As a professional actor for nearly thirty years, Jim Meskimen has appeared in the
films 'Apollo 13,' 'The Grinch,' 'Frost / Nixon,' 'The Punisher,' 'Not Forgotten,' and
'There Will Be Blood' among many others. Some of Jim’s T.V. credits include
'Friends', 'Whose Line is it, Anyway?', 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air', 'Castle,' 'Lie to Me,'
'Rules of Engagement,' 'Mad TV,' and 'Parks and Recreation' among many
more.
In the 1980’s & 90’s he had a thriving career as a man-on-the-street interviewer for
improvised TV and radio campaigns for grocery stores, bank cards, coffee makers,
and a host of other clients that won awards for several major advertising agencies.
As an impressionist, his impressions of political figures in the 2004 election were
showcased in animated cartoons by 'Jibjab' that were among the most popular items
on the Internet. His viral video, 'Shakespeare in Celebrity' Voices topped three-
quarters of a million views in 2011 and his subsequent impressions videos have
cemented him as a major YouTube talent. The Australian Today Show hailed him
as, “The World’s Greatest Impressionist.”
Jim Meskimen lives in Los Angeles with his wife, actress and founder of 'The Acting
Center' school, Tamra Meskimen. His daughter, Taylor, is also an accomplished
performer, and his mother is actress Marion Ross, who was Emmy and Golden Globe
nominated for her work on 'Happy Days' (as Marion Cunningham) and 'Brooklyn
Bridge'.
If being a live performer takes bravery—and it does, then to be a live stand up comic
takes near fearlessness. Jim Meskimen has taken that on, and he is not only a winner at it, he is one of the best in the world. He is a side splitter, a tear
jerker, a hilarious, laugh a mile a minute master of the stage and of the craft of
comedy.
There are only but a few impressionists in the world that really stand out as great—
that have their impressions down with sheer mastery. Jim Meskimen is one of those
few. And yet, it is not just his voice that becomes his subject—it often times his entire
face—his body, virtually his soul—at that moment. To see Jim Meskimen live— when
you do—will be one of those highlights of your life, a time that you will laugh, and you
may—like a fan of the great stars he masterfully impersonates—want more and more
of. 'Amazing! He sounds just like him!' You will say to yourself. And not with but a few
voices, but more than you will even know—across multiple generations. I had the
pleasure to talk with this master of the voice—this acting legend myself, and get a
view into who is this man behind the curtain of the voices of the stars. As to be
expected, I was duly impressed, and I trust that you will be too.
An Exclusive Interview With Jim Meskimen, Part 2
To read part one, click here.
By Bruce Edwin
Bruce Edwin: What are your thoughts that the big stars—
that people as yourself, and others are taking away the jobs from the lesser known
voice talents?
Jim Meskimen: Yeah, you well I don't have a lot of sympathy for it
to tell you the truth.
Bruce Edwin: laughs
Jim Meskimen: One of the reasons is, I hope that one day to be a
celebrity myself (laughs), and take as many jobs away from my competition as I can.
The other thing I realize is, it's an art, as well as a business. I mean we're talking
about animated films, or commercials. Right now, every body is trying to make the
most of their advertising dollars, and if there is a certain curiosity or a cache about a
certain kind of celebrity who says something in that voice, and we kind of know that
voice- it's a marketing tool, it's a technique, you know, and I'm sorry, it's a business
you know? I know many of the voice over actors that commented on it and they are
all very talented people. If they were celebrities, they would feel just fine about doing
what they're doing, and making ten times the amount of money...
Bruce Edwin: I bet!
Jim Meskimen: It's a game. The voice actor is trying to get as
many scripts in front of him as he can in a day. I mean face it, we're not logging, you
know, this is a pretty easy job, just physically. You know, you go into a booth, and
you talk, and you obviously - if you are talented, you use your talent to convey a
message convincingly, persuasively, artistically, whatever, to get the message across
that the client has. Your message is the clients, you know? Can you understand that
message, and can you get it across? And does it help his business? So now if Ed
Asner can get the message across about solar power for example- he does
commercials for solar power (the star of The Mary Tyler Moore Show among many
others), and he's a cranky guy, he talks like this (impersonates his voice), it's a piece
of cake, they come to your house, they put the solar up, and what are we talking
about you know? You know, you can't replace that- except of course by an
impersonator- but that has a certain value all it's own, and it cuts through (...) and
that's pretty valuable to an advertiser.
Bruce Edwin: I read that your father was also an actor...
Jim Meskimen: Yes.
Bruce Edwin: And of course your mom. In our industry of
entertainment, we hear about child actors or children of actors that become actors,
and their stories. One thing that really blew me away about you was that I didn't even
know Marion Ross was your mom until I was a big fan of your work. And, anyone that doesn't
know this, Jim's Mom is Marion Ross, Mrs. Cunningham from 'Happy Days...'
Jim Meskimen: Emmy nominated, Golden Globe nominated
actress...
Bruce Edwin: And your father was an actor too...did you have a
supportive environment where you were encouraged to become an actor, or were
they like- Jim, it's a crazy business, maybe you should do something else?
Jim Meskimen: That's a good question. Yeah, my parents were
divorced, so my father had actually stopped acting before I was born, to take a job-
job, you know which, really wasn't a part of his own doing, but he was a director and
an actor of stage, and he was an award winning actor of theatre, in fact I have his
trophy right now on my desk, which is a beautiful recognition, so I grew up mainly in
my Mother's house, and I would go up and visit my father on the weekend. Mother
was creatively, always encouraging my sister and I, probably me more than my sister.
But definitely as a visual artist, she always indulged me and said nice things about
my work, and showed me museums, and took my places, and she did take us to
plays, and I remember she actually went out of her way and got me a couple of
auditions, which I did very poorly at, because it took me a while to really mature in
that way. I was not one of these precocious child actors who just hit the boards, and
is so professional, and can handle it and control it. I hadn't made up my mind for a
long time that that is what I wanted. I enjoyed it, but for me it was kind of like playing
and kind of undisciplined.
It really look a lot of change for me to really start to hunker
down and be a pro at it. Luckily though I had my mother to observe. And even though
it I wasn't seemingly paying a lot of attention all of those years, I did absorb just by
osmosis (*1), what it means to be a professional. And then when I was in a position
to exercise that, I had her as a great model. So I wasn't discouraged, and no one ever
said don't get into it, but my mother did, she was very realistic with me, and she said,
"Well you know, it's a hell of a tough business." In fact, we talk about that all the
time, she and I still. And she is still a working actress, and we both kind of marvel at
how it's just endlessly competitive. And so you think when a person like Marion, who
is an iconic figure as a mom, and now as a grandmom, that she still has to go and
kind of audition, and she still has peculiar experiences- she's beloved everywhere,
which is great, but then professionally, you know, (if) she doesn't get the part, and
we're like holy crap, you know, or they pay a lot less, you know, and it's like gee whiz!
You reached out you know?
But I learned so much just from being in
her space, and seeing what she did every day, you know, because to be an outsider,
and maybe some of your readers will appreciate this; it's not all red carpets and
premieres and party's and action, you know? It's how do I get the kid home from day
care, and cook dinner, and then work on my audition, because I have to go in the
morning, and somebody else has to take the kid to school, and then I have to sit in
the waiting room with five other very talented celebrities, or successful people, who I
would cast in this role, while I maintain my own integrity, and do the best job I can.
You know it's some of this minutiae of just being a pro, and focusing on delivering the
best product you can, and then moving on. My dad was a little less encouraging
because he was kind of a failed actor, he'd gotten sort of beaten up by it. He never really
said don't do it, but he was so kicked in the head about it, that he was not a great
advertisement for the industry! But however, because of him, for what it's worth, I now
know the names of every character actor that ever had a job between 1935 and
1960...
Bruce Edwin: laughs
Jim Meskimen: We would watch T.V. together, and he would go,
"Aww, yeah, that's Akim Tamiroff!" (*2)
Bruce Edwin: (laughs) Cool. You have so many credits for T.V.
and film. When did it really dawn on you that you really had a unique voice and had a
real skill with voice work?
Jim Meskimen: Yeah, well I began to pursue this kind of work in
New York when I was in my twenties, and I quickly got work doing celebrity
impressions really, for like- Turner Classic Movies, and more, and you know at first I
just thought, 'Oh they're just being nice to me and hiring me, and this is really an
unimportant thing, and it's probably really under the radar, and I didn't credit that I
was anything special. But you know, after I while it kind of builds up and you go, well
you know, I'm working now a couple of times a month doing this stuff, and that's
pretty good, and then I got an animated series - one of the few that was produced in
New York called 'The Comic Strip,' and I was working with some of the top animation
voices at that time in New York- Bob McFadden, Earl Hammond, Earle Hyman, Larry
Kenney- guys who I knew who were at the top of their game, and those were my
team mates, the young Seth Green (Family Guy) who was Ted was one of the (...)
people on the show, and you know, people that had been in movies and on stage and
(..) you know, just incredible people, and I go, well, this is great for myself, because
I'm doing 65 episodes, so around that time, at around 1986 or so I began to go, 'Well,
I guess I got in the club somehow..'
Bruce Edwin: That's great.
Jim Meskimen: I'll say this too, because this is useful to people,
people always would come up to me and say, well you know isn't it true that voice
over is like this closed deal, and there's like five guys that do everything? And I heard
it so often, that I realized well, that must not be true, because everyone is saying it.
You know, it's kind of this agreement that doesn't produce any activity in a group. It
produces inactivity- you know, well I guess I won't try (laughs ...) and I still hear that
today (...) but does that mean that nobody else can get in? You know, not really. We
have kind of a row of people that come and go. People change professions, or tastes
change, or styles, or people unfortunately die and they're not available, you know, so
I already made this a point, and I recommend this to young people starting out, or
anyone starting out in the voice over area particularly, but any art form, when ever
you hear somebody say, "You know, it's kind of a closed deal, and there really isn't
room for you," or any of that sort of flavor of message, that kind of - "Not for you
buddy," in your mind, just go, "I disagree with that." (..) You know I mean if you feel
really ballsy, say, "You know, that's baloney," if you want, but at least in your mind,
go "O.K., I've heard what he said, and I disagree."
Bruce Edwin: Yeah, that makes complete sense. I wouldn't be
living here in L.A. and talking with you if I had listened to many people that told me
similar stuff, just about working in the entertainment industry.
Jim Meskimen: And wouldn't that be a shame? (laughs)
Bruce Edwin: It would!
Jim Meskimen: You're talkin' to me right now.
Bruce Edwin: (laughs) Seriously, I love what I do and I consider
myself very blessed..
Jim Meskimen: Well you pursued something you're interested in
right?
Bruce Edwin: Exactly, I did. Did you have specific courses or
training for voice?
Jim Meskimen: I'm one of these guys that had a tape recorder and
did shows, you know, in my room, when I was a little boy.
Bruce Edwin: Cool.
Jim Meskimen: I was always interested in recording or performing sonically,
or however you want to say it, but I did take a course with a very great voice over guy
named Harlan Rector when I was in New York in the early eighties. He has sons I
knew and still know, Harlon I think still works today, and he had done you know,
major campaigns. He had been an advertising executive himself, so he had a whole
philosophy about it. And you know basically he just got us copy, and we went to a
recording studio, and we tried things and you know, he would just draw our
attention to stuff, and then everybody had to go through this stage of the horror of
hearing one's voice recorded, played over a CD. So he got us through that just fine, repitition. And then I just started working, so I don't think it takes
endless amounts of construction.
Bruce Edwin: I see, that's good to know, I've heard you've done
many impressions, and I am sure you do many I have never heard of. Has there been
any particular celebrity that has heard you do their voice with a response one way or
another?
Jim Meskimen: Yes, actually, I just recently did an interview with
NPR's Scott Simon, and because it was NPR, and I listen to NPR all the time in my
car, I did an imitation which I am doing now, of the great broadcaster- Robert Siegel,
and so I began my NPR interview with my impression of Robert Siegel, which Scott
Simon thought very funny, and then I was lucky enough to get an e-mail from Robert
Siegel about a week later. And it was a thrill, it was a real kick. He was very flattered,
and it was fun.
Bruce Edwin: That's great.
Jim Meskimen: Ron Howard who I like a lot, who I've worked with
on 5 films, also has heard my impression of Ron Howard (talking in Ron's voice),
which I did in my Shakespeare Celebrity Voices video, and he also said he was very flattered by it.
Bruce Edwin: (laughs) That's great. You sound just like him. What
about any negative reaction? A celebrity that got a little ticked off?
Jim Meskimen: No never.
Bruce Edwin: Good.
Jim Meskimen: Because I'm not mocking them either, you know
I'm trying not to any way. I'm not saying (talking in a drunk stoner type voice) "Oh,
what a dumb guy this guy is!" I'm just using their voice as kind of a funnier way to
carry a message of some kind.
Bruce Edwin: Exactly, that makes sense. You have been pretty
vocal, or public at least about your religion, and I want to touch on that if you don't
mind...
(To be continued in the next issue of The Hollywood Sentinel).
Visit the Official Jim Meskimen Website at:
http://www.jimpressions.net/
Catch Jim Meskimen live in Hollywood: http://theactingcenterla.com/jimpressions
(*1) Osmosis: The occurrence of a gradual or unconscious assimilation of
knowledge or ideas.
(*2) Akim Tamiroff: 1899-1972, A two time Oscar nominated American actor from
Armenia, who studied under the legendary acting instructor and stage director
Konstantin Stanislavski. He appeared in over 150 motion pictures.
Works consulted: Jim Meskimen official site, Wikipedia, IMDB, Dictionary dot com.
This story, images and contents are © 2013, The Hollywood Sentinel and
Bruce Edwin, all world rights reserved. No part of this story or images may be
reproduced in whole or in part without express prior written permission from the
publisher at The Hollywood Sentinel.