
From voice acting to writing and directing, March Supa-Star and Funimation staple Leah Clark is well versed when it comes to the ins and outs of anime. During her Melbourne panel, she shared insights into My Hero Academia (in which she voices the villainous Himiko Toga) and gave tips to those looking to break into the industry.
Who is your favourite My Hero Academia character?
“Besides Toga, Froppy.”
Is there anything that you do before you get into certain characters before you voice them?
“Doing the characters themselves, the process is so fast. We watch the scenes first that I’m going to record and that gets me into the vibe of the show, then I have a hum that I do that gets me into the register. Each voice happens fast, we literally have seconds to record.”
Do you see My Hero Academia running for the foreseeable future?
“I hope so. I think it all depends on the manga and how much they are planning to write. As far as I know, I think they got another season out of it, but I don’t know, I hope so.”

Himiko Toga (‘My Hero Academia’)
Favourite genre of things to watch?
“I like to watch documentaries. I like things where I can learn something.”
Who is the most difficult voice?
“That is Mavis for sure, from Fairy Tail, because it’s at my vocal break. It’s the lowest of the high and highest of the low that I can speak and it’s a whisper and she talks a lot. I don’t if you have tried to whisper for a long period of time without taking a breath but it’s pretty hard.”
Do you have a favourite place to write?

Leah Clark also voices Kobayashi in ‘Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid’
“I have a favourite way to write. I write at 3 o’clock in the morning because nobody needs you at 3 o’clock so there is no stress, no thinking about what else you’re supposed to do, you are free to just focus and create, and I love a rainy day. So it’s 3 o’clock in the morning, it’s raining, and I’ve got coffee, that is my jam and that is where the magic happens.”
Do you have any tips for someone who wants to get into the voice acting industry?
“I feel like anything in this industry is really, really hard and it’s almost like a game of chance and luck. Just stay with it and don’t stop, I love the quote, ‘Hard work beats talent and talent means work hard.'”
Any tips for keeping you’re voice clear when acting?
“I do. Be sure to be hydrated, don’t do what I do and have coffee on the daily. If I know that I am going in to record a long session, I will drink nothing but water three days prior and try to drink at least three litres a day. I also notice for voice acting, singing helps a lot so if you take singing lessons even if you have no desire to sing, it will teach you to listen to yourself and how to make adjustments.”
Lead image: Himiko Toga (‘My Hero Academia’) and Leah Clark at Supanova 2020 – Melbourne. Photo by Emma Wilkinson.