Susan Eisenberg reprises her television series role as Wonder Woman
JUSTICE LEAGUE:DOOM, the highly anticipated next entry int he ongoing series of DC
Universe Animated Original Movies. The all-new, PG-13 rated Justice League: Doom will be available February 28 from Warner Home Video as a Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and
for Download. Both the Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack and DVD will include an UltraViolet™ Digital Copy.
Eisenberg has focused her career in voiceovers for animation, video
games and commercial use. In addition to her work for the past 12-plus
as Wonder Woman for Justice League and Justice League Unlimited
television series and the DCU films Superman/Batman: Apocalypse and
Justice League: Doom, Eisenberg can also be heard in a variety of
animates series, including Jackie Chan Adventures, Scooby-Doo! Mystery
Incorporated and The Super Hero Squad Show, as well as video games
like Star Wars: The Force Unleashed – Ultimate Sith Edition and Command
& Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight. She is one of nine actors returning to
the booth to record their original Justice League roles for the film,
Justice League: Doom.
In anticipation of the West Coast Premiere, Eisenberg gladly offered
some recollections and thoughts regarding her years of voicing Wonder
Woman, including flirtations with Batman, her personal memorabilia
collection, and the real reason Wonder Woman flies an invisible plane.
Take a read …
QUESTION:
What do you recall of earning the role of Wonder Woman some 13 years ago?
SUSAN EISENBERG:
I can remember it vividly – because it was a big deal. It felt like a
real life-changer, so it’s a huge memory for me. It was 1999, and I
remember going to the call back and being with Andrea (Romano) and
Bruce (Timm). Even the dialogue is still clear in my memory. And when
I got the call that I got the role, it really had an impact on me.
Most jobs in voiceover don’t make you feel like they’re going to
change your life, but this one did. And in many ways, it really did. I
got to work for six years on a series, and I’d never done something
that long term. And I was chosen to voice this wonderful, iconic
character … and through these movies, I get to continue that role.
It’s been fun and kind of surprising – people obviously know Wonder
Woman, but it’s wonderful when they care that much that they actually
recognize and acknowledge your work as the character. I walk into
other jobs and people still say, “You’re Wonder Woman, right?” That’s
really a kick.
QUESTION:
What’s special to you about playing Wonder Woman?
SUSAN EISENBERG
Wonder Woman is truly iconic. Everyone knows her. There’s something
wonderful about playing a character who is recognized throughout the
world. And I love her strength. I love that she stands for something
and that she believes in what she believes. She’s very, very loyal
and faithful and, in the beginning, I got to play her more vulnerable,
and now I get to play her more adult and stronger. She’s a wonderful
character.
QUESTION:
You don’t have the benefit of weekly recording sessions to keep the
voice fresh in your mind. How do you jump back into this role without
a hitch?
SUSAN EISENBERG:
Working with Andrea and Bruce is a great because they were there at
the start – Andrea has always directed me in this role, so she knows
what she’s looking for. Listening to her direction is the first trick.
Reading the script a few times also helps, especially to find the
attitude and the voice. And as a refresher, I like to go online, check
out YouTube, and play some old clips, or watch some of my DVDs. That
helps to get me back in that space – and then Wonder Woman is right
there in my head. But honestly, it’s not a huge leap for me – she’s
pretty much in there all the time, anyway.
QUESTION:
How much of what you do with Wonder Woman is through a change in your
voice, and how much is really acting and attitude?
SUSAN EISENBERG: 
A lot of it’s attitude. That’s why, if I’m speaking just normally,
it’s not as if somebody next to me would ask, “Do you play Wonder
Woman?” But then when I do the attitude and lower the register
slightly, you will see this smile of recognition on the face of a
little kid … or a true fan. And that’s always fun.
QUESTION:
Who recognizes you more – kids who watch cartoon, or the adult
devotees of the genre?
SUSAN EISENBERG:
Kind of both, and the reactions are different, but similar. It’s
really nice to have people who are so passionate about these
characters. So you get the 6-year-old child who has watched the
cartoon and their eyes get big when they recognize that you’re this
person behind the voice. But then you get the 40-something-year-old
who has been watching, and loves this world, and loves this universe,
and reads the comic books, and cares deeply about the genre. That’s
fabulous, too. Just to have fans is a very cool thing. No one can
complain about that. It’s good.
QUESTION:
Wonder Woman has some very long battles in Justice League: Doom with a
lot of physicality required in the vocal performance. How’d you handle
that?
SUSAN EISENBERG:
The initial recording session is pretty straight-forward – we save
most of the impacts and grunts and physical action for the ADR
session. But as I was reading the script, I just kept thinking of
Dwayne (McDuffie) and thinking, “You really layered it on me, didn’t
you!” I’m going to have to be electrocuted and hit over the head and
punched over and over and punch back over and over. You often have to
be physical to sound physical. So – that’s a truly exhausting day.
QUESTION:
What’s it like to have the gang back together again?
SUSAN EISENBERG:
You know, it’s thrilling because it’s a grand reunion. I get to be
reunited with Michael Rosenbaum and Kevin Conroy and Carl Lumbly and
that’s like having the League back together, if you will. I didn’t
that expect that to happen, and I could not be more thrilled. Driving
to the recording session, I was just so excited that we’d be in a room
together. It is just so comfortable coming back into this. It’s the
best gig in town. And anyone who does voiceovers would say that.
QUESTION:
What are the scenes that appeal most to you in this film?
SUSAN EISENBERG:
I always like the quieter moments. So I like my scenes with J’onn,
because those two characters really can relate to each other in so
many ways, and I also liked my scenes with Batman. In both cases,
those were some of the quieter moments with some emotional content. I
enjoy the scenes where I have to kick some butt, too. But I truly
enjoy the interplay with the other characters and the actors that play
them.
I’ve never been shy about my feelings with Batman and Wonder Woman
because, first of all, I love Kevin and I love working with Kevin. I
think he’s amazing as Batman. And I love Batman and Wonder Woman
together, and I think the fans do, too. You can go on YouTube and find
all these wonderful videos of the two of them – showing their romance,
put to music – so you know the fans love them together.
Playing Diana gives you a lot of different angles and emotions to
play. Diana is very serious – she’s not like Flash where she’s funny
and throwing out the one-liners. When she’s funny, it’s not
necessarily intentional that she’s funny. And so I love the other
aspects of her, when she gets to be flirty with Batman or when she
gets to be funny with Flash or more earnest with J’onn. I especially
like to play the flirty and hint at that romance between the
characters. That’s a lot of fun.
QUESTION:
How much equity to you take in this character?
SUSAN EISENBERG:
I’m enormously proud that I get to play her – it truly is a privilege
and an honor. People have definite, strong opinions of Wonder Woman,
and she’s known everywhere. She is this embodiment of female
empowerment, and that’s a thrill, too, because there are little girls
and little boys and they’re watching this and seeing that she’s so
strong and so tough and righteous. It’s great to be able to provide
that example of heroics through this character. I’m a guardian of
that, and I don’t take it lightly. And every time I get asked to
voice the role, I feel grateful – each and every time. I hope I keep
getting to do it.
QUESTION:
Has playing Wonder Woman changed you?
SUSAN EISENBERG:
In several ways. I think I’ve grown up with this part. I got this role
10 years ago, and just working alongside my fellow Justice League
actors and with Andrea and Bruce has changed the way I work. And
learning about this universe has changed me. You can’t have a part
like this and not feel changed by it, because it’s enviable to have
this job and play this character. There’s humility attached to that.
You know you’re lucky. And that changes you, also.
QUESTION:
What’s your attraction to voiceover work?
SUSAN EISENBERG:
I grew up doing radio commercials for my father’s business in
Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and I loved it. My father and my sister
worked together – they would write the copy for me, and I would do the
commercials for them. There’s something just so freeing about being
behind a microphone as opposed to in front of a camera. There’s no
worry about your hair or lipstick – on camera you get so
self-conscious. Sure, there’s a self-consciousness in a room
recording with other actors, because you want to be good. That’s just
performance anxiety. I’ll take that any day over that camera and all
those people staring at me. Some people are so natural with the
camera – the can just pretend it’s not there. I am so aware it’s
there.
QUESTION:
What Wonder Woman memorabilia do you have at home?
SUSAN EISENBERG:
I have a lot of pictures and some beautiful cels – all gifts from the
Justice League and Justice League, Unlimited. And some small things
that people have sent me – mugs and little toys and notebooks with her
on the cover. When we first started, we all ran out and bought our
own action figures, so that’s right at the forefront of my bookshelf.
Best of all, I have all the scripts from the series. I keep them in a
big bookshelf in my closet. I’m nostalgic about that stuff. It’s very
sentimental to me to. It was a big deal this job – it really does
mean the world to me. So I kept all the scripts.
QUESTION:
Wonder Woman can fly. Why does she need an invisible plane?
SUSAN EISENBERG:
Because she likes to go in style. And why should she always be flying
when there is a plane that can do it for her? I mean, why not have the
private jet if you can have the private jet? Right? You’re going to
begrudge her a private jet? I don’t think so.
