Hello! My name is Serge De Marre, and I am a professional voice actor specializing in Global English voice overs and Flemish voice overs. My journey into the world of voice acting has been a long and exciting one, filled with unexpected opportunities and significant milestones. Here’s the story of how I was a Flemish voice actor and became a global English voice over artist.
The Beginning: Radio in 2000
I started out in radio back in 2000. At that time, I was a young student, uncertain about my future career path. An acquaintance from school, who I accidentally reconnected with via an IRC chat box, invited me to join him at the radio station where he worked. He was hosting his own show on a small local station in Turnhout, Belgium, called Radio Contact Vlaanderen. After his show, he put the studio off-air and handed me the microphone. He recorded my segments on a minidisk, which eventually found its way to the station manager’s desk.
A few weeks later, I received a call from the station manager. He informed me that a slot had opened up on Sundays and asked if I was interested. This was my first break into the world of radio.
Climbing the Radio Ladder
From that initial opportunity, I worked my way up in the Belgian radio industry. By 2004, I became a substitute host on Qmusic, Belgium’s only commercial radio station at the time. I eventually secured my own show and continued working there until 2015. During this period, my interest in voice acting began to grow.
Transitioning to an English Voice Over Career
In 2010, I moved to the USA for my husband's work, which meant I could no longer host my show for obvious reasons. However, until 2015 I continued to return to Belgium every summer to substitute during the months of July and August. The move to the USA presented a new challenge: figuring out my next career step. I worked as a correspondent for Belgian news for a while, but by 2018, I decided to fully commit to voice acting.
Investing in Voice Acting
To pursue my new full-time passion, I invested in a Studiobricks sound booth and professional recording equipment. A year later, while visiting my client voicebooking.com in the Netherlands, an interesting opportunity arose. The company, which has an international presence, mentioned that Global English was very popular on their website and asked if I would be interested in recording in English.
Breaking into the English Voice Over Market
Initially, I doubted my English accent’s suitability for the market, but I decided to give it a shot. I sent them a demo, and voicebooking.com created a new profile for me on their website. To my surprise, the jobs started pouring in.
Finding Work in the USA
Next, I focused on finding work in the USA. I reached out to various agents, and eventually, I found representation, including DDO in New York. They began sending me auditions, and 1.5 years later, I landed my first major US advertising campaign with Tubi, a streaming service like Netflix. This campaign included five films and three radio spots, marking a significant milestone in my career.
Where I Am Now in 2024
This is where I am today in 2024, a successful global English voice over artist with a diverse portfolio of work across different media. But this is not where the story ends. My journey continues, and I am excited to see where my voice will take me next. Stay tuned for more!
I hope you enjoyed learning about my journey into the world of voice acting. If you have any questions or need voice over services, feel free to reach out. Thank you for reading!
Serge.
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