Check out our interview with talented voice actress Emma Berman about her role as ‘Nash Durango’ the lead voice artist in the new Star Wars series Young Jedi Adventures! Set 200 years before “The Phantom Menace,” during the High Republic era, the animated series follows Jedi younglings as they study the ways of the Force, explore the galaxy, help citizens and creatures in need and learn valuable skills needed to become Jedi along the way.
Fans may recognize Emma’s unique and adorable voice from the Disney and Pixar’s feature film “Luca.” Emma lent her voice to one of the leads ‘Giulia,’ the friend of ‘Luca,’ voiced by Jacob Tremblay, and ‘Alberto,’ voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer. Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, “Luca” is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. Luca shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface.
Follow Emma @emmajberman
Hi Emma, please tell us a little about you?
Hi! Thank you for having me! I am almost 15 years old, my birthday is August 1st and I am a Leo. Some of my favorite hobbies are go-karting, playing guitar, drawing, and baking. I love to travel, explore new areas, and learn about different cultures. I am a rising sophomore at a public high school and also study with a local professional theater conservatory program during the school year. I live with my mom, dad, older brother, my grandma, and our ragdoll cat named Peppa.
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Musical, Friendly, Vivacious
How did you get started in acting?
I always loved doing school plays and had a passion for theater, and with that, I wanted to explore the different realms of acting. When I was 9, I took an acting class in San Francisco and there I was scouted by a local talent agency called STARS, which booked me my first job for Leapfrog. I fell in love with voiceover work and have been doing it ever since.
How has this changed your life?
My work has taken me to so many cool places and I wouldn’t trade it for anything! While I live a very typical teenage life in my hometown in Northern California where I go to public school, I also get to travel to LA sometimes for work-related events, which is always super fun and exciting. I feel very fortunate to have this balance of being a regular kid most of the time, but also having the privilege of working for Disney and experiencing the life of an actor.
What is the best and worst part of being an actress?
I love all aspects of my job, from booking the role to doing press, but I would say the worst aspect of being an actress is auditioning because it is a stressful process. My absolute favorite part of being an actress is when I get to see my character for the first time and hear my voice come to life on screen because it is just such a surreal and special moment.
How do you prepare for a role?
For Young Jedi Adventures, I watched all the Star Wars films to immerse myself in the galaxy, and for SuperKitties I watched various Disney Junior shows to get into the flow of the Disney Junior energy, which came pretty naturally to me. For my role in Luca, I took Italian classes to perfect my accent.
Tell us about your work as Nash Durango as the lead voice artist in the new Star Wars series “Young Jedi Adventures?”
Voicing Nash Durango has been such a pleasure and it warms my heart to see audiences’ reactions to the show. Working for Star Wars is beyond anything I could ever imagine! I adore my character Nash Durango with my whole heart. She is such a relatable character for me and my first instinct when reading my lines is to think about how I would say those lines as Emma if I was in Nash’s position which is super fun for me to imagine. Reading the new scripts is always so fun because I love learning about the new adventures Nash and the Young Jedi go on and I love all the jokes Nash makes. She is such a funny character and I know I’m in for a fun session every time!
How did you get the voice-over role and how challenging was the casting?
When the very first audition came from my agent and I read the script, I had no idea this was for Star Wars. The show was called something other than ‘Young Jedi Adventures’ and there was no mention of Jedi kids. There were a couple of options on the audition breakdown as to characters I could read for, but Nash‘s description and the energy I felt from reading her scene right away spoke to me, so I chose to read for her and it was a lot of fun. Shortly after my initial read, I had a callback and then heard I booked the role a few months later. The audition was not challenging for me, because I related to the character so much!
Now tell us about working in Disney and Pixar’s feature film “Luca?”
My role as Giulia Marcovaldo was my big break and for that, I am forever grateful! I still can’t believe that I was trusted to voice such an iconic character for a Pixar movie. I am still walking on clouds from that experience. I recorded most of the film in my home studio because the production time was during Covid, but the few times I got to go into the Pixar headquarters were absolutely magical!
What other projects you have been part of?
I started off voicing toys for LeapFrog, Playmates Toys, and Spinmaster, and from there I transitioned into the animation world with my very first job in a TV series for Netflix called ‘Go Go Cory Carson!’ where I voiced the character Winifred Wings. I also voice the lead character Ginny in the new Disney Jr. show SuperKitties which is now recording for Season 2!
What kind of roles do you like or would like to play and why?
I love voicing characters that I can relate to and who are very inspiring, like Nash and Giulia because these characters allow me to reflect on how I can better myself as a person while also learning a lot of valuable lessons from them.
If you weren’t acting, what would you be up to right now?
If I wasn’t acting, I would most likely be playing soccer, because I used to play in middle school and I loved it so much!
Which fictional character would be the most exciting to meet in real life?
I would want to meet Jasmine because she is my favorite Disney Princess.
Can you name 3 actors/actresses you would love to work with?
Dominic Fike, Emma Chamberlain, and Chad Michael Murray.
What is the most rewarding part of your work?
The most rewarding part of my work is getting to see the positive reactions from viewers and hearing about how people got inspired by my performance.
What’s your advice for the newer actors?
I would say that doing community theater is a great start and taking classes and training is also very important. One thing to always keep in mind is to let your personality shine through when you audition for characters and take risks with the script but most importantly just to have fun with it.
What would you say are the greatest lessons you learned so far in this business?
I have learned that it is important to never give up because you will face so much rejection in this industry. It is disappointing to get far into the auditioning for a project and then ultimately see the role go to someone else, but you just have to keep going and wait for that one job to come through and that makes everything worth it.
How would your best friend describe you?
They would describe me as a loyal, outgoing, and loving friend.
If you are a book, what would be the title of the book and why?
If I were a book, it would be called “My Russian-American Household” where I would share the traditional Russian recipes I learned from my grandma and stories of us cooking and baking together, like my favorite cheese piroshki. I would also write about the anecdotes my parents and grandparents have told me about what life was like for them in the old country, as well as their immigration journey because my ancestor’s history is a big part of who I am and I love hearing all the stories they tell me about Russia.
What advice would you give to your younger self and why?
I would tell my younger self to try out all the possible hobbies I could to discover all the potential talents and interests I could have.
What book should every entrepreneur read?
Entrepreneurship is a very interesting topic that I am yet to dive into and starting a business is something I could totally see myself wanting to learn about in the future. My mom just read the book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” by Robert Kiyosaki and she says it is a must-read for me, so this is on my summer reading list for sure!
What’s next for Emma Berman in 2023?
SuperKitties Season 2 recording is in full swing and I am very excited to continue working on the series into the next year!
What is your favorite healthy food?
Green juices from Pressed Juicery are my favorites!
And your favorite cheat food?
Pasta!
What is your own definition of happiness?
Staying busy doing what I love creatively, exploring new places, and spending quality time with my friends and family!
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
I would like to meet Gordon Ramsay because I am a huge Master Chef fan and I would love to learn some cooking skills!
Best advice ever given?
The best advice I’ve ever been given is to trust those closed doors as they protect you from what’s not meant for you and to never compare my journey to someone else’s, because whatever is meant for me, will come.
Do you support any charity?
My family and I support ‘Make-A-Wish Foundation’ and I also donate to the Toy Drive through my agency during the holidays.
Where do you see yourself and your career in 5 years from now?
5 years from now I hope to be in college learning about what goes on behind the scenes of making a movie because I have always been interested in the filmmaking process and I want to work in the movie industry.
What is your favorite song to belt out in the car/for karaoke?
My favorite song to belt in the car is “I Love Kittydale!” from SuperKitties!
What do you think of Social Media?
Social media can be harmful and I have definitely felt some of the negative effects of the platforms, but I like that apps like Instagram also allow me to connect with and support other kids in the industry and in the theater world.
Where can we follow you?
Instagram: @emmajberman
Book: “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” by Judy Blume
Quote: “Only a Sith deals in absolutes.”
Movie: Alice in Wonderland
Tv Series: Gilmore Girls
Favorite Food: Sushi
Travel Destination: New York
Photographer: Ben Cope @ben_cope
MUA: Robert Bryan @robertti
Hair: Doug Mengert @_douglasjack
Wardrobe stylist: Ashley Pruitt @ashleypruittstylist
