What's so great about voice over? You can literally be anything!

No, I'm serious. If you don't believe me, then you should check out the voice over recently performed by Werner Herzog. In Ramin Bahrani's most recent work, he is a plastic grocery bag.

One of the great things about voice over is the myriad array of characters and things a talented actor can play. Doesn't matter if it's a person (real or fictional), an animal, an inanimate object, or even an idea or feeling... if you have a talented voice actor in the studio, you'll get a story with pathos.

I can't speak for other voice actors, but for me, the opportunity, the challenge to stretch yourself into something you'd never have thought about before is simply exhilarating, exhausting, exasperating, entertaining, and yes, sometime a little scary. All wrapped up into this exuberant amalgamation, contained only by the copy in front of you.

Some people are lucky enough to dedicate their entire careers to the idea of bringing the unimaginable to life. For some actors, you only need one role. Herzog's portrayal of this character, this plastic bag, struggling with its own immortality against the nature of the world is both comical, and poignant as it endures on an epic journey in search of its lost Maker, wondering if there is any point to life without her.

You can find more information regarding the film here. And as you get wrapped into the story of Herzog's character, just remember this:

all the emotions you're feeling... are for a plastic bag.