How this voice actor from Disney and Smosh came to voicing anime characters

Summary

• Damien Haas went from Disney Channel to Smosh and then to voicing popular anime protagonists.
• His anime roles include Kiyoka Kudou in My Happy Marriage and Laios Touden in Delicious in Dungeon.
• Haas maintains major voice acting roles in video games such as Fire Emblem and anime such as Ranma 1/2.

Voice acting for anime characters is a talent few have and use well. More often than not, this skill is taught through voice lessons and acting classes, and requires melding techniques from both to pull off the characters with the authenticity the director is looking for in any given play. While most voice actors get their start in voice acting just by voice acting, a fascinating case has emerged in the former Disney Channel actor and current Smosh star. Damien Haaswho found himself in the world of voicing popular anime protagonists.

He expressed his knowledge and reservations to Laios Touden Delicious in the Dungeon and Kiyoka Kudou, the main male love interest My happy marriage anime, among many other main and supporting character roles in both anime and video games. This article will cover his career, showing how he went from a canceled Disney Channel show in 2011, to becoming a main cast member in Smosh, to finally voicing anime and video game protagonists for which he is known today.

His early career on Disney and YouTube's Smosh

Sketch Comedy that showed its early range

Damien Haas landed his first acting role on the Disney Channel series, So random, in 2011. Like SNL, the show had a recurring set of actors who performed various comedy and musical sketches. The show was based on the sketch showing his main characters Sonny with a chancewith Demi Lovato as the titular character; notably, Demi Lovato was absent as she was secretly in rehab for substance abuse. The lack of Lovato's main character, and disinterest in the sketch comedy with Disney Channel audiences at the time, led to its cancellation after one season.

“I don't think going back to Sonny would be healthy for my recovery. Being in front of a camera would make me nervous.”

Despite this apparent bad ending, Haas found himself on the gaming channel Smosh Games, a side channel run by a staple of YouTube culture, Smosh. Over time, he was introduced to the other channels and showcased his quick improv skills, unique comedy style and many talents on a global scale to 26 million subscribers to date. He still appears on the various Smosh channels on a semi-regular basis, both in sketches and unscripted content.

The transition to voice acting

from Fire emblem TO Delicious in the Dungeonand everything in between

While his first credited voice acting role was a few minor characters on the Cartoon Network series Clarence, he started getting into voice acting for a few video games. his first major role was as Fire emblem the character Shez, in both Fire Emblem Heroes and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. To commemorate this, he dyed his hair to match the character's hair color, which is a habit he has maintained for his major voice acting roles since then. He also voiced four different characters Fortniteand a character from the 2022 game Triangle Strategy.

His career as an anime voice actor began with a minor role in Ooku: The inner chambers in 2023. He quickly found himself voicing his first anime protagonist, the main male love interest my happy marriage Kiyoka Kudou. The anime follows Miyo Saimori, a young woman engaged to someone she doesn't know, and Kiyoka, who is a feared commander who hides a gentle and loving personality beneath his rumored cold nature. The anime went on to be nominated for 11 awards and won 3 more at various anime award shows and programs. It has also been confirmed that the anime will receive a second season, with Damien Haas set to reprise his role as Kiyoka Kudou.

In the following year, he took on a few more voice roles, but his biggest commercial success as an anime voice actor as of this writing is his role as the anime's main character Laios Touden. Delicious in the Dungeon. In this anime, a group of adventurers can't afford the rations they need to survive, so they turn to cooking the monsters they kill on their way to save the protagonist's siblings. This anime was also nominated and won several awards in its first season, as well as a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with a second season in the works.

What is He doing now?

Ranma 1/2, More Smosh and other projects

The most recently released anime he starred in as of this writing is the reboot Ranma 1/2in which he plays Ryoga, who is Ranma's own rival. Damien Haas has also voiced characters in several anime-style games, including the lead role of Van Arkride in Legends of Heroes: Trails Through the Dawnits sequel coming out next year and some characters from Unicorn Overlord. He also continues to appear in variety and comedy content on Smosh videos across channels, with his last appearances in December.