’re playing 6 characters in a scene all by yourself. Most if not all narrators are actors. Not “also actors”, actors. They are working to bring you a story using a skill set that is often very different than what is employed in a play or a film. Narrators are a very diverse, wildly talented, hardworking, passionate, bonkers (come to a party sometime), smart group of people. And anyone who does this work is worth recognition of their efforts. I am so grateful that I get to do this work. I’ve been told that I help get people through a workday, a long drive, and even helped people go to sleep (hopefully not while driving). That makes me very happy and when I see the huge talent of so many narrators, I feel proud to be a part of that community. So if there’s a narrator you particularly like, let them know!
Discover more about Ray Porter on Facebook Instagram X IMDB and Cameo