A successful actor and director acknowledged in an important interview that he gave when he was a teenager that had a significant impact on his career that things could have been so different.
Without one choice during a crucial teen casting interview, Jamil Walker Smith’s situation might have been drastically different. When the actor and director, now 43, auditioned for a role in a show that quickly became a big hit in childhood entertainment, he was only 13 years old.
His success saw him land the part as the voice of Gerald in hit 90s animated comedy, Hey Arnold. And he later went on to star on other hit shows, such as Sister, Sister and Stargate Universe.
And talking to longtime pal and fellow voiceover actor on the show, Justin Shenkarow, Jamil revealed just how the role came about.
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Jamil and Tom Borowski co-host Justin’s podcast Established in the 1990s. What was it like when you auditioned for the show, Justin quickly explained to his pal: “You know, I never found out.
Jamil replied: “What was it like? It was kinda weird. It was fun…. you know how it is. You go out for so many auditions you don’t remember any of them and then you book one and you’re just happy you’re on it.”
He continued, “I can recall that it was in Los Angeles on the Sunset Strip.” That is what I recall.
He claimed he can’t recall if there was a photo of the show at the time and that he was 13 at the time of the audition. Jamil continued, “I don’t remember,” while Justin replied that he had been shown one.
I am aware of this fact. I did it with less of a voice when I did it. Because of that, I’m probably sitting here right now because I probably would have been replaced after the first season because everyone’s voices change.
Justin later admitted to doing the same thing for his character Harold the bully while reflecting on his earlier behavior. Jamil continued, “It’s a cartoon but it’s a TV show. ” Explaining why he thinks Hey Arnold has endured the test of time. It resembles a sitcom in some way. A series is involved.
“It’s like real kids doing real things having real experiences in a cartoon world… it was about something. So I think people are hungry, starving, for something that is about something.”
He explained that the characters on the show weren’t caricatures and had a lot of people’s connections. Then Jamil said he thought Arnold’s character, who has grown up, should be a counselor and that the show might make a comeback.
He also joked that Gerald should lead the city and that they could be friends with one of their former flames to bolster the drama of the show.
Source: Mirror
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