Alicyn
Welcome to Alicyn's Wonderland. I'm your host, Alicyn Packard. Join us as we journey through the looking glass and down the rabbit hole into the wild and wonderful world of animation and video games.
Hey, do a girl a favor, and please subscribe to this podcast and go on iTunes and leave us a good review. If you like the show, please help spread the word it really helps us to get heard by more people. Thanks so much. Everybody, today's guests a bronze medal in the Junior Olympics for rhythmic gymnastics and is the voice of Ash Ketchum on Pokemon. This is Allison's Wonderland and today's guest is Sarah Natochenny. Hey, Sarah. Welcome to LA!
Sarah Natochenny
thank you so much.
Alicyn
Yeah, you're a New Yorker.
Sarah Natochenny
I am yeah, born and raised.
Alicyn
Really what part of the city did you grew up in?
Sarah Natochenny
I grew up in Forest Hills, Queens, and then I moved to Manhattan when I was 17 was my dream. My lifelong dream, you got to live in Manhattan and never left. That's my story.
Alicyn
Now you kind of be bicoastal. Still, yeah,
Sarah Natochenny
the flying is getting old already. So I don't know how long I can stay by coastal. But it is nice to have a home to go home to when I'm in New York. And it seems like I'm gonna have to be in New York a little bit more. And you know, it's, yeah, there's work everywhere. And the second you leave to replace they're like, Oh, we
Alicyn
want you for this. And I'm like, but I'm going on vacation. And they're like, No, you're not. You want to work. So don't if you want to book anything, just book a vacation immediately Book a vacation. Yeah, you'll get the job. Yeah. But I mean, there's definitely upsides to being able to know everybody in Los Angeles know, everybody in New York and work in both markets. Yeah, it's amazing. So what are your perception of Los Angeles? So far?
Sarah Natochenny
I have to answer this question. I don't get in trouble. Um, it's beautiful. It's a beautiful place full of mountains. And the diversity of the plants is really diverse and fun to look at. And the people are great. They're mostly from New York. People are fabulous. They're so nice. And I will say honestly, the community here like the voiceover community, the acting community in general, they're more supportive. They're more like, Let's make something let's do something there. They're like ready to go already. There's no like, Yeah, we should write that thing. And then it kind of doesn't happen. There's a lot of that in New York. So far. My impression of LA is that that's not as prevalent people are like, Let's make something happen. I think everybody wants to make something happen.
Alicyn
PS is there is that in a lot of traffic on her way here today. Traffic all
Sarah Natochenny
day sit in traffic is traffic just traffic that you get in the car. You have to get out of the car, you load the car, you open the trunk, you park the car, you find the park, it's like ridiculous. The whole thing is like it takes 20 minutes longer to do anything. Yeah. You have a booth at your home now. Yes, thank God. Yes. Yeah. But people want you to come in. Yeah. Which is great. I love coming in. I love being in a studio and seeing people and the whole thing, but at the same time, it's like the sacrifice of getting there. Yeah, it's really I also don't live in Burbank. So
Alicyn
yeah, well, no, you can always come hang out at my place. If they're, they'll come live with you. Right, and you'll be you'll be you'll will be throttled. So, rhythmic gymnastics. I'm not exactly sure I know what that is. I think it involves a ribbon and leotards but tell me more
Sarah Natochenny
ribbon, ball, hoop clubs, ribbon, ribbon, ball, hoops, red ribbon, ball, hoop clubs, rope, and floor. Those are the elements. Rhythmic gymnastics. Ribbon is the most popular one. People call it ribbon dancing, don't do that. And I did that for like eight years of my childhood childhood gone. And yeah, it made me I think fit for life because I don't exercise anymore.
Alicyn
I did enough.
Sarah Natochenny
I've done enough physical activity. And it was great. I mean, after the Junior Olympics won a bronze medal. And I was like, Mom, that's it. I'm not doing this how works for you than 12 or 13, Titania kids stuff. And then I was like, I'm done not doing this anymore. Bye. Bye. Wow, sick of sacrificing my,
Alicyn
what was your mom's reaction to that? Where your was your family disappointed at all?
Sarah Natochenny
Yes, and no. I mean, I'd been wanting to quit since like day one. Because I wasn't naturally very good at it. I wasn't that flexible. So this was all like really, really painful for me. And every day, I was just crying at practice, and I wasn't that good at it. But I got really upset. It's like an Ash Ketchum saying, like you do work hard enough, and you get really good at something. And I was like, See, I proved that I'm good at this. Can we move on? Get out of here? And
Alicyn
did you catch them all? I mean, did you catch I can't exit floor and ribbon. Ball balls and icons. Wow. So do you think that speaks to your ability to use those same skills in your voice acting like I'd be have endurance over time? Yeah, yeah,
Sarah Natochenny
for sure. And voice acting isn't nearly as difficult. The thing I'm most grateful for in return gymnastics is that like nothing is as difficult as rhythmic gymnastics and nothing is as difficult as what I went through in high school academically. I went to a really good high school since high school since gymnastics, I'm like anything I do. None of it's that bad. Yeah. Voice acting is not that hard for me. Yeah, maybe I'm not the best at it but you keep
Alicyn
working to pretty good fun job once you have the job and auditions can be varying degrees of joyful. Yeah, totally depending upon mindset
Sarah Natochenny
depending on what yeah so how did you learn the material and more like what you came in there with? Yeah, having a good day any even though even the best auditions can be annoying. Yeah, if you haven't a good day, so fine.
Alicyn
How's your day today?
Unknown Speaker
Very, very tragic.
Alicyn
So now you are 19 when you took over the role of Ash Ketchum, how did that all come about?
Sarah Natochenny
I had representation, they got me the audition, and I happened to book it. It was my first it was my second voiceover job. My first voiceover job was like a medical narration. So like not acting.
Alicyn
So were you in school, or were you just pursuing acting full time?
Sarah Natochenny
I was in ninth at acting school during high school. That was that was kind of a thing. Yeah. I'm not part of it. I went to Lee Strasberg. So I did that on my free time. And I did. I was at UCB. I was studying at UCB doing improv and sketch and stuff. And I was pounding the pavement just looking for an agent doing like actors connection and all the pay to play things and try to fit not like voices.com that didn't even exist back then. I didn't do any like voiceover classes or anything like that. Or like voiceover you know, getting voiceover jobs on my own. I still haven't done that.
Alicyn
I still don't do Yeah,
Sarah Natochenny
I never did that. I skipped that whole part of the career that a lot of people are taking now. But I just got representation. got the job.
Alicyn
And were you a Pokemon fan?
Sarah Natochenny
Yeah, I came out when I was like, 12 years old. So the whole school was like, What is this? You know? Man, I had one pack of Pokemon cards. My parents wouldn't buy me anymore.
Alicyn
What about now? How many? How many packs? Oh, I
Sarah Natochenny
have quite a bit more now.
Alicyn
And so you know, what was it like? Did you know first of all, that it was an audition for Pokemon?
Sarah Natochenny
Yes. Yes. I knew what it was. And I knew that it was it was for Ash and I didn't know anything about why and there was no Facebook group there was no like LA like this is why they're recasting don't audition for this. Yeah, there was none of that. So I just auditioned for it and got it.
Alicyn
Wow. So how did that feel terrifying.
Sarah Natochenny
I'm like I'm sure I'm ready for this of course I'm ready for this but I didn't occur to me that this was as Grandest Thing is it kind of was it was I didn't realize that it was as important to people as it was when I first got it I like got death threats because it replaced somebody I didn't expect that to happen. I thought it would just be like, fanfare did like San Diego Comic Con in New York Comic Con and they announced us and I was like this is cool. And then it was like you die now.
Alicyn
Oh my gosh. Okay. Thank you. Wow, maybe? I mean, were they like written internet? Written Internet things? Oh my gosh. Wow. Calls. Yeah. And you're like not even 21 yet? No, no, I was 19 Oh, my goodness. Man. Was your mom out there with you? Or no, no. Must have been really scary. Yeah, this is like the terrifying was like actually terrified for your life. Not just like, Yeah,
Sarah Natochenny
this is scary. Yeah, it was like, oh, I need to like hide myself from the internet and like, not be a part of social media, which was booming at the time. It was like just starting Instagram was like, I'm like, oh, everything needs to be private and everything needs to be protected. And I don't want to be known anymore.
Alicyn
So what has changed then? Since from now, what has changed a culture
Sarah Natochenny
of empowerment? Definitely. Like that's so pervasive now even there was an actress I don't I don't know her name young young, like 19 years old, who just came out and did a little video. She I think she's on a Disney show. And she's like, Hey, I love my fans. I love all the positivity negative. No, thanks. You're not hurting me. You can stop now. I'm sorry, you're hurting so much that you feel the need to do this, something like that. And I was like, had there been someone around like in my in my day, who who I could look up to like that things could have been different. So that mostly and then also I grew up you know, I got older and I'm like, Alright, I know how to protect myself. And I I know that hurt people hurt people like this. This isn't this probably isn't a real thing. And it's everybody gets them. I'm not alone. Like this is a big unspoken thing in our industry that everybody's kind of dealing with.
Alicyn
That's pretty hardcore, though. I mean, an actual death threat. Yeah, I'm so sorry that you had to experience that that yeah, it still happens. Cheers. Cheers. Never had a death threat. You know what they say? You really haven't made it until people want you to. So congrats.
Sarah Natochenny
Are we keeping this in the podcast or giving it something we should keep?
Alicyn
Well, I mean, you know, it's interesting I mean, and now you know, you do share on social media and I that's how I came to know you was through our mutual friend Erica Schroeder and started following you and actually love what you have to share. It's super funny. And you know, I just feel like social media is a great way to feel like you know, someone even if you don't know them, yeah,
Sarah Natochenny
yeah. And there's like a good and a bad side to that but I see so much good in that. Yeah, like, I just do it. It's fun.
Alicyn
So what made you kind of want to take the first steps was it just time
Sarah Natochenny
Pokemon GO came out, I did a video with Business Insider where I like ran around and played Pokemon Go with random people. And the reaction to that online was so positive. And I was like, I think I have fans. That was like the first time I realized like people actually like are growing up with me at this point. And they actually liked my work. And maybe even me if I come out and I'm like, Hey, this is who I am exactly this way. And so I started coming out a little bit more and saying yes to the press and saying yes to like doing silly videos and hanging out with influencers and doing this new the new thing that's like the economy now. That's what that's what so much of this is now so yeah, why not?
Alicyn
Are you enjoying it?
Sarah Natochenny
I love it. Yeah. So fun. Yeah, it's not it's not what I went to acting school for. But it's like, it's a supplemental thing that we never knew existed when we were kids. And do you do on camera acting as well? I did. Before all of this happened. Yes, I was. And I was pursuing it. And that's all I really wanted to do, actually. But now I'm pursuing it again, because I'm done being a shut in. And I love film. Yeah, there's nothing like it. I was a film editor for many years.
Alicyn
Let's talk about that. I think it's so intriguing. So did you go to college for film editing? Or is it just something you did on the side dropped out of school? Where did you start? Hey, guys, this is Alison Packard. Sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to let you know that if you like the show, please, please, please remember to subscribe to this podcast. And leave us a review on iTunes. It really helps us to get heard by more people. Thanks so much.
Sarah Natochenny
Where did I drop out from? Yeah, Hunter College, City University of New York, good school, but I studied German and French and History and Philosophy. And I hated psychology. I thought I would hate I thought I would like psychology and I really hated it. I did not study film. But I've always been obsessed with film. i There are films that I've seen over 300 times. Wow. Yeah. So it's because you're shedding one convincingly one can say I studied film, I love film. It's my favorite thing in the world. So I started editing just for fun. I did a modeling job in Berlin, and I just I took this camera with scratches on it. I filmed the girls just being ridiculous. And I started in iMovie. And then I was like, iMovie is not letting me do what I want it to do. And I'm kind of a perfectionist, and I like, you know, being persnickety. And I migrated to Final Cut seven. And then I was like, Ah, this is it. This is just every little, there's so many little wins when you're editing because you're like, oh, that puzzle piece of fits together perfectly. I love that. And so I just kept doing it. And my friends who were filmmakers were like, you're actually quite good at that. And then they started hiring me. The friends hired me, friends of friends started hiring me and I just kind of, you know, through word of mouth, I got an agent at some point for editing or editing, and wow. And she got me the MSNBC job where I was editing a lot of really awful things for like a year and burned me out. And I was like, Maybe I should calm down with the editing. Well, the documentary stuff, the documentary stuff was really hard. I was like doing news. It was it was everything was on a really tight deadline. And it was about like ISIS. So there was a lot
Alicyn
of consuming that into your like, day to day. It's so tough. And I definitely Yeah, can't take much news. Personally,
Sarah Natochenny
I don't take much news anymore. We don't do news. But 2015 Ask me anything. You all about it. So time.
Alicyn
So then how did you segue from editing? So you're, I guess still doing Pokemon at that time while you were editing? Yeah,
Sarah Natochenny
the days were insane. I was working as an editor for like, 10 hours a day. So some of those days, I had to also do pokemons do like to I would run up. I was working in SoHo in New York. And I would have to run up to the studio near Times Square for like two hours and then come back. So that was like my lunch break. Yeah. And I'd be at the editing suite until like, 10pm.
Alicyn
And did you think at that time? Oh, I'm going to be professional editor. Be a filmmaker something.
Sarah Natochenny
Yeah, yeah, I wanted to keep editing. I loved it. And now I'm like directing. It didn't occur to me that like that the next step from editing was directing and that I should be working up to that. That didn't occur it for I was just loving editing so much. It was like, This is great. I could do this for the rest of my life. And now I'm like, I need to be outside. Yeah, directing, definitely. And then I directed a little bit and I'm like, This is great. This is really great. And then everything kind of shut down. Right. Yeah. Because of the pandemic pandemic. Yeah. And I was like, Thank God, I have voice acting because it's the only thing I can do from home and I edited a little bit from home too. I did like a piece for The New Yorker about the Italian singing off the balconies and yeah, hope helpful, peaceful peace, nothing too terrible. But since then, yeah, editing kind of, I've put it away a little bit and focused on moving and focused on voice acting. Yeah. Because it's,
Alicyn
well, it's interesting, because so much of content creation is editing. You know, and that's a piece I know that I struggle with a lot and a lot of other content creators struggle with. So do you find that's a great way to express yourself since you already have that? No,
Sarah Natochenny
no, you know, you'd be surprised I hate editing my own stuff. So I do I do do some influencing and the worst part of it is like being like, Alright, I gotta lose all this footage. This iPhone, like I like beautiful footage. I like beautiful things that are, you know, composition. I like to look at beautiful composition on a big screen and be like, This is gorgeous. I don't like looking at iPhone zooms I close tight in Yeah, I can like, come on. Yeah, it's boring. So
Alicyn
then do you hire somebody to edit some stuff? Which is easier? Yeah. And then just at least you can give really good notes. I give some notes.
Sarah Natochenny
And then I find that annoying because I'm like, I know that I could oftentimes I'll be like, just send me this me the project. And I'll just fix it. Yeah, it would take me less time to just fix it myself. Or change it and tell you then tell you Oh, put this here and put that there. Just give it Yeah. Yeah. So I might go back to editing my own stuff because it takes less time.
Alicyn
Yeah, I mean, I think it's you know, creating content is super fun. It's just hard to carve out the time I think within that the full time so you're doing vo full time and now also getting back into pursuing on camera. What is your average daylight?
Sarah Natochenny
It's not full time. My voice acting careers definitely not full time. I only do union work. And there's not very much. So I do auditions, I could spend, I don't know an hour couple hours a day not every day even on that. And I do conventions now. I'm doing those guests
Alicyn
back end may during the we're doing time it will have this will have aired right when we get back. Okay, so it can you see I don't think I can get this edited in time. Too bad.
Sarah Natochenny
If you met us it back in May. This is what Hi guys, us. Here we are. This is us. This is us. So yeah, the conventions and the conventions. I'm working on my own stuff. Now. You're on movies.
There's an animated project that I'm working on with Vox media, and my mom is doing all the art. She's a violinist. She was a Broadway violinist my whole life. And she retired officially. But she's she still works sometimes. And she just started drawing these random characters. And I'm like, Oh my God, you're a genius. She's always drawn. But this is like on a whole nother level. And so I started showing it to people that are in the industry. And they're like, this is great. Wow. Oh my god. So at the same time, my friend who works at Vox now it was group nine before. He's like, Hey, what's up? I'm we're looking for animated series. Do you have anything that you want to do? And I'm like, I have two things that I want to do. Oh my god, it's like Right Place Right Time, guys, right place right time and always have something ready. And so we started developing it and we're in development now. That's amazing. And then there's a an on camera script that I wrote with a friend that is about a very high, very heightened version of me. And most of the things that I've written about are not true. They didn't actually happen. But wouldn't it be fun if they had that kind of thing? And it's very cathartic and it's very it exists in my mind is like this. What if this really was my awful life? So there's that script and I want to get that produced this year? Hopefully. Are you guys gonna make it yourself? Hopefully, and I don't do anything myself. I can't do anything myself. I can't do anything myself. I can't have I can't cook. I had cleaning. I don't want to be alone. I don't like to do things. myself. No, with a company. There must be a company. Otherwise I'm like, What am I doing? Go come with my own money.
Alicyn
No, is your friend didn't do that
Sarah Natochenny
you covered it was no, he's a writer. She does not go in front of camera. No, he's
Alicyn
obviously your family's from Russia. Actually. Do you break into the accent? Were you born in?
Sarah Natochenny
I was born in New York. Yeah. What about your your parents? Everybody's from Russia. The whole family? I'm part of Russia, Moscow. To make it easy. Moscow. Okay. Moscow is fine, but they left in the 70s Thankfully, and here we are. Cheers to that.
Alicyn
You also did audio book Black Widow Abed the lead. So I'm sure that way. I'm sure your Russian accent hell themself book that no,
Sarah Natochenny
no. She spoke with an American accent. Really? Yeah. Yes, that's yeah, no, she was she happens to be Russian. And that being Russian help course but helps. American.
Alicyn
Yeah, she's like me. How was the audiobook experience? Awesome. Have you done a lot of audiobooks?
Sarah Natochenny
No. And the reason for that is I don't want to be living in a booth. I just don't want to do that. I feel like I can. Hopefully if they'll have me at that later time in my career. I'll do it later. I'm going to put that off now. I just
Alicyn
retired. Oh,
Sarah Natochenny
yeah, it's my audiobooks when it becomes like more difficult to do anything. Anything else that came out so I love I really love it. I really, really do love it and that's what scares me. That's why I don't really audition for Because I don't want to live in a booth. Yeah, I don't like yeah, it's dark.
Alicyn
It seems to be like, some people really thrive doing it. And then other people are like, Ah, my ADD.
Sarah Natochenny
I have to. I actually love audiobooks. For that reason, it forces you to focus. And it's really hard for me not to, it's hard for me to check my phone if I'm reading something, and I'm really involved and it's typically kind of a cold read and I have to be really focused on it. It's actually a great exercise. Yeah, so I definitely want to do audiobooks in the future. Not not right. Now I want to do other things
Alicyn
and see you you are also in the new Ghostbusters Ghostbusters, those booster visitors. Cute little marshmallow, mini marshmallow person with Shelby Young as well as coming on the show in a couple of weeks. Oh, good. I'll talk about that. How did how did you get involved in that project?
Sarah Natochenny
Jason Reitman got in touch. Because he saw me in the Vanity Fair videos. I did. Oh, wow. He's like, put her in it. What happens? That's how a lot of No,
Alicyn
usually no, no, no, that's not usually how it happens. That's an amazing story.
Sarah Natochenny
Thank you. Thank you. He's wonderful. He's good, generous guy. And we had a really good time. I did it out of my booth in New York. Uh huh. Lonely.
Alicyn
Can you do the voice for us?
Sarah Natochenny
It's too hot. It's too hot for
Alicyn
him. Too hot to handle. People are dropping stuff.
Sarah Natochenny
Boy, boy, I'm nervous. That's one of the voices that's amazing
Alicyn
that I don't really did you do ADR and look the whole movie or you know, just those just those characters. That'd be
Sarah Natochenny
great. If there was like a bed of the whole movie, though. It was a choice that Jason
Alicyn
didn't like They're everywhere. They're everywhere. Mini marshmallows. That's so fun. So do you do any other characters on Pokemon? Can you talk a little bit about Sure
Sarah Natochenny
I do. 26 of the Pokemon like the actual I can't do any of the voices. Yeah. Legally. We'll Yeah, yeah. And I play his mom. I play Joanna Dan's mom and a bunch of other smaller characters that are just like one offs one episode here and
Alicyn
there. Have you found that rewarding to get to do so many different characters? Oh, yeah. It's
Sarah Natochenny
it's a stretch within one show and like play against myself. That's the best part when you get to do a few care. I think I think my maximum was like three characters in one scene at them. And that's when they were like, We need to stop hiring Sarah. That's really the best scenario for me. Yeah, that makes them nervous.
Alicyn
Yeah. Well, it seems like you've got a lot going on a lot coming up.
Sarah Natochenny
Thankfully knock on.
Alicyn
I know you also are kind of you've been involved in charities for animals. Can you talk a little bit about that?
Sarah Natochenny
So my cat died, Lisa teases cat died, we were recording an episode where a poker mom dies. And we're rolling. We're not happy that my grandma died. Everybody died. No, so everybody died. And then Lisa and I were like, we should start a bit of a charity to help foster animals to promote to promote fostering, because fostering is not something I ever heard of. And that's weird, because I love animals. And I know about the shelter system and stuff like that. And I didn't know about fostering and I felt like this is ridiculous. If I don't know about it, then most people don't know about it. And we started promoting it and talking about it and raising money to fund the rescuers who are out there rescuing the cats because they are so often I have a separate Instagram account and I've watched them and I follow them and I've gotten to know them in person. And I'm like, these people are constantly begging for money because they are out there literally all day. Like there's one I won't say her name. There's one rescuer who's who works at a school as a as a lunch lady. And after work, she goes and rescues cats she gets calls from everywhere to come Oh, there's another cat here. Oh, there's an abusive situation. There's a hoarding situation here and she has to go get them often. They're feral and they bite it's dangerous and you can get diseases and it's like really awful hard work, but it's so rewarding because you're saving these animals so I wanted to help people like that. We're just doing this because they literally their souls don't allow them not to have you done fostering yourself. Yeah, my mom and I fostered over 100 cats and kittens. Oh my gosh, no, not all at one time. No, not all at once. That would be tough. That would be bad for the cats. That would be diverting so that would be a hoarding situation. No, I started with four after my cat passed away my purpose was this I was like I need to know if all cats are different. Like will I find another perfect cat and like passed away? She was perfect. She was amazing. And I'm like there's no way I can all the other cats are terrible. So I started fostering cats to get to know them and each one of them has a distinct personality and it's so obvious you just never know what you're gonna get out of any cat you know? Yeah. And the way they bond to you and I don't want to make you cry
Alicyn
today. No, I just lost my cat in January so everybody's very sad. So that that's amazing that you're doing that now if any of our viewers want to get involved if they're anywhere they can go to find out more let
Sarah Natochenny
me give you both verses for Foster's dot com voices for Foster's dot org
Alicyn
us So Well thank you so much for coming on the show and sitting down with us. We feel so lucky to finally get to meet you face to face and back and may be there next weekend, two weekends in a row. So yeah, so thank you for coming. We appreciate it. Thanks, Sarah. And thanks everybody for tuning in. And if you enjoy the show, why wouldn't you enjoy this awesome show with us arrow Dan comm and click subscribe, share with a friend do the things that you do to share your love. And I will see you next week. Bye. Thanks for tuning in to Alison's Wonderland, where we explore the wild and wonderful world of animation and video games. Please remember to subscribe and leave us a review. For more episodes of Alison's Wonderland please visit us at www dot Alison packard.com See you next week.