Illustrator and Oscar nominee Ronnie del Carmen, widely recognized for his work on animated films, has made a remarkable transition into the realm of voice acting.
In his debut major voice-acting role, del Carmen lends his voice to the character of Bernie Lumen, the father of Ember, in Disney/Pixar's highly anticipated 'Elemental' film.
Del Carmen's previous contributions to Pixar movies such as Soul and Inside Out caught the attention of director Peter Sohn and the film's producers, who were impressed by his talent and decided to offer him a prominent role.
The talented artist shared insights into his voice-acting experience, revealing that he recorded a substantial portion of his lines at Pixar before the pandemic disrupted traditional recording practices.
As circumstances changed, del Carmen adapted, setting up a recording space in the spare bedroom of his own home.
"I recorded a lot of it at Pixar before the pandemic. Then there were times that it was in the spare bedroom upstairs of my house. The final ones, it's doing a lot of the lines over and over again at the recording booth," said the artist.
Del Carmen, an alumnus of the University of Santo Tomas, expressed a profound personal connection to the film's story.
As a Filipino immigrant, he identified with the themes explored in Elemental, including the challenges faced by individuals who have relocated to another country, the complexities of familial relationships, and the pursuit of personal dreams amidst adversity.
These relatable elements allowed him to infuse Bernie's character with authenticity and depth.
After years of successful collaborations with Pixar, del Carmen made a transition to Netflix in 2021. Notably, his co-direction of Inside Out alongside Pete Docter resulted in the film receiving critical acclaim, including the prestigious 2016 Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Animated Picture.
His contributions to other acclaimed animated films such as Soul, Monsters University, Toy Story 4, and Coco further solidify his reputation as a creative force within the industry.
Set in a world where the elements of earth, air, fire, and water come to life, Elemental follows the journey of a family forced to migrate after their home is destroyed.
The Lumens, harboring a distrust of water elements, have a daughter named Ember, voiced by Leah Lewis, who forms an unexpected bond with a compassionate water element named Wade, portrayed by Mamoudou Athie. Ember embarks on a pursuit of her glassmaking studies, venturing far away from the bustling Fire City.
