- Where did you grow up? Did your childhood have any impact on your passion for literature?
“I grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota and reading was a major thing that my parents encouraged for me and my brothers. We would also listen to audiobook on long car trips. Stories have been there from the beginning.”
2. What were some of the first voices/impressions you did growing up?
“I don’t feel like I’m good at impressions. My approach to making different voices is rooted more in how a character moves and where they speak from. When I was a kid, I seem to remember playing around with Muppet-y voices and mimicking/quoting lines from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”
3. What are you currently working on (summer 2025?)
“I’m about to start work on a small town romance series with Podium Audio alongside narrator Chloe Ryan, whom I’ve had the great fortune of working with before. I’ve also just wrapped up a WILDLY fun multi-cast duet with Audio Sorceress that is full of action, intrigue, and humor. That’ll have a few books in the series. Also: keep your eyes (and ears) peeled for the first book in Elle Parker’s Camelot Court series The King’s Maiden. It’s due to release any day now, I believe.”
4. Who are your favorite characters you have ever voiced/acted as and why?
“Oh my goodness, the book titles and characters are really starting to add up, and it’s honestly hard to keep track of them.
“I am drawn to characters who are witty and playful. I love a moody, brooding character, too. And I like it best when they have a drive and energy toward change and not just wallow in their misery.
“I just finished a bunch of books by August Jones, and her characters are so complicated and soulful and affectionate and going through incredibly complex issues. They are painted so distinctly and beautifully. I’m really in awe of her work and so glad I got to narrate a bunch of those gents.”
5. What are your warm-up methods before recording or auditioning?
“It takes my voice a while to naturally warm up each day, so I usually reserve recording for the afternoons. In the mornings, I work on my other job, which involves non-profit marketing work.
“But I’ll do some stretching, maybe reading aloud some pages from a book I’m reading for fun.”
6. What was your path like until you found narration?
“The bulk of my life was doing theatre work all over the country, particularly Shakespeare. COVID put a big pause on stage work, and I was stuck at my parents’ house and had always been curious about narration, and it was the perfect time to make the leap!”
7. How is your relationship with your publishing companies or authors you work with? What is the key to a good rapport with them?
“Gosh, I think taking the tiny, extra step in showing enthusiasm for the work and sharing that with producers/authors/fellow narrators/engineers/editors can go a long way. My favorite collaborators and publishers have this sublime way of being clear, communicative, passionate, and personable all at the same time. It’s a hard balance to crack, and it’s incredibly subjective.”
8. What is your favorite audiobook cover from a book you’ve worked on and why?
“Cute But Psycho by Beatrix Hollow is just a wild horror cover that is so different from your standard cover model fare (and don’t get me wrong, those are awesome).
“Grace McGinty’s The Daymakers (another super fun multi-cast duet project) is also gritty and dark with these hot pink touches.
“I think these covers stand out. I understand that there are certain genre expectations and conventions and trends. But these feel distinct (and they were super fun to narrate too).”
9. What actors/narrators/voice actor inspire you?
“I find Cate Blanchett and Ralph Fiennes to be such charismatic, playful actors who often do very serious work. But they seem to let loose and not be so precious about things when they’re doing press tours or awards events and the like.
“I adore audiobook narrators too much to single any one person (or a handful) out. But I will say that when I was first starting audiobooks, I felt so drawn to George Newbern’s work in general. He brings a light, playful touch to the work (I mean, it depends on the material). But it’s also deeply grounded.”
10. How do you get reviews?
“I check in on Audible reviews here and there. I may do a search to see if there are listener reviews. It also builds up a bit on Instagram, which is the only social media platform I’m on at the moment. It’s a mild curiosity, but reviews are not something I try to put too much concern over.”
11. What is hardest: recording, the technology you use, editing, or marketing?
“The hardest aspect is the time management of it all. And the fact that while I may be willing to record, there may be major noisy work happening outside my studio. Or I would like to keep trucking along with recording, but I’ll get mentally and physically fatigued. Juggling the logistics and scheduling of this job with my other work, and having a life is really the hardest part.”
12. What type of book character or genre of audiobook do you dream of doing that you have not yet?
“I’m curious to see if I can branch into some epic fantasy work someday. But that does feel like a totally different world.”
13. Tell us about your experience with duel and duet narration for audiobooks.
“I love collaborating with other narrators on books! It’s so much fun—especially if the other narrator is game to take time to have more dialogue about approaching characters. That’s not always possible when it comes to scheduling and recording windows.
“Duet narration means I don’t have to “worry” so much about a fellow narrator’s take on various characters. There’s not as much collaboration involved, which can mean for quicker preparation and flow to a project. And I know many, many people love listening to duet work. It’s much more challenging to edit and piece together, but that’s something the production company handles.
“The variety is what I love. I always enjoy mixing it up.”
14. What do you do to relax?
“Listening to music, reading books (not for work). I’ve also started dabbling in magazine collage work that helps shut off the busy mind.”
15. If you could tell your 14-year-old self one thing, what would it be?
“Perfect is boring and weird is amazing.”
16. What advice would you have for this upcoming generation?
“Find ways to mingle and build community with folks from different generations. I have a dynamic group of friends in this tiny town where I live. We span a wide age range and my life is so much richer for it. I find it so refreshing and chock-full of different perspectives that come with age and youth in equal measure.”
17. Have you ever read a book/series that changed your outlook on life?
“Oliver Burkeman’s book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals (and his Imperfectionist newsletter) is a game-changer for me.”
18. Do you have a classic piece of literature or a classic author you are fond of?
“Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove is one of my all-time favorite books that is pumping with humor and life and action and pain and heartbreak. It’s epic and intimate and I just love it so much.”
19. Any type of music that gets your writing/prepping juices flowing?
“At the moment, I am in awe of artists who are working on albums in a Cinematic/Novelistic way. They are thinking of the whole journey and resist being listened to on shuffle or playing in the background. Recent examples (to me) include Cowboy Carter or the brand-new Miley Cyrus album which are totally transportive, transcendent experiences that made my jaw drop. (Not all music or albums need to be like this, of course.)
“Now, I wouldn’t necessarily write to this music (I really need it to be pretty ambient and placid to write), but they are inspiring that I can’t help but want to be creative and do what I can do infuse the world with as much delight and wonder as possible.”
20. If you could pick three people who are your heroes or role models, who would they be and why?
“I’ll go with G, a dear college mentor of sorts for me who moves through this world in such a heightened, deep, and profound way.
“Honestly, anyone who’s willing to put themselves out there in any creative way and keep at it and keep evolving while remaining true to their complicated core is a hero to me. It’s such a hard world out there, and creative work is exhausting and can be incredibly lonely (depending on the medium.”)
21. Dog or cat person?
“Dog person.”
22. What do you want to eat right now?
“A toasted everything bagel with cream cheese, lox, sprouts, and capers sounds mighty fine right about now.”
23. If you could be in any movie that has already been made, which one would it be?
“Clue or Gosford Park maybe? Something with a huge ensemble would be divine and so much fun.”
24. What is your favorite holiday or time of year?
“I love autumn. But I also just love the seasons. I live in the Midwest, and we get a steady flow and change. I love seeing new buds and blossoms, I love when it’s tanktop weather. I love sweater weather. I love that first snowfall. And I love rotating through it all.”
25. Anything else you would like to add?
“Thanks for listening! Support local artists and indie bookstores. Building a community is critical–whether it’s online or in person.”
BIO:
Theo Sinclair is a classically-trained actor. He lives in rural Minnesota with his scruffy dog.
LINKS/URLS:
Instagram: @theosinclairnarrates
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