Mackay with her fellow cast members of Black Clover at Nostalgia Con.
Associate Professor of Theatre Lydia Mackay, M.F.A., is known regionally for her stage work, but she’s recognized internationally for her voice-over work on acclaimed anime series, all with devoted followings.
Lydia Mackay, M.F.A.
What began in 1998 with her voice-over work for “Dragon Ball Z” has grown into a career that includes nationally syndicated and internationally streamed anime shows, including “One Piece,” in which she voices the character “Boa Hancock,” the pirate empress.
“Voice acting, at the end of the day, is acting.” Mackay shared in a feature interview with “PSA Magazine,” a publication providing collector-focused content such as anime, trading cards and in-depth interviews. “Your body has to be a part of the process. Your breath is involved, your emotions are involved, and it has to be able to come out through the voice.”
Mackay was a featured guest at this year’s Nostalgia Con and was recently invited to the New York Comic Con, where she met fans and appeared alongside other notable actors, writers and producers, including James McAvoy, star of “X-Men: First Class,” and George R. R. Martin, celebrated author whose work inspired the HBO series “Game of Thrones.”
Mackay meeting with fans.
Mackay’s voice-over work as “Boa Hancock” goes beyond performance; it’s about inspiring fans and bringing the character to life in a way that leaves a lasting impression.
“The work lingers,” Mackay shared in her PSA interview. “Any creative endeavor, the art you create manifests in any number of ways. With Boa specifically, the thing that lingers is a sense of self-confidence, being able to move through the world and say what you want to say and mean what you want to mean. To earn the respect of the people around you.”
To see the full range of Lydia’s voice-over credits, check out her IMDB page.
