Meet Randy Davison | Actor and Voice-over Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Randy Davison and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Randy, how do you think about risk?
As an actor, the word risk is ingrained in my psyche. I’ve always had my foot in the entertainment industry, doing Theatre, improv, commercials and voiceovers., but about 10 years ago, I took the plunge and left my job as a casino manager to pursue acting full time. Risky or just plain cuckoo…you decide. Either way, it was the best decision I ever made. There is nothing I’d rather do. In a field with so much competition, actors who take risks in their auditions and as artists are the ones who stand out. If you are not prepared to take risks, make mistakes, face your fears, and make bold choices…you’ll never come up with anything original That’s why I like to think outside of the box when I’m auditioning or preparing for a role. So risk taking is definitely an every day theme in my life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
After completing my BA in Theatre Arts from Boise State University, I left my hometown, traded potatoes for palm trees and headed to Los Angeles to hone my craft and give it a whirl. I got experience on set the first few years by doing extra work before joining the Screen Actors Guild union. I learned a lot and it was so surreal being in scenes with some of my favorite actors. I would call my parents just to let them know I spent the day serving drinks as a bartender to Robert De Niro and every time I got another audition. I soon realized, it’s a numbers game…there’s a lot of competition, so the phone calls slowed down until I actually booked speaking roles. I also discovered a love for voice-overs and doing different accents. The great thing is that a voice-over actor can play any age or any type depending on the versatility of their voice. On screen and on stage, I guess you would say I’m a character actor. I love playing quirky roles and I’ve found as I’ve gotten older, the roles I’m going out for and booking are richer with more depth. Recently, I was particularly proud that I got the opportunity to have roles in two Oscar nominated films in the same year. I was thrilled to get to work with one of my favorite directors of all time, David Fincher and one of my favorite actors, Gary Oldman in “Mank”. I also was lucky enough to work with the great Lee Daniels, playing the infamous Senator Joseph McCarthy in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.” “Mank” actually went on to win two Oscars!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I booked a Southwest Airlines commercial that was shooting in San Diego and I loved the city so much I stayed. There’s a reason they call it “America’s Finest City”! The quality of life is so great here that it was worth it to make trips to L.A. just for auditions and gigs. And now with the changes that Covid brought, most of my auditions in L.A. and even Atlanta are self tapes from home, so I am staying put. If a good friend was coming to visit, I would tell them to come in July during Comic Con. It’s one of my favorite times of the year. And the movie studios go all out with the after parties so prepare for no sleep for 4 days. Nerd alert…I occasionally bust out my vintage Captain Kirk costume! Then when the convention is over we would take out the inflatable kayaks, mix some Bloody Marys and Greyhounds, and head out to Shelter Island to watch a concert at Humphrey’s on The Bay. I’ve seen some great shows there…Billy Idol, Chris Isaak, The Stray Cats, The Beach Boys…just to name a few. Then for eats, I have a few places I love to go. For Seafood, nothing beats The Fish Market in Seaport Village. For a good steak, I love going to the Turf Club Supper Club, San Diego’s original grill-your-own steak house in Golden Hill. Then in the fall on a Saturday, we would go to watch college football at my favorite Boise State alumni bar, The Sand Bar in Mission Beach for some of the best fish tacos, burgers, and crispy tots around. We have an alumni group that takes over the bar with blue and orange on game days. It’s always a party!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Growing up in Idaho, movies and Theatre were always a big part of my life. My parents always took me and my sister to the Fairview Drive-in on the weekends and during the winter, we would go to The Fairview Cinema. So many great memories. I knew at a young age that I wanted to be a part of that world. Then when I was in 7th grade, a touring production with The Idaho Shakespeare Festival called Shakespearience came to my school to perform…two guys performing Shakespeare’s, “The Tempest” playing all the characters. They were brilliant, Not to mention one of them played the guy who got stomped on by the giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in “Ghostbusters”. To a 13 year old that was gold! That’s what inspired me to get into acting and got me interested in Theatre. I found out my school offered a drama class, so I jumped at the chance. I went on to complete my B.A. in Theatre Arts from Boise, State University and continued my studies with The Stella Adler Theatre in Los Angeles and with The Atlantic Theatre Actors Training Program in collaboration with NYU. Before moving to Los Angeles, I even did a touring production of “The Two Gentleman of Verona” with Shakepearience as well as spending a summer as a company member with The Idaho Shakespeare Festival. So I want to thank my parents for giving me my love of film and all of my teachers who have inspired me along the way. I actually thanked my dad recently for giving me my love of film and he said, “We didn’t take you to the movies to give you a cultural experience. We went because it was cheap entertainment!”

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