For us here at Muses of Media, August is a month where we celebrate all things animated. During #AnimationAppreciationMonth, we were lucky enough to have a discussion with the one and only J.P. Karliak!
Of course, we’ve watched episodes of the new season of X-Men ’97, and if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?! However, in addition to Karliak’s amazing voice work as Morph, Karliak will also portray Gramps in Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi.
Karliak told me about stepping into the world of voice acting, having the ability to flesh out the boatman droid (a.k.a. Gramps), sharing a personal connection to Morph as a non-binary person, and wanting to see some more character-driven storylines about some of the other mutants in X-Men ’97.
Watch the full interview with J.P. Karliak below:
Throughout Karliak’s voice acting journey, they have been part of many iconic franchises, including the aforementioned Star Wars and X-Men, as well as Looney Tunes, Smurfs, and Rugrats, to name a few. So, I wondered whether it was always Karliak’s goal to be part of these iconic franchises, or if it just happened.
Karliak shared, “I mean, it’s just kind of happened that way, which is, I mean, I’m not complaining. It’s very, very cool. So my big fandom, I’ve always been a fan of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, and so like the legacy character that I’ve been wanting to portray since the very beginning is Skeletor. But past that, it’s just been one thing after another of unexpected, wonderful surprises. Like, I don’t think I ever thought, ‘Oh, if I get to play a Looney Tune, the one that I’m going to get to play is Wile E. Coyote,’ like it’s just so random. So yeah, it’s been really cool to just get all of these wonderful and random characters fall into my lap and just find a connection to them, and see the fan base that also has a connection to it.”
This interview was fitting because it coincided with Animation Appreciation Month, which also saw the release of Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi. I asked Karliak what it was like to revisit Gramps, the boatman droid who, at the time, didn’t have a name.
“Yeah, I mean, especially because I first voiced that character really briefly in the first season of Star Wars Visions in just one episode, a little bit part. wasn’t even named Gramps. He was just named Boatman Droid, and it was a fun thing. And I was like, it was cool, but because it was an anthology series, I never expected we would get to return to it. So to be able to come back to this character to flesh him out more fully, to really get into the snarky attitude that he has, it was really fun. It was a really special and unexpected experience,” Karliak said.
Of course, trying to pick favourite characters is difficult, especially if you’re the one voicing them. When asked where Gramps fits into the pantheon of characters Karliak has voiced, they told me it was hard to choose favourites and that they have favourites for different reasons.
“I have favourites for all sorts of different reasons. Um, you know, I love playing Morph because of how connected I feel to the character and the impact that Morph has in the queer community. But then again, like I also loved playing Boss Baby because I got to voice such an incredibly verbose lead character. I had massive speeches and said all of it. There were so many insane circumstances. It was just incredible writing. Or even like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz show that I did. The fact that we all recorded together every week and it was all 12 of us in the room all the time, making each other laugh,” Karliak began.
“So, I think Gramps probably fits in as one of my favourite anime experiences. Certainly, because first of all, I was working with Stephanie Sheh and Michael Sinterniklaas as our voice directors, and both of them are exceedingly talented and incredible directors, and also people I’ve known for years. So, it’s great to work with them. And then also, anytime I get to touch an animated Star Wars bit, it’s just magic. I love Star Wars, and I especially love animated Star Wars. I was a huge fan of The Clone Wars, and when I got to play a bit part in The Bad Batch, that was a dream. So yeah, it just feels really special. It feels like, you know, there’s a childlike part of me that’s getting very excited,” Karliak said.
Of course, we had to chat more about X-Men ‘97. At the time of the interview, season two was well underway, with only a few episodes remaining. I asked Karliak what it was like for them to learn that they would be part of this mutant universe, specifically to portray Morph.
“There were so many feelings about it. I booked the role during lockdown, or at least almost towards the end of it. So it was still a very isolated time. And also, I had recently myself come out as genderqueer. And so, to get this iconic character, who was also non-binary, really felt like a wonderful opportunity not only to be impactful within the community, but also just to get to know myself better. Like, what a wonderful opportunity to get to explore my own identity better than through a character who shares that with me. Not to mention that he also has a wicked sense of humour. So there were there were all those little things that just felt very akin to my personality, that felt very familiar, and is the main reason why I don’t really do a voice for Morph. I just it’s really just my natural speaking voice. Yeah, it’s he’s he’s a very special person to me,” Karliak shared.
In the series, Morph is very much part of the major moments and is a fan-favourite. Regarding the fan response to the character, Karliak said that they feel like they’re doing something right.
“Oh, it’s been incredible. It really validates everything I’m doing because even though I know intrinsically that, because I myself am a genderqueer person, no matter how I portray this character, I’m bringing myself to it. I’m bringing authenticity to it. There’s no way I could do a disservice, at least in that respect. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s going to necessarily resonate with everybody else, and everybody else is going to have their own opinions about how it hits them or doesn’t. And I think it’s really validating and feels communal in a way to hear so many people that feel the same way about Morph’s journey that I do, and that it resonates with them the same way. So yeah, it feels like I’m doing something right,” Karliak said.
With Morph, there’s always a fine line between the comedic and emotional aspects. So, I wondered if there was anything in particular that challenged Karliak in the role.
“I think the most challenging part is probably revisiting – like, there’s the whole dynamic between Morph and Wolverine. And I’ve been married for a couple years, so it’s been a minute since I’ve had an unrequited love relationship, and I think there’s some pain in that, you know? There’s ghosts in the machine, I guess, you know? There’s like little things that come up, you know, as I think about Morph’s journey through his relationship with Wolverine and how they interact, and the complications and the toxicity that sometimes comes up, especially this season. So yeah, sometimes that feels a little Pandora’s boxy, I guess. But yeah, but at the same time, it’s also exactly the direction that I want to see Morph go. I want to see them explore the various facets of this relationship and understand the toxicity within it, and navigate their way through it. So, you know, it’s all good things,” Karliak said.
Morph has such an amazing powerset, and I know that if I were in the character’s shoes, there are many people I would love to change into. I asked Karliak the same question to see just who they might change into.
“Okay, well, bending the rules a little bit and assuming that I get all of the powers that that person has. If I, I mean, let’s go big or go home. I’m gonna, I’m gonna do the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange, and you know, really change some things. You know, either him or Scarlet Witch. Actually, let’s say Scarlet Witch. I like her better. Doctor Strange is, he’s kind of a nasty guy. He did wrong by my guy Peter,” Karliak said.
In an alternate world where Gramps and Morph had the chance to meet, I wondered how that introduction and conversation might go. Well, Karliak had a few thoughts on the matter.
“Well, I think Morph, because he’s mischief, would start by trying to use Gramps as a coffee maker, which would be an awful first impression, I’m sure, for Gramps. But I think slowly they would get along. I don’t necessarily consider droids as beings that have sexualities, but it’s probably queer. He’s got that sort of old-school gay attitude. That, yeah, I’d buy that. So I think they’d get along. I think, but I definitely think that Morph would enjoy Gramps, and Gramps would tolerate Morph,” Karliak joked.
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