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The
Voice In The Iron Mask:
An Interview With Marc Worden
Mouseketeer.
Klingon. Iron Man. Not a lot of people get to put all those
things on their resume, but actor Marc Worden can. Starting
with Marvel's Ultimate Avengers, Worden has been the man
to voice Tony Stark, a two-picture job that spun off into
a solo film coming out this week.
So
we got a chance to talk with him via phone last week, to
find out what it's like to be the cool exec with a h eart
of steel. Maybe Robert Downey, Jr. should take some tips...
Derek
McCaw: How hard is it to breathe in the
helmet?
It’s extremely difficult, let me tell you.
(laughs) Man, I wish they had props for me. In the booth,
it’s all about using your imagination within a void.
That would have made things a little easier. That’s
a funny question, though.
And each helmet
is different, you know.
Derek
McCaw: I haven’t seen the DVD yet. Does the
character get to wear a lot of different helmets, and does
that change the way you perform the role?
Marc
Worden: It doesn’t change the performance,
no, but there are a lot of different suits in the film.
Derek
McCaw: You don’t have any props, but how
vigorous does your performance get in the booth? I’ve
seen “behind-the-scenes” documentaries with
voice-over actors really throwing themselves into the action.
Are you one of those, or are you pretty much in control
of yourself?
Marc
Worden: Well, I would say that I’m as control
of myself as I can be. You really are on your own in a very
quiet room. It’s like I said before, you’re
really in a void. You only have yourself, your imagination
and a great script. You just give it everything you’ve
got.
Derek
McCaw: You get to bring Iron Man to life in probably
the highest-profile thing the character has had in years,
at least until the live-action film comes out. How much
pressure do you feel from fans, or did you feel, since this
is the third time you’ve voiced him?
Marc
Worden: Well, right up until this moment, none.
But now that you’ve asked me that question, I’m
shaking in my boots.
I love the opportunity
to bring this character to life. When I first signed on
to do these projects, it was for the Avengers series. And
they liked what I did, and they wanted me to voice this
character for the Invincible Iron Man feature.
I’m honored
to be able to bring this epic character (to life) that has
been a part of comic book lore since the sixties, right?
I don’t know about pressure. I certainly hope that
the fans enjoy the performance and enjoy the film. I know
I like the film. I got to see a screening of it and was
really proud of everybody’s hard work.
Derek
McCaw: Have you had any feedback from fans? Have
you made any convention appearances and talked to them?
Marc
Worden: I did. We went to Comic-Con last year.
We did a sneak preview of Ultimate Avengers 2 in
front of over 2,000 people. That was great fun, because
they really know the characters inside and out. They were
excited to watch the movie and follow the story and cheer
along. That felt great. The energy in the room was buzzing.
We did a panel
discussion beforehand, and then got to screen the movie.
It was great.
Derek
McCaw: Were you a fan? Were you a comic book reader?
Marc
Worden: I wasn’t, no. When I booked this
role, I had to start doing research right away. Man, did
I realize how lucky I am to be able to bring this guy to
life in animation, because I never could this be in a live-action
setting. It’s just not where I’m at in my career
at this point in time. So it’s a real plus for me
to be able to bring this guy to life using just my voice.
A good
friend of mine is really into comics. He gave me the origins,
the Essential Iron Man, which brings you right
back to the beginning – a reprinting of the original
comics. He also gave me the Ultimates series. Which was
an amazing graphic novel. As an introduction to me of where
comics are today, it blew my mind. Those are beautiful books.
page
2: Marc talks about the importance of being a superhero,
and how it was to be a Mouseketeer.
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