All Engines Go Wiki:Exclusives/Aaron Barashi Interview

**Wikia Bureaucrat, FowlerHedgehog01, has been in contact with Aaron Barashi for another new exclusive interview, here on the Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go Wikia!**

**1. So let’s start off simple. What got you interested in doing voice acting?**

I have grown up watching my mum work as a voice-over artist and I have always loved seeing her voices bring a character to life. I never thought I would be doing it but I love that I am. During lockdown, because my mum built a home-studio, my now agents, Yakety Yak thought it would be a good idea for my sister and I to start auditioning for younger roles and it took off from there.

**2. Before voicing Thomas, you have provided your voice in a couple of adverts in the UK. What do you believe is the best part about voicing in those adverts?**

The best thing about voicing adverts, is seeing them on the television and hearing them on the radio. It’s very exciting for me. It also means I get to spend extra time with my mum and learning the job better.

**3. You have been a big Thomas & Friends fan, even before All Engines Go. So what was it about the show that initially made you become a fan of Thomas in the first place?**

As a toddler I always had Thomas toys and just fell in love with the cartoon from there. Every kid loves Thomas and to be the voice of him now is incredible.

**4. In relation to the last question that you’re a big Thomas fan, what was your reaction when you found out that you were going to voice Thomas, himself, in All Engines Go?**

When I first heard that I landed the role of Thomas, I honestly was blown away. It felt like a dream and I was just so happy. My mum and dad both said that they were so proud of me.

**5. When you first found out about this new look for Thomas, becoming 2D and more cartoony, compared to models and CGI, how did you personally feel about this big change of the show?**

I love the way Thomas looks and all his facial expressions mean that a child can be happy with him or sad with him.

**6. Since the production of AEG took place during a pandemic, you have done your voice acting remotely from home instead of a voice recording studio. How does this recording process work exactly and did you find it to be difficult at first?**

I found it quite tricky at first but then I got the hang of it because we record most days. But the fact we record at home and not in town is easier because we can record when it is good for us and we don’t have to travel.

**7. Similarly you have also dubbed the show. How did the dubbing process work for you? Did you have to listen to the US voices and follow that, did you have a visual of the episode to follow the mouth flaps or did you have a different way of dubbing Thomas?**

When I record Thomas, I have to listen to Meesha’s US voice and follow his timing exactly. I don’t see any clips of the show whilst I am recording, I only hear his voice and I record it until I get it perfectly on time.

**8. As the main character, you had to do a lot of voice lines for Thomas, as well as singing the songs in character too. Did you find it to be difficult to do or did you find it to be easy for you?**

I find the songs much easier to do than the lines. I have a very musical ear and after only listening to a song a few times, I am able to record it perfectly. To record a song will take me 10-15 minutes including the learning of the song, whereas an episode can take me 2 hours depending on the length of the episode.

**9. We already know your favourite episode is License to Deliver, according to your mother, so to add from that. What is your favourite song and character from All Engines Go?**

Obviously my favourite is Thomas but I also think everyone has done an amazing job with their characters. My favourite song is Secret Agents Love The Dark and A Whole New Place.

**10. If you could, would you like to do a voice recording of Thomas with all of the UK cast actors together, instead of doing it separately?**

I think it would be a nice experience to all be together in a studio, but I think I would feel more comfortable and confident recording alone. All the cast have met up for lunch and a screening of the Thomas film Race For The Sodor Cup and we all got on very well.

**11. In your personal opinion, what do you love about All Engines Go the most? Is it the characters and how they act here? Is the stories being told, the visuals, the songs etc?**

What I love is that each character has their own personality and no matter what the episode is about, there is always a positive, uplifting message that we can learn from.

**12. Final question: When you get older, becoming more experienced with voice acting, what do you want to accomplish as a voice actor in the future?**

I love being a voice-over artist and I want to continue doing what I love and bringing characters to life, but to be honest, I would love to voice a Disney Character, that is the ultimate dream.

Thank you so much for interviewing me, it’s been a lot of fun.

**Note from FowlerHedgehog01: Surprise interview! A huge thank you goes down for Aaron's mother, Shelley Blond, for allowing me to do this interview with her son. I'm happy to finally interview someone on the UK side of things, it helps give more variety to the interviews. Plus, hearing Aaron found it fun to be interviewed also makes me very happy. Hope you all enjoyed reading this!**

*Note: All opinions expressed in interviews belong solely to the crew or cast member interviewed, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of All Engines Go or Mattel Television.*