Rodney Saulsberry
Encyclopedia
Rodney Jerome Saulsberry (born July 11, 1956) is an American voice-over
performer, actor, vocalist, announcer and author, known for his voice work on commercials (Twix
, Zatarain's
), his two books (You Can Bank on Your Voice, Step Up to the Mic) and the voice of Joe Robbie Robertson on the animated TV series Spider-Man
.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Saulsberry is a University of Michigan
graduate. His first R&B album Rodney Saulsberry produced two Billboard-charting singles, "I Wonder" and "Look Whatcha Done Now".
(2007). His voice work includes audiobooks and numerous movie trailers (How Stella Got Her Groove Back
, Finding Forrester
, Crooklyn
). He narrated the documentary Ax Handle Saturday: 50 Years Later (2010), "Michael Jackson: Life of a Superstar" (2009), Andy Bobrow's mockumentary The Old Negro Space Program (2004), a satire on Ken Burns
' Baseball (1994), and the Marvin Gaye E! True Hollywood Story (1998).
Upscale Magazine regarded Saulsberry as "a voice to be reckoned with, while Black Enterprise
magazine labeled him "the voice of choice for behind-the-scenes-narration."
On television, he has been seen in various guest-star roles, including the recurring role of Anthony on The Bold and the Beautiful
(1987) Law & Order: LA (2010) Taxi
(1978), M*A*S*H (1972), Gimme a Break!
(1981), 227
(1985), Hill Street Blues
(1981), Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
(1993), Without a Trace
(2002) and Monk
(2002). He was a series regular in the role of Jeff Johnson on Capitol (1982).
and was the announcer for the 34th NAACP Image Awards and the 2003 Essence Awards. He was a guest presenter at the first annual Voice 2007 in Las Vegas and a featured speaker and panelist for two consecutive years at Voice Coaches Expo in Schenectady, New York
. He has taught his voice-over workshop in various locations around the country that include, New York, Chicago, Nashville, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. He has also been a guest lecturer for the Theatre Department at Western Michigan University, California State University, Northridge and the Black Theatre Festival in Winston Salem
. Saulsberry has appeared at several book-signing events, including Borders and Barnes and Noble, and he is a regular featured panelist and workshop instructor for the SAG Foundation in support of the Don LaFontaine
Voice-Over Lab.
Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series for his role of Anthony on The Bold and the Beautiful.
Saulsberry played the lead role in the Academy Award-winning short film Violet
(1981).
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
performer, actor, vocalist, announcer and author, known for his voice work on commercials (Twix
Twix
Twix is a chocolate bar made by Mars, Inc., consisting of a biscuit finger, topped with caramel and coated in milk chocolate. Being somewhat smaller in width than other confectionery bars, Twix bars are typically packaged in pairs...
, Zatarain's
Zatarain's
Zatarain's is a food and spice company. It was started in the New Orleans suburb of Gretna by Emile A. Zatarain, Sr., who took out a trademark and began to market root beer in 1889. He expanded his product range to include mustard, pickled vegetables, and extracts.Then he moved into the spice...
), his two books (You Can Bank on Your Voice, Step Up to the Mic) and the voice of Joe Robbie Robertson on the animated TV series Spider-Man
Spider-Man (1994 TV series)
Spider-Man, also known as Spider-Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated series starring the Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man. The show ran on Fox Kids from November 19, 1994, to January 31, 1998. The producer/story editor was John Semper, Jr. and production company was Marvel Films...
.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Saulsberry is a University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
graduate. His first R&B album Rodney Saulsberry produced two Billboard-charting singles, "I Wonder" and "Look Whatcha Done Now".
Movie and television soundtrack vocal performances
- 2011 Paranormal Activity 3 "Who Do You Love" (Writer, performer)
- 2010 The Bold and the Beautiful "Miracles" (Writer, Performer)
- 2010 The Bold and the Beautiful "I Like It Girl" (Writer, performer)
- 2010 The Bold and the Beautiful "I Gotta Lot of Friends" (Writer, performer)
- 2010 The Bold and the Beautiful "Love In Your Heart" (Writer, performer)
- 2010 Just Another Day “Better Than Before” (Writer, performer)
- 2009 Adventureland “I Need to Know” (Writer, performer)
- 1999 Michael Jordan: An American Hero “I’m So Glad You’re Mine” (Writer, performer)
- 1988 Midnight Crossing “Alone” (Writer, performer)
- 1988 Prince of Egypt “Playing with the Big Boys” (Background vocals)
- 1997 Sprung “We Are Love” (Writer, performer)
- 1994 The Lion King “Hakuna Matata” (Background vocals)
- 1994 The Lion King “Circle of Life” (Background vocals)
- 1994 I’ll Do Anything “I’ll Do Anything” (Background vocals)
- 1992 Night and the City “Love Doesn’t Matter “ (Performer)
Films, TV and audio
As an actor, his films include The Philadelphia Experiment (1984), Tango and Cash (1989) and the animated feature The Invincible Iron ManThe Invincible Iron Man
The Invincible Iron Man is a direct-to-DVD animated movie based on the Marvel Comics character Iron Man. The film was officially released on January 23, 2007. Marc Worden reprises his role as Iron Man whom he voiced in the two Ultimate Avengers animated movies...
(2007). His voice work includes audiobooks and numerous movie trailers (How Stella Got Her Groove Back
How Stella Got Her Groove Back
How Stella Got Her Groove Back is a 1998 romance film, directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan. The film stars Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg and Regina King. This film is an adaptation of Terry McMillan's bestselling novel by the same title...
, Finding Forrester
Finding Forrester
EnglishFinding Forrester is a 2000 American drama film written by Mike Rich and directed by Gus Van Sant. A black American teenager, Jamal Wallace , is invited into a prestigious private high school. By chance, Jamal befriends a reclusive writer, William Forrester , through whom he refines his...
, Crooklyn
Crooklyn
Crooklyn is a 1994 semi-autobiographical film co-written and directed by Spike Lee. The film takes place in Brooklyn, New York and the neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant during the summer of 1973. Its primary focus is a young girl, Troy , and her family...
). He narrated the documentary Ax Handle Saturday: 50 Years Later (2010), "Michael Jackson: Life of a Superstar" (2009), Andy Bobrow's mockumentary The Old Negro Space Program (2004), a satire on Ken Burns
Ken Burns
Kenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs...
' Baseball (1994), and the Marvin Gaye E! True Hollywood Story (1998).
Upscale Magazine regarded Saulsberry as "a voice to be reckoned with, while Black Enterprise
Black Enterprise
Black Enterprise is a monthly U.S. magazine which describes itself as "the premier business news and investment resource for African Americans" and claims a readership of 3.7 million. It was founded in 1970 by Earl G. Graves, Sr.. The publication is known for its annual listing of the largest...
magazine labeled him "the voice of choice for behind-the-scenes-narration."
On television, he has been seen in various guest-star roles, including the recurring role of Anthony on The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
(1987) Law & Order: LA (2010) Taxi
Taxi (TV series)
Taxi was an American sitcom that originally aired from 1978 to 1982 on ABC and from 1982 to 1983 on NBC. The series, which won 18 Emmy Awards, including three for "Outstanding Comedy Series", focuses on the everyday lives of a handful of New York City taxi drivers and their abusive dispatcher...
(1978), M*A*S*H (1972), Gimme a Break!
Gimme a Break!
Gimme a Break! is an American sitcom which aired on NBC from October 29, 1981, until May 12, 1987. The series stars Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief and his three daughters.-Premise:...
(1981), 227
227 (TV series)
227 is an American situation comedy that originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, until May 6, 1990. The series starred Marla Gibbs as a sharp-tongued, inner-city resident gossip and housewife, Mary Jenkins...
(1985), Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...
(1981), Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman is an American post-Civil War western/drama series created by Beth Sullivan. Dr. Michaela "Mike" Quinn, played by Jane Seymour, left Boston in search of adventure. She goes to Colorado Springs, Colorado where she establishes herself as doctor/adviser.The show ran on CBS...
(1993), Without a Trace
Without a Trace
Without a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:...
(2002) and Monk
Monk (TV series)
Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
(2002). He was a series regular in the role of Jeff Johnson on Capitol (1982).
Animation
- The Little Engine That CouldThe Little Engine That Could (2011 film)The Little Engine That Could is a 2011 CGI film based on the story by Watty Piper. The film was released direct to DVD in the United States on March 22, 2011.-Cast:...
- Freight Train - Aaahh!!! Real MonstersAAAHH!!! Real MonstersAaahh!!! Real Monsters is an American animated television series about adolescent monsters in training, developed by Klasky Csupo for Nickelodeon...
- Ufwapo - The AnimatrixThe Animatrixis a 2003 direct-to-video anthology film based on The Matrix trilogy. The film is a compilation of nine animated short films.-Production:Development of the Animatrix project began when the film series' writers and directors, the Wachowski brothers, were in Japan promoting the first Matrix film...
: Matriculated - Chyron - Avatar: The Last AirbenderAvatar: The Last AirbenderAvatar: The Last Airbender is an American animated television series that aired for three seasons on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008. The series was created and produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who served as executive producers along with Aaron Ehasz...
- Additional voices - DuckmanDuckmanDuckman: Private Dick/Family Man is an American animated sitcom that aired from 1994–1997, created by Everett Peck and developed by Peck. The sitcom is based on characters created by Peck in his Dark Horse comic...
- Additional voices - The Invincible Iron Man - James "Rhodey" RhodesWar MachineWar Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
- MinoriteamMinoriteamMinoriteam is an animated television series on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim. The pilot episode premiered on November 6, 2005...
- Fasto - Skeleton WarriorsSkeleton WarriorsSkeleton Warriors was a 13 episode cartoon series created by Landmark Entertainment Group, which originally aired in 1993-1994 on CBS.-Summary:...
- Additional voices - Spider-ManSpider-Man (1994 TV series)Spider-Man, also known as Spider-Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated series starring the Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man. The show ran on Fox Kids from November 19, 1994, to January 31, 1998. The producer/story editor was John Semper, Jr. and production company was Marvel Films...
- Joe "Robbie" Robertson - Static ShockStatic ShockStatic Shock is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It premiered in September 2000 on the Kids' WB! block and ran for four seasons, with a total of 52 half-hour episodes....
- Phillip Rollins/Sparky - Xyber 9: New DawnXyber 9: New DawnXyber 9: New Dawn is an animated television series produced by Bokabi and Saban Entertainment. It originally debuted on the Fox Kids network on September 25, 1999. Only 10 episodes aired before it was cancelled on December 4, 1999. Soon after, it was aired in its entirety on Irish television...
- Willy
Video games
- SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALsSOCOM 4SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs , is a 2011 third-person tactical shooter video game developed by Zipper Interactive and published by Sony Computer Entertainment exclusively for the PlayStation 3 and is a sequel to Zipper's SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2 and SOCOM: U.S...
- Wells - G.I. Joe: The Rise of CobraG.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (video game)G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is the title of a video game adaption of the film of the same name. The game takes place after the film. The 360 and PS3 versions are based on the same code, while the DS is an entirely different game unto itself, and the Wii, PS2, and PSP version are also based on...
- Heavy DutyHeavy Duty (G.I. Joe)Heavy Duty is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series of toy lines, comics and cartoons. Heavy Duty is the G.I. Joe Team's heavy ordnance specialist. He is described as being unafraid of any situation despite heavy enemy fire... - Grey's Anatomy: The Video GameGrey's Anatomy: The Video GameGrey’s Anatomy: The Video Game is a video game based on the medical drama of the same name. It was released on March 10, 2009.- Gameplay :The game is divided into three modes of play: Challenges, choices and surgeries...
- Richard Webber - Driver: Parallel LinesDriver: Parallel LinesDriver: Parallel Lines is the fourth video game in the Driver series. The game was released on March 2006 on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox by Atari, Wii and Microsoft Windows on June 2007 by Ubisoft.-Overview:...
- Bishop - Star Trek: Starfleet Command IIIStar Trek: Starfleet Command IIIStar Trek: Starfleet Command III is a Star Trek computer game published in 2002. The game takes place in the Next Generation/Deep Space Nine/Voyager era.-Storyline:...
- KlingonKlingonKlingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
Officer #2 - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Hard Evidence - Everett Brower
Public appearances
Saulsberry has performed on the television variety show Soul TrainSoul Train
Soul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...
and was the announcer for the 34th NAACP Image Awards and the 2003 Essence Awards. He was a guest presenter at the first annual Voice 2007 in Las Vegas and a featured speaker and panelist for two consecutive years at Voice Coaches Expo in Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
. He has taught his voice-over workshop in various locations around the country that include, New York, Chicago, Nashville, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. He has also been a guest lecturer for the Theatre Department at Western Michigan University, California State University, Northridge and the Black Theatre Festival in Winston Salem
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
. Saulsberry has appeared at several book-signing events, including Borders and Barnes and Noble, and he is a regular featured panelist and workshop instructor for the SAG Foundation in support of the Don LaFontaine
Don LaFontaine
Donald Leroy "Don" LaFontaine was an American voiceover artist famous for recording more than 5,000 film trailers and hundreds of thousands of television advertisements, network promotions, and video game trailers. His nicknames included "Thunder Throat" and "The Voice of God"...
Voice-Over Lab.
Awards
In 2011, Saulsberry received a nomination from the 42nd NAACP Image Awards committee in the category ofOutstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series for his role of Anthony on The Bold and the Beautiful.
Saulsberry played the lead role in the Academy Award-winning short film Violet
Violet (film)
Violet is a 1981 short film directed by Shelley Levinson. It won an Academy Award in 1982 for Best Short Subject.-Cast:* Didi Conn - Violet* Patrick Dollaghan - Monty* Rodney Saulsberry - Flick* Tom McGowan - Dr. Pleasance* Belle Richter - Mrs...
(1981).