By Honorary Reporter Preeti Rawat from India

Harrison Xu is an American Canadian actor who has lent his voice to characters from almost 40 K-dramas. (Harrison Xu)

K-dramas have mesmerized global audiences with their captivating stories and characters. Voice actors like Harrison Xu play a vital role in enhancing this experience for viewers worldwide. 

Appearing in popular American series such as "Grey’s Anatomy" (2021) and "American Horror Story" (2021), the thespian has Hong Kong origins with dual Canadian and American citizenship. He began acting 15 years ago and is also a producer, digital marketer, social media strategist and photographer.

Entering the voiceover industry in 2019 marked a new chapter for Xu. Despite initial hesitation about the sector's competitiveness, he took the plunge during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Landing his first dubbing project with the Netflix drama "The Stranded" (2019), Xu said he found the experience initially intimidating but quickly adapted. 

His first voiceover for a K-drama was for "Extracurricular" (2020) but his breakthrough was with "Sweet Home" (2020). In the latter, he voiced the major character played by actor Lee Do-hyun and also Lee's character in "The Glory" (2022).

These K-dramas are among those using Harrison Xu’s voiceovers. (Netflix)

In an email interview from Feb. 1-10, Xu said he has done voiceovers for nearly 40 K-dramas like "All of Us Are Dead" (2022), "The Glory" and "Gyeongseong Creature"(2023).

Calling voiceovers "emotional karaoke," he said, "At its core, it's still acting, but you have more guard rails. Your job as a dubbing actor is to honor the performance of the actor, but you also have to worry about the technicalities of matching timing and lip flaps." 

On the dubbing process, he added, "I rarely get information before I head into a dubbing session, so I can't prepare. Sometimes, I can pick up clues and figure out what the show is to get an idea of the tone. I often just find it all out once I get into the studio. However, I try to be vocally ready for each session by drinking a lot of water the morning of my session and sometimes by singing in my car."

Harrison Xu has provided voiceovers for nearly 40 K-dramas. (Harrison Xu)

Many believe that voiceovers have the perk of knowing the plot beforehand, something Xu is false. "When you dub, you only see the scenes that you're in. So even if you're a lead, you sometimes don't know what the show is even about," he said.

Sharing his most memorable moment in doing a voiceover for a K-drama, Xu said, "When I was hired for 'The Glory,' I walked into the session not knowing what character or show I was doing. I was surprised when I saw it was for Lee Do-hyun. I asked the director if he cast me for his character because I had dubbed (Lee) in 'Sweet Home,' and he said he had no idea. It was pure coincidence."

Xu credits the success of the smash series "Squid Game" (2021), which stimulated casting for Asian actors, for his boom in voiceover work. 

"Prior to 'Squid Game,' there were fewer dubbing opportunities and white actors were often favored. However, as I started booking roles, I built working relationships with directors and studios that led to consistent work," he said. 

"Despite my love for on-camera acting, I appreciate the low-key nature of dubbing, which sometimes allows me to work from home. Additionally, the dubbing community is exceptionally welcoming and supportive."

msjeon22@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.