Hello readers! Lots of updates for you this time about the North American voice actors. They’ve been busy! Updates about Emilie-Claire Barlow and Stephanie Beard will be featured in an upcoming post.

We previously reported that Harvey Atkin (Bumboo/Pox) will be appearing in Barney’s Version. This film has now premiered at Donostia-San Sebastian International Film Festival (Spain), Venice Film Festival (Italy), Toronto International Film Festival (Canada). It is scheduled to show at the Hamptons International Film Festival in New York on October 7th. Still no date for the theatrical release confirmed.

Dennis Akayama is also appearing in a recently released film. He plays Captain Hotaka in Resident Evil: Afterlife. Another installment in the Resident Evil series, this film follows Alice as she joins a group of survivors who want to relocate to a mysterious safe haven known as Arcadia (description from IMDb).

Sabrina Grdevich (Anne/Sailor Pluto #1) appeared in an episode of Rookie Blue, as Anna Vetter. In this episode of the police drama, a heat wave wreaks havoc on the city (description from IMDb).

David Fraser (Grandpa Hino) will be playing Karl Rove in the upcoming film, Casino Jack. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, on September 16th and 17th. It is expected to show in theatres starting in December 2010. An official trailer is available here. He also appears in Covert Affairs as a supervisor in the episode entitled “Houses of the Holy.” The show is a crime drama about a CIA agent.

Katie Griffin can be heard as Hikaru in Beyblade: Metal Fusion. Canadian fans may be interested to know that new episodes are coming up on YTV. We previously reported that Robert Tinkler (Rubeus) appears in this show as Gingka. We have also heard that more voice actors from Sailor Moon may be appearing in this series, so keep listening out for them!

Naz Edwards (Queen Beryl) will be appearing on stage in the upcoming musical The Drowsy Chaperone, which runs from November 11 – December 26, 2010 at the Performance Network theatre in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ticket information is available here. Here’s the description of the play from the theatre: “A lollapalooza of a musical to take you back to the dazzling fantasy of the 1920’s – when stars had charisma, Broadway had romance and audiences had the time of their lives. You know the one… where the Broadway star wants to leave the show because she’s fallen for an oil-rich lummox, so the producer hires a gigolo to woo the girl and put the kibosh on the nuptials? Winner of Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score, it’s guaranteed to put a song in your heart! Featuring Naz Edwards (Little Shop of Horrors).”

Tracey Hoyt (Rini #1) can be heard in The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! as Sally’s Mom.

Sarah Lafleur (Sailor Uranus) appears as the title character in Taylor Warren, a 14 minute short film. It premiered July 25th at the Regency Academy Theatre in Pasadena, CA as part of the 2010 Action On Film Festival. (source: sarahlafleurfan.com)

Alice Poon (Catsy) can be seen in Devil, recently released in theatres, as Officer Choi. This PG-13 film is about a group of people trapped in an elevator who realize that the devil is among them (description from IMDb).

Alison Sealy-Smith (Amphibia) has now appeared in seven episodes Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures as Nurse Lydia. Although these episodes premiered some time ago, we only now have confirmation of her appearance in them.

Robert Tinkler (Rubeus), can also be heard in The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! as Fish, Thing 1, Thing 2, and other characters. Fans can catch this series on Treehouse in Canada and PBS in the US.

The Red Green Show: The Infantile Years – Seasons 1991-1993 is now available on DVD. The Canadian comedy show includes Jeff Lumby (Professor Tomoe) as Winston Rothschild, III.

Alison Sealy-Smith (Amphibia) appears in an episode of Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures as Nurse Lydia. The episode is entitled “How to Get Ahead in Medical School.” Here’s a description of the episode, from IMDb: “As Ming gets ready to proceed with her plans for artificial insemination, her husband Chen is stressed and fantasizing about street races and infidelity. The sperm donor, Fitz, their medical school classmate and Ming’s former boyfriend, is considering reinstatement at the hospital which stirs up a lot of unresolved issues. His return would also create more tension between the trio since he wouldn’t be an absentee donor after all, but working alongside the couple every day.”

Sabrina Grdevich appeared in an episode of Cra$h & Burn called “Bond Blame Baptize” as Nicole Asher. The episode debuted on February 4th. We’ve already seen Katie Griffin on this show too. Maybe more of the voice actors we know from Sailor Moon will appear later? Full episodes are available for viewing on the Showcase website here.

David Huband (Serena’s Dad) is playing officer Nelson in an upcoming film called Dream House. The thriller is about a family who moves into a house that seems wonderful at first, until they learn of a brutal crime committed against the former residents. Currently filming in Oakville, Newmarket, and Toronto in southern Ontario, Canada; the film is expected to be released in 2011.

Harvey Atkin (Bumboo, Pox) played Rabbi Goldstein in an episode of 18 to Life, a Canadian comedy about neighbours with opposing viewpoints who become family when their teenage kids get married. Filmed in Montreal, the series started airing in January. The episode featuring Harvey Atkin was aired February 8th. Episodes are available online via the CBC website.

Emilie-Claire Barlow (Sailor Venus #2) has been commenting on her recent Juno nomination. From The Globe and Mail: “I think the only way to get any perspective on that is to travel outside the country. Travelling in Asia and Europe, [people say that] there’s something going on with Canadian musicians, especially female jazz singers. When I do travel overseas, people say there’s such a talent pool of Canadian female jazz singers.” And from Exclaim News: “It’s nice to be invited to the party and this means another round of publicity. I’m up against Diana Krall though,” she laughs.

Vince Corazza (Allan/Tuxedo Mask #2) is spotted voicing Caesar in the White Knight Chronicles PS3 video game, currently out right now. The fantasy role playing game begins in the kingdom of Balandor, where a princess’ coming-of-age banquet is raided by an evil organization called Magi. A boy called Leonard grabs the princess’ hand and leads her to safety in the castle cellars, where he finds a suit of armor that transforms him into the White Knight – an ancient warrior with the strength to defeat Magi’s forces (description from Wikipedia). Thanks to Freddie Jay Francis for the tip!

Kevin Hill was a critically acclaimed, yet short-lived drama on the now defunct cable network, UPN. The show was about Kevin Hill (played by Taye Diggs), a prominent lawyer whose life took a sudden turn when his cousin died, and he was given guardianship of his daughter, Sara. Kevin left his law firm for a smaller one, so he could have a little time with his niece. The show was shot in Toronto, and four VAs made appearances on the show. We will present our exclusive Kevin Hill clips collection in the order in which the episodes aired. We will warn you that this was a late night drama back in the day, and some of these clips may not be suitable for younger readers due to some of the language and the graphic nature of one of the clips. Since (finally!) we have started to backup our videos from Veoh to Imeem, we have decided the best solution since we aren’t allowed channels on Imeem, was to create playlists. This link will take you to the playlist we have set specifically just for clips of the VAs on various TV shows. More coming soon, we promise!

Episode 2: The Good Life

This episode saw Kevin fight a case for an indie rocker whose parenting skills were questionable. Alison Sealy-Smith (various Monsters of the Day) made an appearance in this episode as Judge Rebecca Brooks. She appeared three times in the episode, but only spoke in her last appearance, which we have uploaded for you. This scene comes from the end of the episode, where Kevin loses faith that his client is going to come to the court and arrange for her sister to have temporary custody of her daughter.

Episode 11: Love Don’t Live Here Anymore

This Christmas episode saw Kevin Hill looking to deepen his relationship with Evelyn Cruz (played by Lisa Marcos) while also making Sara’s first Christmas something special. He’s against the idea of Santa pictures, but eventually warms up to the idea. This scene features Stephanie Beard (Rini #2) in the role of a Christmas Elf taking the pictures. She mistakes Kevin and Evelyn to be a couple and Sara to be their daughter. Of course, Sara further complicates things by thinking Evelyn is her “mama”!

Episode 17: Only Sixteen

Kevin represented a psychiatrist who used a very controversial treatment in treating a troubled teenager who was battling depression. Tracey Hoyt (Rini #1) played the mother of the teenager. The first scene was her testimony about her son’s psychiatrist, and the second one shows her turning around and looking out for what her son wants rather than just focusing on making his problems go away with pills. Younger Readers are warned not to watch these clips.

Episode 19: The Monroe Doctrine

Kevin represented a woman in this episode, whose face was horribly injured in a car accident. Her fiance, a plastic surgeon, did a little too much work in reconstructing her face, and it most definitely was not a face that she wanted. He is not alone in the courtroom, Katie Griffin (Sailor Mars) plays the defense lawyer who argues that the plastic surgeon did nothing wrong. She appears in a few scenes, but only speaks in this one. Younger Readers are warned not to watch this clip.

We haven’t gotten the chance to watch all the episodes of this show, but from what we have seen, we really enjoyed it. It’s too sad that the timeslot never worked out with viewers properly and the show got canned after one season. As of this writing, the show has never been released on DVD, nor is it running in syndication in North America (though we have heard the show has been dubbed into Italian and plays there occasionally).

Naz Edwards’ Souvenir Continues!

Naz Edwards (Queen Beryl) continues to perform as the singer who can’t sing across Michigan! She is currently in Lansing at the BoarsHead Theatre performing in Souvenir, a musical about Florence Foster Jenkins. She liked to believe she could sing, when in reality she could not. Naz is a very accomplished jazz and cabaret singer, and we wonder how hard it might have been for her to train for this role (or rather, learn how not to sing). We’ve read a few reviews of the show and we have heard that it’s really good, and recommend any fans in the area to go check it out!

Jeff Lumby Plays Showbiz Dad!

Jeff Lumby (Dr. Tomoe) can currently be heard playing Leonard, who is better known as the nerdy father of Ricky Sprocket in Ricky Sprocket, Showbiz Boy! The flash-animated TV show can be seen on both Nickelodeon in the United States, and Teletoon in Canada. The show uses a kid-friendly approach to talk about society’s infatuation with celebrity. Ricky is constantly fighting battles between how he should grow up, and how he should act in the public – or how he should avoid being seen the wrong way by the ruthless paparazzi! Jeff is still a radio host at Dave FM in Cambridge, Ontario. Fans can read his blog, here!

Dennis Akiyama Comes To Degrassi!

Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian TV show which is making waves all over the world. It has been a staple on CTV and has now begun on Nickelodeon’s The N and also the CW. Though sometimes controversial, we think this is a good drama for teenagers to watch as it’s very close to being true-to-life. Degrassi follows high schoolers and the challenges they face in and out of school. In the Season 7 episode “Death or Glory Part II”, school strongboy Gavin “Spinner” Mason was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Dennis Akiyama (Malachite) appeared in the show as the Oncologist (Cancer Doctor) who talks to Spinner about his options for treatment. Fans can check out the episode streaming online at CTV or The N.

Tracey Hoyt Dwells Into the Lives of Hockey Wives…

Tracey Hoyt (Rini #1) appeared on the last episode ever of CBC’s drama http://www.cbc.ca/mvp/. She played, (for the second time in her career) a nurse inj Mad Scramble. Though this time, she was in a more intense situation. The first time she played a nurse was in the movie Godsend, during the delivery of a baby. This time, she played a psychiatric nurse and got to inject tranquilizers into an athlete who was a little delusional. She handled that syringe quite fiercely! If you are in Canada, CBC has all of the episodes streaming online at the official site. We’ll warn our readers though,this series has some mature content.Tracey has also been teaching voice with Pirate Voice. Toronto’s CityTV went over there recently to pick up a few tips, and Tracey was there to teach them! Fans can watch the video they have posted here to see Tracey in action!

… And so did Allison Sealy-Smith!

Allison Sealy-Smith (various Monsters of the Day) also appeared on the episode playing Cadde Lawrence, a psychic who helps another wife in search of a missing child. Allison also appeared in the movie, How She Move. This is a Canadian film about Jamaican dance culture and identity. Allison played Mrs. Davis, and fans can try to spot her in some video clips here. The movie was released on January 25th to only a limited amount of cinemas in Canada. Allison also appeared in Global’s black hairdresser comedy, ‘da Kink in My Hair. The series is based on the play of the same name by Trey Anthony, and was inspired by the many West Indian salons in Toronto’s Eglinton suburb. Trey talked about her inspiration to the National Post last year. Allison played Leanne in the episode Empty Bag Can’t Stand Up . Unfortunately, it seems Global has removed the show from its site, so we can’t provide you a link to watch episodes. We can link you to a trailer, where you can spot the short-haired Allison Sealy-Smith for a quick second!

Julie Lemieux on Global Warming Cartoon!

Julie Lemieux (Sammy, Peruru, Young Darien) was heard as the voice of Becky Sue in the movie Chilly Beach: The World Is Hot Enough. It was just released on DVD , and follows the successful 3-season Canadian series all about life in the way-up-North!. Canucks Dale and Frank are tired (like we all are) of Canada’s infamous deep-freeze winters. So they experiment with climate control, but end up destroying the planet in the process. Now it’s up to them to go back in time and undo the damage before they do it! We hope to catch it soon, as we’ve mostly seen Julie play younger male roles more than she has female roles.

More VAs Appear on Little Mosque on the Prairie!

Last season, Maria Vacratsis appeared on the groundbreaking comedy, Little Mosque on the Prairie!. Now, it seems two more VAs have visited Mercy, Saskatchewan. These include David Huband (Serena’s Dad) playing a Radio Manager in Crush and Meet J.J., and Norma Dell’Agnese (Prisma) who played the hairdresser Marsha in the episode, Wheat Week.Martha has blinds in her windows, which allows for Muslim women to get a haircut without men seeing them without their Hijab. Of course, things change when Martha takes away the blinds. David plays the manager of Mercy’s only radio station, and is easily swayed from making decisions by getting bribes from Fred, the disc jockey who is desperate to save his job. It seems this show is airing all over the world these days except for the United States. We recommend fans look around for episodes posted on Youtube or Veoh to catch these VAs in action! Fans may be interested to know that while the show still features lots of shots of Regina and area, the production moved to Toronto after the pilot episodes were shot. In the first season, you may have noticed shots of the “Novia Cafe” – the Cafe actually exists and is one of the greasiest places to eat in the city!

Wendy Lyon in Two Movies!

Wendy Lyon (Queen Serenity)had a role playing Luanne in Kaw, a Canadian film about ravens that attack a small town. The indie flick also stars Sean Patrick Flannery. From the reviews of this movie that we’ve read, it didn’t have more to the plot than that and it was not very well received. For those of you adventurous enough to watch it, the movie is on DVD. Wendy can also be seen in a TV Movie based on the horrible Mayerthorpe Incident in 2005. Four RCMP officers visited the tiny town of Mayerthorpe in the hopes of capturing a farmer who was growing marijuana in a barn. Unfortunately, the farmer shot and killed all four officers in an attempt to evade the law. The movie aired in February on CTV, featuring Wendy as Sally Ranfield.

And Now, We Leave You With…

A wonderful performance from Emilie-Claire Barlow (Sailors Mars & Venus #2)! Here she is singing O Pato on Quebec’s Belle et Bum show! Check out her blog to learn all about what she’s been up to! We wish you the best of luck Emilie-Claire – the National Jazz Awards are just around the corner!

Per always, our VA’s are always up to something new! So here come a few new sightings, and we have big news concerning Naz Edwards so we will be finishing the article with a larger bit on her than the last update!

Notes from the Underbelly Renewed for a Second Season!

ABC’s recent sitcom hit Notes from the Underbelly has been renewed for a second season, and the new episodes will probably air next spring by some estimates. Robert Tinkler (Rubeus) plays Ben, the slave/assistant to the show’s demanding, workaholic lawyer, Cooper (played by Rachel Harris). This screenshot we have provided is from the last episode of this season. He is on his third date when Cooper calls him asking to pick up a present for a man whose birthday party she is currently attending! Ben is frustrated but complies when Cooper threatens to fire him. He appeared in a few episodes this season in person and in voice (yelling from outside of Cooper’s office), and is probably likely to return when the new episodes roll around. Congratulations Robert, and all of us at Moon Chase really hope Cooper leaves your character at peace for an evening!

Maria Vacratsis Plays Scary Mother in Law!

Little Mosque on the Prairie is a Saskatchewan Production that has received International Attention! The show is about the challenges of Muslim life in the small, fictional, prairie town of Mercy, Saskatchewan. It features an interesting perspective of how Muslims and Non-Muslims interact! At the center of it all is Yasir Hamoudi (played by Carlo Rota), a Lebanese Canadian who runs a construction business , and is married to a caucasian woman named Sarah (played by Sheila McCarthy). Sarah converted to Islam when they married, and they have a daughter named Rayyan who is the most devout to the faith in the family – following prayers regularly and wearing a Hijab. In the seventh episode of the first season “Mother-in-Law”, Yassir’s Mother comes to visit, and Mother Hamoudi is played by none other than Maria Vacratsis (Queen Metallia)!

Mother Hamoudi comes to visit the family bearing grim news: Yassir’s cousin Samira has recently become widowed and is very lonely. As the Mother with all the power, she proposes Yassir take a second wife and mary Samira! This comes to the dismay of Sarah and the rest of the episode tells the story of a culture clash between western society (where polygamy is illegal) and middle-eastern society (where in some countries it is acceptable to have more than one wife). This daring episode can be watched by clicking these links for part 1, part 2, and part 3.

Sailor Moon Connection to Barbados’s First Big Hit!

Alison Sealy-Smith (various Monsters of the Day, pictured second from right) stars in Barbados’s first film to ever be distributed nationally, Hit for Six ! Alex Nelson (played by Andrew Pilgrim) is the son of a West Indies cricket star and has a lot to live up to. He has to fight for his spot back on the cricket team after a layoff. This is especially tumultuous as he has to overcome a nasty scandal, and also mend relations with his estranged father who has been living in England for the last 30 years. Alison plays Ianthe (Alex’s mother), in this indie hit which has been a huge hit in Barbados and is headed for international release later this year!

Liza Balkan is Onstage!

Liza Balkan (Sailor Mercury #2) has been appearing across Canada on stage in some very diverse productions! Last March she appeared at the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre in Manitoba performing in Soap and Laughter. The show featured Liza in her own 20 min comedic sketch. In late 2006 at WJT she also starred as Golda Meir in Golda’s Balcony, a play based on the Jewish icon and former Israeli Prime Minister. In April, she was featured in a roundtable discussion on the nature of indie productions and career paths for the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts. And in December of this year, she will be directing the Waterloo Entertainment Centre’s production of Bunnicula! This play is a huge children’s hit all over the country and is based on the popular book series.

Naz Edwards to play… a terrible singer?

This is breaking news moonies! Naz Edwards (Queen Beryl) has just been chosen to play a socialite who can’t sing for her life in the play Souvenir at the Performance Network Theatre in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The play is based on the real life story of Florence Foster Jenkins, who was the William Hung of the thirties and forties, so to speak! This should be funny to see and we can’t wait for the date for this play to be announced!