Mary Shelley's Frankenhole

[SwimMod_Luuv]

Post your questions and comments for Britta Phillips here!

Britta Phillips is a composer, actor, singer, and musician best known to Adult Swim fans as Bloberta Puppington in Moral Orel, and Elizabeth Frankenstein (and other voices) in Mary Shelley's Frankenhole.

From wikipediea:

Britta Phillips (born June 11, 1963, Boyne City, Michigan) is an American musician, songwriter, actress and voice actor. She is best known as the singing voice of the title character of Jem and as one half of the duo Dean and Britta, with her husband Dean Wareham. Her acting credits include the 1988 film Satisfaction.

Britta's first acting job was as the singing voice of the lead character in the animated series "Jem".[9] The series ran from 1985 to 1988.  In 1988 she co-starred in the teen rock band movie "Satisfaction" with Justine Bateman, Julia Roberts, Liam Neeson, Debbie Harry. From 2005 to 2008, she voiced various characters for the Adult Swim series Moral Orel, most notably as Bloberta Puppington. In 2006, she featured as herself in the Luna band documentary "Tell Me Do You Miss Me". Since 2010, Phillips has voiced various characters in Mary Shelley's Frankenhole, most notealby Elizabeth Frankenstein. Both "Moral Orel" and "Mary Shelley's Frankenhole" were created by Dino Stamatopoulos.

Phillips was a member of the band Luna from 2000 to 2005. Since then, Phillips has released albums with fellow Luna bandmate (and husband) Dean Wareham. Wareham, a former member of the band Galaxie 500, toured with Phillips in 2010 performing the band's back catalog.[4][5]  Phillips and Wareham have also worked on film scores, most notable Noah Baumbach's The Squid and the Whale. In 2010, Phillips performed vocals on the MGMT single "It's Working" from their album Congratulations.[8]

 

[duzitickle]

Love your work!
=]

What's it like working with dino?
Do you have a favorite episode of moral Orel?
Do you have any of the puppets you portray on your fireplace mantle?
(seems like that would be a perk to voicing them)
Got any off the wall advice for aspiring voice actor/actresses?

Thanks for your time and it's great to see you here!

[Dark_Lord_Khrima]

Thanks for taking the time to do this, I'm a huge fan.

1. What was it like working with MGMT? Any other artists you'd like to work with in the future?
2. Who do you relate to more, Bloberta Puppington or Elizabeth Frankenstein?
3. If you could voice any character on any show for a few episodes, which one would you choose?

[fire-flash]

If Hasbro ever decided to create a new Jem series for The Hub would you do the singing voice for Jem again?

[Mablak]

You make some classy music Britta, no questions from me but you rock.

[scrapyard]

lol satisfaction

i luv that movie

so my question is

arnt cartoons a more awesome job than rock'n out?

also will u ask dino 2make more moral orels

[NOTdubbed]

Dear Britta,

What did you feel you had to offer to the character of Blobertta? It seemed like to me, from the start she was just a neglectful parent. Did you feel there was more to this character?

[SwimMod_Luuv]

How deeply to you delve into a character like Bloberta?  It seems to me like, on some level, she's actually, while a funny character certainly, also at the same time a genuinely heartbreaking character in many respects.  How far do you go in connecting with a character like that?

[neverkeepchangin11]

hi Britta!

William Salyers was here last night answering questions about his role on MO. he had some great insights about the deep themes in the show. does Morel hold a special place in your heart like it does for so many?

what was it like portraying a character with such an "interesting" almost double life of the seemingly typical housewife that seems to have deep emotional wounds?

did you have any inspiration for the role?

[neverkeepchangin11]

also, Boyne City is way better than Pennsylvania.

Northern Michigan represent!

[poisonbella]

Welcome Britta!

how cool is it to be a voice actor for all these good shows? thank you

[lupinfan83]

Did you sing the opening theme to Jem? Did you know they play it all the time at Spencer's Gifts along with other classic 80's openings? Also, being the voice Bloberta Puppington, why do you feel your character stayed in a relationship that she was obviously so unhappy with?

[LDK_SPARDA]

Dear Britta Phillips,

Did you ever get to meet Morgan Freeman and if so, how was he in person? I'm curious to know.

From a fan of the voice actors and of the [adult swim] shows,
LDK_SPARDA

[HonorableCloud]

Britta, love your work with Dean. Especially what you guys did on "13 Most Beautiful Songs for Andy Warhol's Screen Tests." Very atmospheric and cool.

Not a question, really, but whatever. Just wanted to post that.

[katt_goddess]

Holy crap, you were the talent side of 'Jem' ? I so tried to copy that voice growing up and would run home from school to watch that show alongside ThunderCats and She-Ra.

I...I don't think I have a question that hasn't been asked already right now but felt like sharing that bit of nostalga because 'Jem' was a shiney spot in my childhood, resulting in a battered notebook somewhere of song lyrics which morphed into writing which was really for the best. And I really like Moral Orel and Frankenhole now as a supposed adult so it's like a weird sort of entertainment cycle thing for which I thank you.

*disclaimer - not meant in a creepy sort of way, honest. The internet isn't the greatest thing for nuances at times so disclaimer.

[BrittaPhillips]

I can't adequately describe what its like working with Dino... but I love it.

Dino is the real deal, genuine, authentic etc... and crazy fun!

Fave Moral Orel episodes that come to mind are "The Best Xmas Ever" from Season One, "Nature" from Season Two (but I also love "Love," "Praying," and "School Pagaent" cuz I got to sing those mad songs). "Numb" and "Sundays" from Season Three (I love doing the voice of Florence).

I have a Bloberta puppet and a Stephanie puppet, but I don't have a fireplace mantle.

I'm terrible with advice since I feel that luck and fate have had more to do with any success I've had. But loving what you do is at the top of the list.

---

duzitickle wrote:
Love your work!
=]

What's it like working with dino?
Do you have a favorite episode of moral Orel?
Do you have any of the puppets you portray on your fireplace mantle?
(seems like that would be a perk to voicing them)
Got any off the wall advice for aspiring voice actor/actresses?

Thanks for your time and it's great to see you here!

---

[Majikthise]

Thanks for agreeing to do this.

Forgive me if I'm repeating or rephrasing a question that somebody else has already asked, but what was it like to get the scripts for Moral Orel and see how the characters grew deeper and more complex as the show progressed?

[BrittaPhillips]

1. Working with MGMT was great. I'm a fan. My friend Pete Kember (aka Sonic Boom) was producing so I'd met the guys quite a few times. They are totally unpretentious and just really great musicians and arrangers,  and they know exactly what they want. 

2. Well, I don't really have too much in common with either of them, superficially, but I've spent a lot more time being Bloberta, so I feel more at one with her. I'm still getting to know Elizabeth.

3. Ummmm... I'm drawing a blank. That's what happens when I get a huge question like that.

[BrittaPhillips]

Yes, I would, but I don't they would ask me. They'd ask someone from American Idol or one of those shows.

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fire-flash wrote:

If Hasbro ever decided to create a new Jem series for The Hub would you do the singing voice for Jem again?

---

[BrittaPhillips]

I'm sure Dino would love to make more Moral Orel episodes. In fact, I think there might be a special in the works. I hope that's not a secret.

---

scrapyard wrote:

lol satisfaction

i luv that movie

so my question is

arnt cartoons a more awesome job than rock'n out?

also will u ask dino 2make more moral orels

---

[BrittaPhillips]

Bloberta started out as my version of the mother's voice in Davey & Goliath. The archetypal 1950s Stepford wife. But Bloberta became much, much, much more complicated and disturbing as the show progressed. And I feel  for her. Almost all of the characters on Moral Orel are driven crazy by repression, and I've experienced that myself on a much milder scale. And in reality, most people kill off parts of themselves in order to fit in to society, so that is universal.

---

NOTdubbed wrote:
Dear Britta,

What did you feel you had to offer to the character of Blobertta? It seemed like to me, from the start she was just a neglectful parent. Did you feel there was more to this character?

---

[BrittaPhillips]

I try to delve as deeply as Dino's scripts delve. Which is pretty fucking deep. Bloberta is heartbreaking. I think its good to be able to see people like that - people we love to hate in real life - as pitiable. So yes, I empathized with Bloberta while being her, even though she's a monster.

---

SwimMod_Luuv wrote:

How deeply to you delve into a character like Bloberta?  It seems to me like, on some level, she's actually, while a funny character certainly, also at the same time a genuinely heartbreaking character in many respects.  How far do you go in connecting with a character like that?

---

[BrittaPhillips]

I love love love love love Moral Orel. I think it is a one-of-a-kind, oh-my-god-I-can't belive-what-I'm-seeing show.

And I loved trying to be truthful and not just cartoony as the character. It was extremely satisfying and fun, but its not easy!

Watching Scott Adsit delve into Clay was very helpful. He really nailed it. See my answer to two questions above for my inspiration.

I'm not gonna get into personal details (my marriage from 1988 to 1996!!), but I think that everyone can relate to being repressed and trapped.

---

neverkeepchangin11 wrote:
hi Britta!

William Salyers was here last night answering questions about his role on MO. he had some great insights about the deep themes in the show. does Morel hold a special place in your heart like it does for so many?

what was it like portraying a character with such an "interesting" almost double life of the seemingly typical housewife that seems to have deep emotional wounds?

did you have any inspiration for the role?

---

[BrittaPhillips]

It is really really cool. And really really really cool.

---

poisonbella wrote:
Welcome Britta!

how cool is it to be a voice actor for all these good shows? thank you

---