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Tiffany Smith has reprised her role as the voice of Andra in the Netflix series Masters Of The Universe: Revolution Season 3, and is set to launch an 8-episode Sci Fi Cop Thriller Audio Drama Podcast titled ‘Curious Matter Anthology’ (co-produced with Jonathan Pezza) as the lead VO actress, Co-Producer, and Voice Director! The series hosts fan favorites such as Kevin Smith, Tricia Helfer, Trace Lysette and many more. Not stopping there, Tiffany can be seen as the lead actress in the Hollywood Fringe Festival (Bespoke Plays) world premiere of ‘The Sphere of Fixed Stars in the Heavens’ written by J. Holtmham (Handmaid’s Tale, Supergirl) in June 2024 and is the lead actress in the upcoming Indie Thriller film In Flight (purchased by Gravitas Ventures for the Cannes Film Festival) alongside Christo Fernandez (Ted Lasso) and Maria Russell (Jury Duty). Lastly, Tiffany plays “Kiara” in the upcoming Sci-Fi Short FilmThe Power Within set to release Summer 2024 and as Scarlet Sky in the Short Film Scalped! coming soon. As a MPTF Next Gen Board Member, Tiffany is also set to be one of the hosts of the MPTF Next Gen Summer Party on June 23, 2024.
Hi Tiffany welcome to OLC! Congratulations on all your upcoming projects! Can you tell us more about your role as Bryce Gordon in the Sci-Fi Cop Thriller Audio Drama Podcast, *Curious Matter Anthology*? What drew you to this character?
I had worked with Jonathan Pezza on Curious Matter season 2, voicing a lead character. I love that he was translating public-domain sci-fi stories into audio dramas. So, when he was starting to think about what he would do for season 3 he asked if I wanted to come on board as a producer and voice the lead character of Bryce and I jumped at the chance. This season is based on a book called Police Your Planet. In the book, the lead character is actually male so, first of all, I just love the idea of swapping genders for stories like this. There aren’t too many sci-fi fantasy stories that have female lead characters. That was a really big part of what drew me to this project. And I loved working with Jonathan so much on the last season that I was excited to get even more involved in season 3, The Exile. For me, a goal in my career is to get to work with people that I love who are really talented and that was another super special piece of this project that was appealing to me. Coming on as a producer I got to help with the casting process along with bringing my incredibly talented friends to do voiceovers on this series. I am still blown away when I see all the names that we’ve pulled in for this project from Tricia Helfer to Kevin Smith, Tracie Thoms, Trace Lysette, Todd Stashwick, Eugene Byrd, Phil LaMarr, and that’s just a few of the names in our incredible cast!
You’ve reprised your role as Andra in *Masters Of The Universe: Revolution* Season 2. How has Andra’s character evolved over the seasons, and what can fans expect from her in the new episodes?
Getting to come back for season two and voice Andra was a dream come true. Fingers crossed for a season three! The first season was really about seeing Andra meet the rest of the team and becoming a part of that world. In this season we’re getting to see her as Man-at-Arms, which is so much fun. I love getting to play a character that is tech-savvy and just so badass. I grew up watching the cartoon, so every time I get to get in the booth or see things come together I’m just blown away because the kid me was just so excited to watch the show on TV and now I get to be a part of it which is really magical! Before this season came out I got to do a panel in hall H at San Diego Comic-Con leading up to the new season and it was where we announced that William Shatner was going to be a part of the new season as well, so that was just a huge awesome moment being a life-long Star Trek fan! If I had told my younger self that I would get to be on the show that Kevin Smith was producing and creating and that I got to voice the character alongside William Shatner and Mark Hamill I don’t think I would’ve ever believed it but, here we are!
You’re co-producing and voice directing *Curious Matter Anthology- The Exile*. How do you balance these behind-the-scenes roles with your performance as the lead VO actress?
Getting to wear a couple of different hats on Curious Matter has been incredible. I’ve gotten more and more comfortable with my own voice-over performance and more comfortable with being able to talk to other actors as they’re in the booth doing their performances too. So helping Jonathan and voice directing together was super easy and it just happened naturally. We kind of just fell into it and I think that’s something that comes across in the show. When you work really well with people, I think that it comes through on whatever project you’re making. I hope that people feel that when they’re listening to The Exile. As far as balancing time, I did a lot of my voiceover recording for Byrce before we brought another cast, so that helped quite a bit with timing. And like I said before being able to produce on this one as well was amazing because I got to help with the casting, but also reading the scripts in advance, and working on the creative closely with Jonathan on where we wanted it to go and what was gonna happen. We also got to really flesh out the mini-episodes as well as the Aftershow portion of the series as well! So we will have 16 weeks of new content with 8 main episodes, 8 mini-episodes, and an Aftershow hosted by Alison Haislip and Sandeep Parikh. Now we are at the place where we are working on marketing to get the show out there and making sure that people are getting to hear all of the magic that we made! It’s been a super exciting journey so far!
Your new Indie Thriller film *In Flight* is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. What was it like working alongside Cristo Fernandez and Maria Russell, and what can audiences expect from this film?
I loved working on In Flight! Funny enough, I had shot on the airplane set for a short film, Splinter, so getting to go back to that set was great. Just with how this industry works sometimes, I had just worked with Cristo on a short film, called The Power Within, which is premiering at Dances with Films on June 27 here in Los Angeles at the Chinese Theater, so getting to work with him on a feature project shortly after was really fun. I obviously, like so many people, loved Ted Lasso so it was awesome getting to work with him. Getting to see him in such a different way was exciting too because the character that he plays in In Flight is very different than what anyone has seen him do before. And he is so so good! Maria Russell is absolutely fantastic! I was blown away by her performance on Jury Duty and the whole show. I love that on every new project, I get to work on I get to make some incredible new friends and Maria is definitely one of those. Now we hang out a ton. We help each other with self-tapes. She’s just an incredible human and a talented artist! I feel really lucky that I get to continue to work with such wonderful people. My friend circle keeps growing bigger and bigger!
As someone deeply involved in the geek and sci-fi cultures, how has your background influenced your approach to roles in projects like *Masters of the Universe* and *The Power Within*?
I love sci-fi and fantasy. Growing up that was pretty much what I would watch all the time and what I continue to watch so much of! I think that love helps in knowing what the genre looks like because I’ve watched so much of it! And because I love it so much, it for sure puts a little bit of extra pressure on me to make sure that I’m doing the best I possibly can in whatever performance I’m doing because I know how much watching some of those TV shows and movies and performances impacted me as a person growing up. I also feel incredibly lucky every time I get to work on a project that is the kind of project I would want to watch, read, or see. I think it just gives that little extra spark of magic because not only am I excited about being a part of it, but I’m thinking of myself as an audience member and fan watching the projects too!
You’ve hosted a variety of shows and red carpets, including the Oscars Live from E! What do you love about doing these sorts of events and do you ever get star struck?
I have always loved meeting new people, I enjoy asking questions and learning things about them. I’ve always been an incredibly curious person. So, hosting is something that I just love! I love that I’ve been able to continue hosting alongside my acting. Because I moved so much growing up, I realized that you can always find something that you have in common with people that you meet, and I think that really helps me to be super present whenever I’m hosting an event or talking to anybody about a project they are part of. As far as hosting something like the Oscars, of course, I was very excited about it! I have always loved watching those events and dreamed of being there. Just getting to be close to that energy of the Oscars and how excited everyone is about the projects that they’re part of felt really special. It also added fuel and inspired me. It got me even more excited about when I am back one day nominated for a project that I am a part of as an actress!
You are set to be one of the hosts of the MPTF Next Gen Summer Party. Can you share more about your involvement with MPTF and why this cause is important to you?
I have been involved with the motion picture television fund on their next General board for a few years now. It’s such an incredible organization that helps anyone in the entertainment industry who may be struggling in any way. So many people are still trying to figure it out after the last few years in the industry. They can reach out to the MPTF and get help and guidance. I just think that it is important that we support each other in this industry. They also have an incredible retirement campus, we go and spend time with the residents, they have film festivals, screenings, and Q&As, and during the pandemic we would play Mafia with them over Zoom, we still do that and it’s just so much fun! I think it’s really special to get to spend time with people who created and put their stamp on the industry before us and to have them share some of their wisdom and experiences with us is so special!
Getting to do things like the summer party is so much fun because it’s raising money for an organization that I am passionate about, and at the same time getting to celebrate the industry as a whole!
In addition to your acting and hosting roles, you’re an avid supporter of environmental and ocean conservation. How do you incorporate your advocacy into your busy professional life?
I try to incorporate small things into my everyday life that help the environment and just put a little less pressure on the world around us. I think that sometimes it can feel very overwhelming and like there’s not anything you can do to help. But for me, it’s things like reusable cups onset, driving an electric vehicle, using glass straws, and picking up trash when I see it on the ground on the beach. I do think every little bit can and does help. For me spending time in nature whether it’s hiking or swimming in the ocean, walking along the beach is so important for me and so refreshing and recharging. I try to do as much as I can to treat the environment around me well because of all the wonderful things it gives back to me.
With your diverse skill set, including stunt work and motorcycle riding, how do you prepare for physically demanding roles, and do you have any memorable experiences from training?
Something I realized early in my career is that as an actor or a host, my body and my health are important. Always being as ready as I can is the goal. So, when a project does come up, I don’t feel like I’m so far away from where I need to be to step on set or step on the stage or whatever it is that I’m doing. I am a super adventurous person so, I always like trying new things which is probably why I enjoy acting so much, but it also helps when I need to be doing anything on set. I grew up dancing so, choreography for Stunts is something I really enjoy. I’m always trying to do something offset and in my regular life that’s helping me to grow or learn or add a new skill to my life. Most recently I started painting and writing poetry, which has been a cool new outlet for me.
Having started your career in New York and now making a name for yourself in Los Angeles, how have these different environments influenced your career, and what advice would you give to aspiring actors and hosts?
I went to college on the East Coast at Syracuse, so moving to New York after that felt like an easy transition. I was born in Santa Monica, so I always had the idea that at some point I would make my way back out to Southern California. But at the time, New York felt like a much easier step for me. And thankfully, I ended up booking a project where I got to travel around the country for the car shows. Every time I came out to California, I would try to meet with casting directors and people who worked at networks that I wanted to be on at some point. Eventually, I got my foot in the door with G4 and attack of the show. They had said they really liked me, but there were no opportunities for someone who didn’t live in Los Angeles, so that was the kick in the butt that got me to move out to Los Angeles. For me, that move felt like when Indiana Jones walks out onto the invisible bridge and just hopes that there’s something there to catch him. I felt very much that way about moving out to California but, I knew that I had to do it. So, I think my biggest piece of advice for anyone who’s starting out is to trust your gut, listen to yourself, and be your biggest fan/cheerleader. There are so many times when people may not see what you see, but if you see it then eventually they will too. I know that there’s that saying, “Fake it till you make it” but, I have recently started saying to myself, “Be it till they all see it”! I think it has been serving me well so far 🙂
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