You may not recognize Denise Lebre’s name or even her face. But she appears in four of the most popular TV shows, and has acted in some of the best-known Hollywood movies …in the Spanish versions, that is. Denise is one of the busiest voiceover artists in Hollywood. She does hundreds of Spanish TV commercials as well as dubbing for Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, and just about every major film actress. She also does all the bilingual (English/Spanish) voice messages for Mind The Gap. Denise was recently recognized for her outstanding voiceover and dubbing work on the nationally-televised SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Awards. She discussed her career with Mind The Gap.

MTG: Did you grow up dreaming of being a voiceover actress?

DL: No, but I did grow up wanting to be an actress. I studied theater arts and I acted in Mexico.

MTG: How did you become the unseen voice behind so many famous faces?

DL: When I moved to the US from Mexico, I wanted to continue acting in movies and television. But I have an accent and I don’t look Hispanic, so casting directors didn’t know what to do with me. I started doing some small voiceover jobs, then I got my first break.

MTG: What was that?

DL: I happened to be in a studio where they were casting for the Spanish voice of the Lucky Charms leprechaun. They were looking for a man, but I got the part.

MTG: And you got to say, “They’re magically delicious” in Spanish?

DL: I did. And that got me into SAG. Then I started getting more and more voiceover and dubbing work.

MTG: What are some of the movies you’ve dubbed?

DL: I did Meryl Streep in “Out of Africa” and “Sophie’s Choice.” I dubbed for Liza Minelli in “Arthur.” I was Julia Roberts’ Spanish voice in “Steel Magnolias,” “Dying Young” and “Conspiracy Theory.” On TV, I’m Amanda in the Spanish version of “Ugly Betty,” I do Addison’s voice in “Gray’s Anatomy,” I was Libby in “Lost” and I do several characters on “Desperate Housewives.”

MTG: What about commercials?

DL: You name it, I’ve done it. Lexus, Toyota, Macy’s, Verizon, AT&T.

MTG: Is there a big difference between dubbing for movies and TV and doing commercial work?

DL: Dubbing is much harder. You not only have to be a good actor, you have to match your voice to the actress’s mouth on screen. You have to mimic their acting style. To be a commercial announcer, you really don’t need to be an actor.

MTG: Doesn’t it help to be a good actor when you do commercial voiceovers?

DL: Definitely. And it helps me get more parts. I have one commercial where I’m the mother, daughter and grandmother …all talking to each other. And they’re all me!

MTG: How important is it to find the right voice for a commercial message?

DL: It’s very, very important to find the voice that can bring the message to life.

MTG: And you should know.