Mel Blanc's doctor once told him that he had a muscular throat

Blanc was meant to be a voice actor.

November 16, 2023, 1:41PM By MeTV Staff

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Your throat, like any other muscle, needs proper exercise in order to get stronger. Sure, nobody is heading into the gym over the weekend because they skipped "throat day," but with the proper care and effort put into taking care of your throat, it can lead you to accomplish some incredible things. This was the case for Mel Blanc, whose voice acting specialties paved the way to fame and glory.

Obviously, the body's natural talent isn't everything. To be successful, Blanc worked hard for years building up a repertoire of what were soon to become our favorite cartoon voices. However, Blanc also revealed that during a doctor's visit, it was once revealed that he seemed to be destined to be a vocal performer.

According to the Copley News Service, Blanc stated "A doctor once took an X-ray, and he said later, 'Mel, I haven't seen such a muscular throat since Caruso.'"

Still, a good throat isn't everything, as Blanc also stressed that one's ability to hear is just as important as the ability to speak. He said, "It's just as important to have a good ear, the ability to hear yourself accurately." Additionally, Blanc mentioned that timing is equally important, which he gained a great deal of experience with. He said, "I happened to have learned [timing] at the foot of the master, Jack Benny."

Blanc's massive catalog of voices may seem daunting to a voice actor just starting out. However, "One voice," Blanc said, "if it's unusual enough, is a good start."

He again noted a very strange truth: That for a voice actor, simply doing a voice isn't necessarily enough. It took ages to hone that craft, combined with effort and endurance as an actor, in order to truly become great. "To make any real money you have to have a lot of dialects. And doing a voice alone isn't enough which is why I can't tell anything from a tape. You have to be able to work with other actors and work fast."