Joel McDonald
@okayjoelokay.bsky.social
VO Director (current)
Voice Actor (mostly rehabilitated)
Esteemed author of Getting In, THE definitive guide to building a life as a professional actor.
https://a.co/d/bochcCp
Voice Actor (mostly rehabilitated)
Esteemed author of Getting In, THE definitive guide to building a life as a professional actor.
https://a.co/d/bochcCp
Pinned
Joel McDonald
@okayjoelokay.bsky.social
· Nov 14
Follow for thorough, insightful advice on how to work as a professional voice actor!
Nah, just foolin. Buy the book. It's all butt jokes here.
Nah, just foolin. Buy the book. It's all butt jokes here.
If you tell your potential coworkers "you have until X date to submit," that's your word.
It's okay to have an early frontrunner. Happens a lot. But that can't affect your word.
And bruh. The number of times an absolute banger slipped in right under the wire?
Come on.
Let your people flex.
It's okay to have an early frontrunner. Happens a lot. But that can't affect your word.
And bruh. The number of times an absolute banger slipped in right under the wire?
Come on.
Let your people flex.
Casting before deadline is on my mind today, because I missed out on a project I was looking forward to auditioning for and felt disappointed and misled.
But I realized, beyond general unfairness, why it also bothers me.
Being cast after careful consideration means being trusted.
(con't.)
But I realized, beyond general unfairness, why it also bothers me.
Being cast after careful consideration means being trusted.
(con't.)
November 14, 2025 at 3:48 AM
If you tell your potential coworkers "you have until X date to submit," that's your word.
It's okay to have an early frontrunner. Happens a lot. But that can't affect your word.
And bruh. The number of times an absolute banger slipped in right under the wire?
Come on.
Let your people flex.
It's okay to have an early frontrunner. Happens a lot. But that can't affect your word.
And bruh. The number of times an absolute banger slipped in right under the wire?
Come on.
Let your people flex.
With the holidays coming up, don't forget this handy dandy actor's guide for the degenerate in your life.
Paperback for the nerds:
a.co/d/0Az9I7L
Audiobook for the illiterate:
Listen to Getting In by Joel McDonald on Audible. www.audible.com/pd/B0FSG7L3S...
Paperback for the nerds:
a.co/d/0Az9I7L
Audiobook for the illiterate:
Listen to Getting In by Joel McDonald on Audible. www.audible.com/pd/B0FSG7L3S...
Amazon.com
a.co
November 12, 2025 at 8:23 PM
With the holidays coming up, don't forget this handy dandy actor's guide for the degenerate in your life.
Paperback for the nerds:
a.co/d/0Az9I7L
Audiobook for the illiterate:
Listen to Getting In by Joel McDonald on Audible. www.audible.com/pd/B0FSG7L3S...
Paperback for the nerds:
a.co/d/0Az9I7L
Audiobook for the illiterate:
Listen to Getting In by Joel McDonald on Audible. www.audible.com/pd/B0FSG7L3S...
Wifey made a batch of Human Treats (TM) and left for an hour.
Gonna eat em all and gaslight the hell out of her.
Gonna eat em all and gaslight the hell out of her.
November 8, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Wifey made a batch of Human Treats (TM) and left for an hour.
Gonna eat em all and gaslight the hell out of her.
Gonna eat em all and gaslight the hell out of her.
When Wifey asks me to text another dad to coordinate something:
a man says you know how this is gonna end while standing in front of a lamp
Alt: a man says you know how this is gonna end while standing in front of a lamp
media.tenor.com
October 29, 2025 at 11:16 PM
When Wifey asks me to text another dad to coordinate something:
Talked with a non-actor friend who's jazzed about AI and I told him it's a major existential threat to art, my industry, and my livelihood.
"Yeah, but you could just learn to prompt the AI and make it good!"
Sir, you could also gargle these nuts.
"Yeah, but you could just learn to prompt the AI and make it good!"
Sir, you could also gargle these nuts.
October 25, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Talked with a non-actor friend who's jazzed about AI and I told him it's a major existential threat to art, my industry, and my livelihood.
"Yeah, but you could just learn to prompt the AI and make it good!"
Sir, you could also gargle these nuts.
"Yeah, but you could just learn to prompt the AI and make it good!"
Sir, you could also gargle these nuts.
I'd wager that roughly 120% of theatre kids know what play this is just by the set.
October 11, 2025 at 12:29 AM
I'd wager that roughly 120% of theatre kids know what play this is just by the set.
Kiddo: Hey, Dad? I lost a tooth.
Me: Another one? You just lost one yesterday!
Kiddo: Yeah, that's the one I lost. I was just looking at it and I dropped it and now it's gone.
Me: Okay, where did you drop it?
Kiddo: In your keyboard.
Me: Another one? You just lost one yesterday!
Kiddo: Yeah, that's the one I lost. I was just looking at it and I dropped it and now it's gone.
Me: Okay, where did you drop it?
Kiddo: In your keyboard.
October 6, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Kiddo: Hey, Dad? I lost a tooth.
Me: Another one? You just lost one yesterday!
Kiddo: Yeah, that's the one I lost. I was just looking at it and I dropped it and now it's gone.
Me: Okay, where did you drop it?
Kiddo: In your keyboard.
Me: Another one? You just lost one yesterday!
Kiddo: Yeah, that's the one I lost. I was just looking at it and I dropped it and now it's gone.
Me: Okay, where did you drop it?
Kiddo: In your keyboard.
Best fan interaction of the day was the dude who said he wanted to be a voice actor but didn't think he had a very good voice.
Then he heard me in something and was like, "Hey! If that guy can do it, I DEFINITELY can!"
Then he heard me in something and was like, "Hey! If that guy can do it, I DEFINITELY can!"
September 28, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Best fan interaction of the day was the dude who said he wanted to be a voice actor but didn't think he had a very good voice.
Then he heard me in something and was like, "Hey! If that guy can do it, I DEFINITELY can!"
Then he heard me in something and was like, "Hey! If that guy can do it, I DEFINITELY can!"
Welp. I think that's all I came to Chattanooga for.
(only real ones will understand)
(only real ones will understand)
September 27, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Welp. I think that's all I came to Chattanooga for.
(only real ones will understand)
(only real ones will understand)
LOOKIT I MADE AN EAR BOOK
Listen to Getting In by Joel McDonald on Audible. www.audible.com/pd/B0FSG7L3S...
Listen to Getting In by Joel McDonald on Audible. www.audible.com/pd/B0FSG7L3S...
Getting In
Check out this great listen on Audible.com. If you've decided to ignore your family's wise advice to get a "real job" instead of pursuing acting, prove them all wrong by picking this book up. If the w...
www.audible.com
September 25, 2025 at 6:54 PM
LOOKIT I MADE AN EAR BOOK
Listen to Getting In by Joel McDonald on Audible. www.audible.com/pd/B0FSG7L3S...
Listen to Getting In by Joel McDonald on Audible. www.audible.com/pd/B0FSG7L3S...
Half the neighborhood just turned out with flashlights because we heard a kid crying and screaming outside for like 15 minutes.
Turns out it was a baby goat with its head caught in a fence.
So... partial credit, I guess.
Turns out it was a baby goat with its head caught in a fence.
So... partial credit, I guess.
September 19, 2025 at 2:33 AM
Half the neighborhood just turned out with flashlights because we heard a kid crying and screaming outside for like 15 minutes.
Turns out it was a baby goat with its head caught in a fence.
So... partial credit, I guess.
Turns out it was a baby goat with its head caught in a fence.
So... partial credit, I guess.
Man.
If there's one thing Borderlands 4 has taught me so far
it's that for somebody who's spent the last 7 years working in game dev
I am exceptionally bad at video games.
If there's one thing Borderlands 4 has taught me so far
it's that for somebody who's spent the last 7 years working in game dev
I am exceptionally bad at video games.
a storm trooper is holding a gun and wearing a white helmet
Alt: a storm trooper is holding a gun and wearing a white helmet
media.tenor.com
September 12, 2025 at 2:52 AM
Man.
If there's one thing Borderlands 4 has taught me so far
it's that for somebody who's spent the last 7 years working in game dev
I am exceptionally bad at video games.
If there's one thing Borderlands 4 has taught me so far
it's that for somebody who's spent the last 7 years working in game dev
I am exceptionally bad at video games.
I cannot wait for you to love these people like I love these people. youtu.be/jDMojROhvKE?...
Borderlands 4 Voice Cast Answer Community Questions
YouTube video by Borderlands
youtu.be
September 10, 2025 at 11:23 PM
I cannot wait for you to love these people like I love these people. youtu.be/jDMojROhvKE?...
Got interviewed for This Week On Kairos on Steam News. You're free to ignore most of it but this is important:
September 6, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Got interviewed for This Week On Kairos on Steam News. You're free to ignore most of it but this is important:
No, I don't *only* cast super attractive voice actors. Though I can see why you'd think that.
The Borderlands 4 cast? Legendary. 🤩
Meet the actors behind your new Vault Hunters.
youtu.be/mnaz47_MBfY
Meet the actors behind your new Vault Hunters.
youtu.be/mnaz47_MBfY
September 3, 2025 at 9:15 PM
No, I don't *only* cast super attractive voice actors. Though I can see why you'd think that.
[me stacking up the liquor store counter with whiskey, bourbon, scotch, vodka, absinthe, and beer]
Cashier: Throwing a party?
Me:
Cashier: Throwing a party?
Me:
a woman says " the party 's right here boyyyy " in front of a man in a suit
Alt: a woman says " the party 's right here boyyyy " in front of a man in a suit
media.tenor.com
August 31, 2025 at 5:17 PM
[me stacking up the liquor store counter with whiskey, bourbon, scotch, vodka, absinthe, and beer]
Cashier: Throwing a party?
Me:
Cashier: Throwing a party?
Me:
Wifey: We need to buy new towels for our bathroom.
Me: Why?
Wifey: They've gotten really rough and scratchy and it's bad for my skin.
[proceeds to scrape her feet with a $60 river rock]
Me: Why?
Wifey: They've gotten really rough and scratchy and it's bad for my skin.
[proceeds to scrape her feet with a $60 river rock]
August 29, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Wifey: We need to buy new towels for our bathroom.
Me: Why?
Wifey: They've gotten really rough and scratchy and it's bad for my skin.
[proceeds to scrape her feet with a $60 river rock]
Me: Why?
Wifey: They've gotten really rough and scratchy and it's bad for my skin.
[proceeds to scrape her feet with a $60 river rock]
Waiting on a tow truck. AMA.
Well, not "A."
Ask me something halfway interesting and I might respond.
#AMSHIAIMR
Well, not "A."
Ask me something halfway interesting and I might respond.
#AMSHIAIMR
August 22, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Waiting on a tow truck. AMA.
Well, not "A."
Ask me something halfway interesting and I might respond.
#AMSHIAIMR
Well, not "A."
Ask me something halfway interesting and I might respond.
#AMSHIAIMR
College isn't for everyone but personally? I learned a lot.
Like how 11 dudes can live in a 4 bedroom/2 bath house with turn of the century water pressure.
There were many fights.
Like how 11 dudes can live in a 4 bedroom/2 bath house with turn of the century water pressure.
There were many fights.
August 22, 2025 at 3:57 AM
College isn't for everyone but personally? I learned a lot.
Like how 11 dudes can live in a 4 bedroom/2 bath house with turn of the century water pressure.
There were many fights.
Like how 11 dudes can live in a 4 bedroom/2 bath house with turn of the century water pressure.
There were many fights.
1 like = 1 ignored like
August 13, 2025 at 10:32 PM
1 like = 1 ignored like
Doing some dialect work with Kiddo so we went straight to a master class. youtu.be/ZDz9I5Xekrs?...
Maggie Smith Teaches Carol to Speak Cockney | The Carol Burnett Show Clip
YouTube video by The Carol Burnett Show Official
youtu.be
August 11, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Doing some dialect work with Kiddo so we went straight to a master class. youtu.be/ZDz9I5Xekrs?...
Me: Okay, bud. I updated your resume for your audition. What do you think?
Kiddo: Looks good! Can I see yours?
Me: I... don't have one. Not anymore.
Kiddo: Looks good! Can I see yours?
Me: I... don't have one. Not anymore.
a man in a trench coat and hat stands in front of a sunset sky
Alt: Anime dude stares into the distance
media.tenor.com
August 7, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Me: Okay, bud. I updated your resume for your audition. What do you think?
Kiddo: Looks good! Can I see yours?
Me: I... don't have one. Not anymore.
Kiddo: Looks good! Can I see yours?
Me: I... don't have one. Not anymore.
Being an adult means desperately wanting a NyQuil/Oreo crossover but also acknowledging there is no way you would handle that responsibly.
August 5, 2025 at 4:04 AM
Being an adult means desperately wanting a NyQuil/Oreo crossover but also acknowledging there is no way you would handle that responsibly.
Introduced the boys to They Might Be Giants and Monty Python and the Holy Grail on the same day.
They already weren't great. Now they're the worst.
They already weren't great. Now they're the worst.
August 2, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Introduced the boys to They Might Be Giants and Monty Python and the Holy Grail on the same day.
They already weren't great. Now they're the worst.
They already weren't great. Now they're the worst.