Martin T Sherman: Former Thomas And Friends Voice Actor Interview
Greetings again everyone. Recently, I had the opportunity to Interview Martin T Sherman. Mr. Sherman was the US voice for Thomas, Percy And Diesel from season 13 to season 18. He was also in Captain America The First Avenger, Played the role of Pac-Man In Pac-Man world 3, and Spider Man in Lego Marvel Superheroes 2. Today, he gives his insight into working on Thomas, and other projects-Aaron
1- What is your biggest inspiration?
I might divide this up a bit because I have quite varied interests. I act, write and direct and am an inventor in the field of marine renewable energy and integrated multitrophic aquaculture. So if the question is “what”, I would say the desire to improve things: To increase connection and hopefully ease whatever burdens my audience is carrying. But, if the question is who, Douglas Adams, Derek Jacobi, Hedy Lamarr, and Benjamin Franklin… (please don’t make me pick a top)
2 — During the majority of your time on Thomas, the show got a lot of criticism by long time fans due to its writing. How much, if at all, did that criticism impact you?
Well, I always want the fans to be satisfied but it really wasn’t part of my purview. I think you need to understand that writing for a show like Thomas with long standing adult fans and children coming in is very difficult. There is the constant push to change, to keep up with the times and to remain the same. Sharon did her best to walk that razor’s edge. But, personally, I avoid reading comments because I don’t want to be thinking about that when I am trying to work. I rely on people directing me like Ian, Sharon and Greg to synthesize the fan’s feedback into the show.
3- What was your favorite episode during your tenure on Thomas?
It wasn’t an episode but a special. It was Day of the Diesels which gave me the chance to explore some complicated emotions between Thomas and Percy.
4- What project was your most favorite to work on?
I love a challenge. So, as an actor my favorite project was an abridged version of For Whom the Bell Tolls for BBC Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime. There was some intense character work with one scene involving 6 Spanish peasants talking with one another and an American in a cave. But, in my life, I think it is the work I did as an inventor and co-assistant principle investigator on SeaweedPaddock for the Dept of Energy’s ARPAe MARINER programme.
5- Thomas has changed a lot since you left the show. With Big World Big Adventures, and an upcoming reboot, what are your thoughts on the show today?
About a year after I joined the show I pitched them the idea of Thomas going on tour around the world but they declined, so I think its a great idea. I’m not trying to claim credit because I’m sure the idea had occurred to them before, I’m just agreeing with the direction. Also, I think it is a good idea to keep the show fresh by rebooting every now and then.
6- What was your favorite moment, working with the cast and crew on Thomas?
In the very early days we recorded all together and those were my favorite moments. There is an old expression that good acting is reacting. Meaning that you spark creatively off of what is happening around you. It helps to make things “alive” when you can see and hear in real time. Unfortunately, it is much more expensive and logistically difficult to record that way. While that may not seem like a good reason to do the show with single individuals recording on their own, it is important to remember that this is a business and returns on shows are not what they were twenty years ago in real terms. And, even with a show as successful as Thomas, production companies use the profits to invest in other cartoons which aren’t making the same kind of money or are new.
7- How different for you is it recording for a TV show, verses recording for a video game?
It is a very different process. With Thomas I would have a full script that I could prepare with. You know how everything fits together. With video games it is completely different. Usually, you do not see the script in advance. Often you don’t know anything until you arrive to record. This is partly because the script for a big game can run into thousands of pages with downloadable content and also because of a desire to limit the amount of information available before the release of the game. NO SPOILERS! Personally, I wish that more game producers saw the added value of giving the script in advance to the actors. The other major difference is the way that things are recorded. In an animation you record a scene and might pick up a line or two to be done differently at the end. In a video game each line is recorded separately with two or three potential versions that are selected later by the production. There is a lot of trust in this process.
8- With Thomas, did you or any of the voice actors have any input when it came to the story?
Occasionally, but usually by the time the scripts came to me the story had been approved by the upper layers of management from consistency and budgetary aspects. So, deviating from the script meant the new potential would have to go through the process again. There was however a lot of trust in how I would perform the lines or change the text of individual lines. If I thought something should be a way they often went with my choices.
9- It’s been over 12 years since David Mitton passed away. You worked with him on one of his last projects, Orsum Island. What are your thoughts on that series, today? Would you ever like to see some more stuff from the show be released into the public eye?
David was absolutely lovely. Kind, funny, generous and so very talented. It was a terrible blow, his sudden passing. As to the show; the series had so much potential, it was very sad that his vision couldn’t be fully realized. We discussed the long term arc of the characters and they had some really interesting development to go through. I was also taken with the eastern philosophy that permeated the show and was excited by the prospect of bringing that to kids. The show also had a super talented director in David Lane and cast. I have been lucky enough to work with Dan and Toby since and know that they would have made the show sparkle. For instance, Dan is a talented musician and he wrote a few songs for Orsum that were very funny. I Think about Dan’s work on World of Gumball, it is hilarious. I would love to see more work from the show released.
10- What work have you done since you left Thomas?
In the UK radio plays are still a big thing and I do a fair amount of acting there. I also have done lots of video games, I especially love point and click adventures. I do a fair amount of uncredited work on movies and TV shows re-voicing people and recording educational material. But, a great preponderance of my time is spent working on my renewable energy projects and looking for sustainable solutions to the food/water/soil/fuel/climate nexus of interrelated problems. My work on MARINER was like two full time jobs on top of my work in dramatic arts for two years. I am currently working on a book as well as pushing for the next phase of SeaweedPaddock. Next year I have a few big video games coming out and a very sweet radio play that will be on Woman’s Hour Radio drama slot on BBC radio 4.
11- How different was doing Thomas for you, when writing teams and animation studios changed in 2012/2013?
Well, I was sad when Greg and Nicole left the show. We had a really good working relationship. But, in terms of the show, I felt like the production company kept a good through line after the change. Although, I think they should have used David and Togo Igawa more. Great voices.
12- When did things start to crumble between you and Mattel/Hit?
The relationship only broke down at the end. My reasons for leaving are in the public domain. I do regret however the way I went about leaving, especially how I put some of the fans in the middle of it by writing to them. I also regret asking David Menkin to not take the role of Thomas and support me. He would have done it very well and it wasn’t fair on him. Basically, I think I should have been more dignified and just left.
13- Who was your favorite voice actor you worked with on Thomas?
Oh, that is impossible to say. There were so many talented people on the show. I developed a nice relationship with Michael Brandon while on the set of Captain America but almost everyone who worked on the show I have worked with in a different context and enjoyed doing so. The North American acting community in London is small and collegiate.
14- Do you have anything to say to fans of Thomas?
It was a great honor to perform the voices of Thomas, Percy and Diesel. I will always treasure that time in my life. I hope that you keep doing your best but remember to be like Thomas and still have fun while you do it. Never give up! Peep! Peep!
I would like to thank Mr Sherman for doing this interview. Was great to hear what he had to say. I would also like to thank Ms Hayley Ori Of Bespoke Voice Agency for helping me get in contact with Martin. Without her, this interview would not have been possible. For further reading or watching here are some links:
