waltermack
auditioning for
Kenneth Chen (The Criminology Student)
in Ghost Note: Short Animated Film
Ghost Note: Short Animated Film
waltermack for Kenneth Chen (The Criminology Student)
Voice Actor
Kenneth Chen (The Criminology Student)
open
Unpaid
Character Name: Kenneth Chen
Role: Lead
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Accent: Standard American
Character Description: Kenneth Chen is a 20-year-old Chinese American law student studying abroad in Tokyo. He is also an obsessive superfan of the late guitar virtuoso, Wes Holloway, and his 80s band, ExRazor. Kenneth didn't move into Room 404 by accident; he moved in specifically to solve the 14-year-old mystery of Wes's disappearance.
On the surface, Kenneth is firm, headstrong, and determined. He has a bit of a "macho," stubborn personality—he likes to think of himself as the tough, no-nonsense detective type. When he first meets Wes, his fanboy side breaks out, and he can't help but gawk/geek out. However, because he is normally serious and straightforward, he is incredibly easy to tease and fool, making him the perfect target for Wes’s flirty, cat-like mockery. Kenneth is quick to rile up and gets easily flustered when his idol plays games with him.
Beneath his slightly prickly exterior, Kenneth is deeply devoted and highly intelligent. When he isn't being taunted by a ghost, he has the ability to sit down, shut out the world, and coldly dissect a case. He is an obsessive superfan who masks his deep, emotional crush behind a wall of frustration and legal jargon.
Attached is a link to Kenneth's character sheet/concept art:
file:///C:/Users/Annyk/Downloads/Weixin%20Image_20261012213348_1152_1.pdf
Voice Direction / Tone:
Tone: Grounded, youthful, and earnest. He shouldn't sound like a grizzled noir detective; he sounds like a smart, stressed college kid who is way in over his head.
Range: Kenneth goes on a massive emotional journey. He starts out terrified and gasping. In the middle, he is frustrated and trying to hold his ground against a taunting ghost. By the climax, he must sound completely heartbroken, desperate, and sobbing as he tears the wall holding Wes's corpse apart.
Reference/Inspiration: Think a mix of a nervous but determined college student and a tragic romantic lead. Some of Kenneth's character inspirations are: Jim Hawkins (Treasure Planet), Josuke Higashikata (Jojo's Bizarre Adventures).
Jim Hawkins Reference clip: https://youtu.be/LP3oP6wcZA0?si=zOWjqYjolurgsfWB
Josuke Higashikata Reference clip: https://youtu.be/V3HBnK0g-_U?si=4ECHAK3OLb6dCGfi
Language:
- english
Voice description:
- male adult
- male young adult
- american
The sides they read from:
(Response to Wes's teasing, flustered but trying to keep a serious tone) I'm not a junior detective, I'm a criminology student! I-If you're not gonna help, then just shut up-! Go- go haunt a light bulb or something.
(Uncertain but being gentle to comfort Wes, trying to be genuine) I'm not giving up on you, Wes. Someone did this to you. Let me just... let me help you. It's...It's okay to admit you were a victim.
(Wes just said something out of line, Kenneth is shocked and hurt) I... You. You don't mean that. An easy A...? You think I'm doing this for a grade? (Pause) I'm doing this because I lov- (Kenneth stops dead. He catches himself. The vulnerability is too much, and he feels foolish. He swallows hard, wiping his eyes. His expression shifts from heartbroken to cold and analytical, though there is still a hint of hurt in his voice) "...Because I've loved your band, your music, ever since I picked up an ExRazor tape in middle school. But you can't even admit what happened to you. You say you chose to leave? You say you did this to yourself?" (Kenneth looks down a.t Wes's ghostly hands.) "This wasn't a suicide. And I'm getting to the bottom of it."
