Meet Devante Johnson | Voice Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Devante Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Devante, how do you think about risk?
I think taking risks is vital for any creative career but also for life in general. It’s easy to settle in our comfort zone and have a happy ground that we can feel relaxed in but in doing so, we can often fail to truly grow or evolve. This isn’t to say that you should do things haphazardly however, just rushing into things and taking needless risks. But you definitely shouldn’t be afraid to leave that comfort zone to pursue what you want. It can be terrifying but the sense of growth and achievement, regardless if you’re successful in the endeavor, makes it very much worth it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a professional voice actor, meaning I get the chance to be able to lend my voice in anything from commercials to cartoons to video games. Much like any other realm of acting, it can be very competitive and grueling but it is a career I am absolutely enamored with. I am always proud to be able to voice in really interesting projects and to be able to hear myself as a contribution to the very things I have always enjoyed since I was a child. I started in this field by studying theatre in Atlanta, GA. Growing to do various other creative works like improv, poetry readings and other performing arts until I was encouraged to look into a voice over workshop. The rest was history. Though trying to make a name for myself in the industry was far from easy. Overcoming the challenges of it is really as easy as determination and a lot of patience/endurance. Trusting the process and continuing to go to classes, market yourself to potential clients, hunt auditions, hone your craft and keep your head up when you feel discouraged. I’ve learned a few life lessons since pursuing this career. The first is to understand that you will hear more “Nos” than “Yeses”. You have to be prepared for that and ready to keep moving forward. It taught me that you have to truly work for what you want and that adversity/hardship does not equal failure. It also taught me to be yourself. As an artist, there is always gonna be an element of “You” that no one else can ever replicate. It’s what makes you special. So trying to suppress that of yourself in an effort to be more like someone else is setting you up for failure. Learn from others, adapt what you are taught or what you learn but never lose what makes you who you are. It makes the craft all the more rewarding when you see progress. I want everyone reading this to know that despite how difficult it may be to venture out to do what you want, regardless of how small you feel or how much you feel you aren’t capable of achieving your goals, it can be done. It isn’t always gonna be easy but you have the power to do it. Don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t have that ability. 100%

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well times are a bit different now but in a normal time, living in Atlanta, GA, I would definitely want to show them Six Flags. It’s so much fun there that it’s actually exhausting. As far as food, there are so many amazing restaurants but my go to is a restaurant in the city called Sun dial. It’s this incredible spinning restaurant & bar on top of this hotel with this beautiful 360 view of the city. They even have live jazz bands playing pretty often. Plus the food is magnificent. We would also at some point have to hang out a Centennial Olympic Park, this really nice park that was the spot for the 1996 Summer Olympics. They even have a large Ferris Wheel nearby which is always pleasant to ride, especially at night. There are a few more quieter and smaller places I’d take them to, but those would be a few large ones that any visitor of Atlanta should certainly visit.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wanna give a huge shout out to the cosplayer/influencer Shellanin for encouraging me to start this career, my voice coach/teacher Vince Bailey for teaching me the ins and outs of the business and Jehovah God for blessing me with the chance to do what I love for a living,

Website: https://soundcloud.com/devantejohnsonvo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devantejohnsonvo/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devante-johnson-44923315a/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DJohnsonVA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devante.johnson.186