by: Austin Welch source: tf2005.com
Apparently, the original cartoon voice actor is not interested.
Major Transformers fansite tf2005.com has gotten the scoop that veteran actor David Warner is rumored to have been offered the role of Shockwave for the third and final Michael Bay-directed live action Transformers film, The Dark Of The Moon. Warner has had a lengthy and successful career, mainly on-screen in such films as Titanic, The Omen, and memorably as Ed Dillinger, the villain in the original Tron, and likewise portrayed Dillinger’s grid counterpart Sark, and voiced the Master Control Program. He has also appeared in installments in other high-profile franchises such as Star Trek, Planet Of The Apes, and Jurassic Park.
This revelation was suggested by Cory Burton, the voice actor who originated the role in the classic “G1″ Transformers cartoon of the 80s (along with the surly Autobot Brawn and the Autobots’ human friend Spike, among others). Burton was asked, via his website’s message board, whether he had been asked to portray Shockwave in the film series, and he responded. This is a big deal, because Burton, who along with colleagues Frank Welker and Michael Bell is one of the industry’s more in-demand actors, is also notoriously reclusive, and rarely speaks to the public or grants interviews, and never agrees to appear at conventions.
“I was given the opportunity to audition for Jazz (a totally incomprehensible request for me to even attempt), and “Brawl” (you might recall I was Brawn in the early series), but it was just a one line “cameo” bit that didn’t seem worth jumping through all the audition hoops, just for a 2-second bit of scale rate “incidental” VO work.
It is rumored that David Warner himself has been under consideration for the next live-action/CGI movie production, as Shockwave – which I feel is entirely appropriate, given Mr. Bay’s propensity for casting Screen Personalities over multi-voiced off-camera “cartoon” character voice actors – and Mr. Warner’s outstanding history of consistently vivid and “savory” character performances (a much under-appreciated and impressively versatile master craftsman in the fine art of Acting, across the entire spectrum of audio/visual performance media). I wish them nothing but the very best for the wildly successful franchise; and have practically no interest in that kind of mega-budget movie enterprise involvement. I’m much too busy as it is, and thoroughly rewarded already many times over for the work I’ve done under the Transformers brand.”
What’s particularly interesting with the choice of Warner is that Burton, who reprised the role for the recent television series Transformers: Animated, is said to have more or less based his version of Shockwave on Warner’s voice, having been a fan of his prior work. And Warner is familiar with voice work, usually playing villains, such as Ra’s Al Gul in the animated Batman series.
For an old Transformers hand like myself, it’s always disappointing when the original voice actors aren’t at least given a shot to reprise their roles, but in this case, the guy doesn’t want the job, and who better to give it to than the guy he based his performance on? Seems like a win-win. And with Tron being hotter than ever, it sure doesn’t hurt the Transformers production to be linked to it. As soon as we have confirmation on who in fact will be portraying Shockwave, you know we’ll post it right here, so stay tuned!
