Lenore Zann has been a fan-favorite voice actor for several decades thanks to her stellar work as Rogue on the 1990s animated classic X-Men: The Animated Series and, now, the critically acclaimed return X-Men ’97.
But Zann’s work spans far beyond providing the voices for animated characters. An incredibly versatile actress, Zann has appeared in live action films and television series, performed multiple high-profile roles on the stage, provided voices for dozens of animated films and television series, and voiced characters in video games. But it’s the decades of live-acting performance work that best influences her voice work.
“Voice acting is really just acting, and the best voice actors started off in theater. I started in theater at the age of 16 when I became a professional actor,” Zann explained. “I didn’t get into animation voice over work until 31. So, I’m very well rounded that way.”
Zann leverages that experience to put everything she has into voicing the character of Rogue in X-Men ’97, which gives the character an incredibly emotional journey across the season. Zann voices Rogue through love, through rage, and through grief while maintaining a consistent and instantly recognizable tone to the character — even as she changes throughout the series.
Here, in an interview with Awards Daily, Zann talks about a typical day as a voice actor and how she prepares for the day’s work with a close collaboration of voice actors working on X-Men ’97. She reveals how she initially discovered Rogue’s voice and that trademark “Sugah” tone. She also gushes at the outpouring of love and affection the fans have for her and for this critically acclaimed return to the X-Men.
X-Men ’97 streams exclusively on Disney+.
