Pete Accetturo, a middle-aged dad from Florida also known as Voice Over Pete, is one of the biggest names in voice over. From his journey through corporate America to Fiverr to the gaming community, he has been through thick and thin but has definitely made his mark.
Who is Voice Over Pete?
Pete Accetturo just looks like a regular dad. And he is. Well, maybe not regular. This father of two from Tampa, Florida was a regular guy until his second career took off. Bur first, it’s important to note his first career. Pete was in the corporate world working as a successful technology consultant. According to his own LinkedIn bio:
In my previous career pursuit, I became an award winning technology consultant with a track record in sales and management of large, complex, multi-million dollar solutions to strategic accounts. I’ve since developed a knack and passion for acting and voiceover work and started my own business.
He was successful in this world, one of his strongest skills was presenting to large audiences. But then he was laid off and had to reassess it all. Like many people in this situation, Pete looked at his skill set and with advice from his son, entered the world of Fiverr and voice acting.
Pete Accetturo became a big name on Fiverr selling his voice over services. His spokesperson-like abilities were the big draw for his fans. After all, he had professional experience and a way with words. He soon became one of Fiverr’s most popular users. But then Fiverr banned him for what looked like credit card scams. He had been working on videos that were satirical but looked like video game themed credit card scams. According to The Verge, he received an email that stated that his account was removed due to these numerous credit card scam videos he starred in. But this ban resulted in YouTube’s meme community coming out to support him and he earned more fans than ever.
This ban didn’t stop him, though. Now, he is one of the biggest names in the gaming world of voice overs. He also has a large following on YouTube. Another place you’ll see a lot of Voice Over Pete is in the world of memes. According to TubeFilter, he also went on to create Patreon and began earning $9,000 per month from supporters. This guy has creativity along with resilience, eh?
So from a lay off in the corporate world to a rise to fame from creating parody video game messages where he mimics credit card scams, Voice Over Pete has found huge success. According to this article, his videos have launched their own meme-subculture and his following has grown exponentially as a result.
Is Pete Running for President?
The Washington Post featured Voice Over Pete in an article on presidential candidates. Does this mean he’s running in 2020? Hmmmm, good question. According to The Washington Post article, Voice Over Pete did file a presidential statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. This does not mean he’s an official candidate in the eyes of the FEC, though. He has to raise or spend more than $5,000 and then the FEC would consider him official. Anyone can file a statement of candidacy, though, and their name goes in the public database of candidates.
The thing about this, whether he is technically running or not, is the support he got. Close to 1,000 people have registered themselves here, and most aren’t serious. Voice Over Pete probably isn’t serious either, but he did garner plenty of attention with this.
What Makes Voice Over Pete Special?
Sure, Pete has a great story. Everyone loves a dad figure, too. But what about his skills? He is a skilled speaker and always loved the art of voice acting and theater. According to MelMagazine, He always enjoyed doing theater but never got paid for it. In corporate America, his role was usually a presenter to executives. He had the experience and skills of being in front of people and giving all sorts of presentations.
This is key, though, his heart in this. On his own LinkedIn account, Pete shares, My passion is for mastering my craft with relentless focus on my clients, and the belief that integrity leads to trust and trust leads to strong relationships.
He’s got the background, he has the skills. He also has the resilience and the drive to make his voice over skills work. Plus he has a pretty big following. People seem to love Voice Over Pete.
What Can Voice Over Pete Teach Others?
Voice Over Pete has a great story. Not everyone that gets laid off can turn themselves into a celebrity. He took his experience, his passion, and some advice from his son to do that, though. He also looked at what was relevant in the world and how he could put himself in the midst of it. That is a recipe for success no matter who you are. For people wanting to break into voice acting, he is a great model.
Voice over is much more than the gaming genre. Actors work in infomercials, radio ads, documentaries, animated film, eLearning videos, the list goes on. If you want to get into voice acting, think like Pete did. Where do you fit in? Maybe you’re not animated enough to do dialogue or character voice overs, but you could specialize in infomercials. For those looking to hire voice actors in this field, they look for certain qualifications.
This article shares what makes a great infomercial voice over actor and what producers are looking for. As with all voice overs, training is important along with experience. Voice clarity and consistency are necessary in any field of voice acting.
Passion is important, too. A voice actor should love what he or she is doing, and make it show. No one wants to watch a humdrum actor on stage. Who wants to listen to someone who lacks feeling and passion and emotion?
Another thing to learn from Voice Over Pete is the niche gig. He found his way into video gaming and used his satirical sense of humor to make himself known. He earned a great following with lots of love and support. Pete let his personality shine through in his niche. We can learn that to be a big name, you have to let yourself shine. Don’t hide behind your voice, let yourself be your voice.
Hiring a Voice Actor
So let’s look on the other side of this. What if you are looking to hire a voice actor? Maybe you can’t hire Voice Over Pete, and maybe he doesn’t fit your needs anyway. But what should you look for in a voice over artist? It doesn’t hurt to look at Pete’s qualifications in your own hires.
Look for someone with experience and training. Pete’s training wasn’t initially in voice acting, but he had that presentation experience. He was able to use those skills and take them to another field. Maybe the actor you’re eyeing has a stage background or YouTube experience. Even though it’s not the same as voice over work, it’s similar and can be a great segue into voice work.
Remember to narrow down your needs as much as possible before you begin your hiring. It will make auditioning your actors or working with an agency easier. The more specifics you have up front will help you be efficient. So think about what type of voice you want and how you want your project to sound in its final form. Then find the actor who will make it happen.
Where Can You Find a Voice Actor?
Voice Over Pete got his voice over start on Fiverr, a freelance site. If you’re looking to hire a voice actor, you can look at sites like this. You can also straight to the actor. Pete has a website where you can book him; plenty of other actors work the same way. One of the best ways to find the right actor for you and your project, however, is through a voice studio, like our own Voice Bunny.
Each of these has pros and cons, and it all depends on how you want to work with your voice actor. Think about these things when hiring:
- How much control and communication do you want on the project with your voice actor?
- How much negotiation do you want to be involved in?
- Do you want to do background and resume checks or have someone else do it for you?
- Do you want help in sifting through and narrowing down actors?
The clearer your vision when you set out to find an actor will help no matter what way you’re searching. A clear vision, great content, a set budget, and a strong purpose will all help you find just the right talent. The good news is that you have plenty of options to fit your budget, your project, and how you want to work.
Final Lessons From Voice Over Pete
Again, maybe you can’t hire Pete, and maybe you can’t emulate him, but you can learn from him. He took his skills in a difficult situation and used them to his advantage. He looked at what was relevant and current and how he could put his skills to use there. You can do the same. Most of all, he had the drive and the resilience. So whether you are a voice actor or a producer putting your first piece together, be resilient. It may take a few tries, but keep going. Reach out for help if you need it, but more than anything, know you can do this. You can be successful and who knows, your story could even end up influencing those trying to get in this field, too.
