Voice actor Azman Zulkiply
- Modern Spirit Style
- Nov 8
- 7 min read
By Maria Panagiotidis
Voice actor Azman Zulkiply is from Malaysia but voices work that is either in Malaysian or English. His impressive resume includes varied work from radio to television commercials to animated films and series. Azman has always been able to role-play in different voices, and this skill has become the basis of a brilliant career. Away from voice-over work, Azman is a coffee aficionado and connoisseur and adores cats.
Azman also offers mentorship to small groups of students, and he is planning to make this broader in the future. In this interview, you can read about Azman, his work and creative process in greater detail. Azman's passion and love for the art and craft of voice-over are evident in this discussion with him. His brilliance shines through.
You can find out more about Azman and his work through his website and social media handles. You are sure to hear more from and about this artist in the near future.
How did you get your first break in voice acting?
My first real break did not come from an animated role. It was actually much simpler than that. Before I even joined Voice Guild Malaysia, some of my university friends already knew that I could do different voices, so they would ask me to help out on small freelance projects, mostly commercials or experimental pieces. I did them out of curiosity and for the fun of it, not really thinking of it as a career yet.
My first animated role technically came from a student project I worked on during university, where I voiced one of the characters we created. That was my earliest taste of bringing animation to life through voice.
Things started to feel more professional after I joined Voice Guild Malaysia. The guild provided each member with a small profile page on their website, and not long after setting mine up, a client contacted me through it for a commercial job. That was my first proper gig, and I remember thinking, “Oh, it worked! Having that profile actually worked.” It was not a glamorous beginning, but it was a real one. From there, things just grew naturally, and I have never looked back since.
What drew you to voice acting? Why did you decide to become a voice actor?
I like to joke that I grew up with the TV. I watched countless cartoons and movies, fascinated by how characters could express so much emotion through their voices alone. As a kid, I would mimic what I heard, experimenting with different tones, accents, and rhythms, without realizing I was training my ear for what would later become my career.
Back in the mid-90s, TV programs often featured behind-the-scenes segments. One that stuck with me was The Lion King. Watching legends like James Earl Jones and Jeremy Irons voice Mufasa and Scar made me realize that voice acting was a real profession. That moment stayed with me.
Later, while studying animation at university, I thought I would end up as a 3D artist. But even in my final-year project, I found myself gravitating toward the voice work. My thesis was on accents in film noir, which deepened that fascination. Eventually, after a few years of teaching at the same university, I decided to focus on voice acting seriously, and everything unfolded from there.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
Coffee has become one of my biggest passions outside of voice acting. I make my own coffee at home and have my own espresso setup, so experimenting with beans, blends, and brewing methods has turned into a real hobby. I also love visiting cafés, either to unwind or catch up with friends, and somehow the conversation always ends up circling back to coffee.
I also love to travel. There is something inspiring about seeing how people live in different places, the architecture, the museums, the streets, and even the rhythm of daily life. It gives me a fresh perspective, both as a person and as an artist.
And of course, I adore cats. They just make everything better. There is a calm and charm, and chaos they bring that never fails to lift my day.
How do you prepare for a role? Do you have any practices or rituals that help you in the process?
Every voice actor has their own way of easing into a performance. For me, it depends on the nature of the job. If it is a quick commercial session, I usually ground myself with a few breathing exercises, deep and deliberate inhales and exhales, and sometimes I will do the “horse lips” exercise to release tension and reset my focus. It is simple, but it helps me shake off nerves and get into a steady rhythm before recording.
When it comes to animation or more character-driven projects, my process runs a little deeper. Growing up surrounded by cartoons and films has shaped how I approach storytelling. I have a mental library of voices, personalities, and archetypes that I have absorbed since childhood. So, when I receive a new role, I start by building a mental template for the character based on those references, and then I collaborate closely with the creators or voice directors to refine it. Through that process, the voice takes shape, and the character comes alive.
What has been your favorite role so far?
It is hard to pick just one, but two projects stand out to me for very different reasons.
The first would be BoBoiBoy: The Movie, where I voiced the main villain, Kapten BoraRa. There is something incredibly fun about playing a villain. You get to do things you would never do in real life, laugh maniacally, shout, and go all out. It is exhausting, but absolutely worth it. I also voiced him in both the Malay and English versions, which made it even more rewarding. I will never forget attending the Indonesian premiere. After one of the screenings, a fan came up to me in tears and said, “I hate your character.” That was the best compliment I could ever receive. It meant I did my job well.
The second would be the Ejen Ali franchise. I have voiced three characters across its three seasons and two feature films, and being part of something that has lasted nearly a decade feels incredibly special. It is humbling to know that the show has grown with its audience, from kids to teens and even adults, and sometimes people recognize me from it. They will stop for a quick chat or a photo, and it is always a nice reminder of how far this journey has come.
Do you travel for any roles, or are they mainly based in Malaysia?
It is a bit of both. For local projects, especially commercials or animation work, it is quite common for voice actors in Malaysia to move from one studio to another. Each studio has its own setup, so we often travel across the city for different sessions. It is simply part of the rhythm of the job here.
As for overseas projects, most of them are now done remotely. Ever since the pandemic, remote recording has become the norm, and I think that is one of the best things to come out of that shift. As long as you have a reliable home setup, a good connection, and you can deliver quality work, you can collaborate with teams anywhere in the world without leaving your studio. So yes and no, I travel locally quite a bit, but for international work, I usually do it from home.
Do you have any preferences for the types of projects that you do?
I would not say I have a strict preference. At the end of the day, work is work, and I am always grateful for the opportunities that come my way. Commercial work, like TV and radio ads, tends to come in more consistently, and that is what keeps the lights on. Those jobs pay the bills, and I take pride in doing them well because they demand clarity, timing, and precision.
That said, the projects that truly awaken the inner child in me are animated features, series, and video games. Those are the ones that challenge me creatively, figuring out how to make a moment funny, emotional, or intense through voice alone. It is a process that involves a lot of collaboration with the production team, but that is what makes it exciting. There is so much room for exploration, and every session feels like play. It reminds me why I fell in love with this craft in the first place.
Tell us more about the mentorship program that you offer.
At the moment, I do not run any public mentorship programs. I prefer to keep things small and personal. I am quite selective about who I take on as a student, simply because I believe each person has different needs and goals. Every student I have worked with so far has followed a different path, and I tailor my guidance to suit where they are and where they want to go.
So yes, I do offer mentorship, but it is very focused and individualized. I have shared before that I plan to open a more public program in the future. It is something I truly want to do when the timing is right, to create a structured space where aspiring voice talents can learn, grow, and find their own sound.
What do you love about voice acting?
What I love most about voice acting is the sense of exploration. You get to be endlessly curious about a role, a character, or a situation, and bring it all to life using only your voice. From there, you can build entire worlds through sound and imagination alone.
There is also this incredible joy in versatility. When you can switch between three different characters in a single session, and people around you react with surprise or laughter, that is pure magic. It is a reminder of how powerful and fun this craft can be.
But the best part is seeing how it inspires others. When someone says, “Hey, I want to be a voice actor too,” or recognizes a character I have played while I am out at a café, it warms my heart. It makes me feel like I have done something right, that I have sparked curiosity or joy in someone else.
At its core, voice acting lets me create emotion, connection, and wonder through nothing but voice, and that, to me, is an incredibly fulfilling thing to do. It’s the best job in the world.
Please provide your social media handles and any websites that you have.
Website: www.azmanzulkiply.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azman_zulkiply/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AzmanZulkiplyVA
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