As
much as Gen. George Patton loved war, actor Chris Patton loves acting even
more - and he's not related to the world War II hero, as far as we can tell.
Patton is a great case of a person being in the right place at the right
time. He came along as an actor in Houston at the same time that ADV Films
was starting to increase their output of dubbed anime. Talent met opportunity,
and Patton advanced from a collection of bit parts to major roles in ADV
productions. At the time of Anime Central, Patton was voicing roles in seven
productions, and seven of them were lead roles - including the lead in Rahxephon.
"I've gotten very lucky at a very good time for ADV," Patton said, adding
that he has so much voice acting work that he doesn't have to worry about
having a day job.
Patton
calls Rahxephon "a fun show," and he feels a close bond with his 17-year-old
character in that series. As with other Patton roles, his Rahxephon character
gets beat up a lot and spends as much time screaming as talking. "He goes
through so much in the first episode, and you go through the first volume
trying to work things out. He's very resilient, he's a 17 year old and he
handles it very well." Patton identifies with that character because it represents
the opposite of what he was at 17, worldly rather than naive. "I didn't have
any vices and he's very pure. The only thing he's dirtied by is from outside
circumstances. I think it's his inner purity that helped him handle the circumstances."
Kamina
Ayato is the same age as Yu Ominae, the suit-equipped fighter in Spriggan,
another of Patton's lead roles. "Yu was programmed to be an ass kicker. Ayato
is just a kid. You'll hear similarities in the voices, but not in the characterizations."
Patton likes to say that he has a teenager's voice and a grownup's mind,
and he'll next get a chance to show that combination when ADV dubs Full Metal
Panic, a wild high school story filled with alien invasions, fights and reluctant
romance. "I think once Full Metal Panic hits it's going to be bigger than
Rahxephon. The lead character is appealing without knowing he's appealing.
He's being sent into a high school to protect a girl and he's totally clueless."
As
much as Gen. George Patton loved war, actor Chris Patton loves acting even
more - and he's not related to the world War II hero, as far as we can tell.
Patton is a great case of a person being in the right place at the right
time. He came along as an actor in Houston at the same time that ADV Films
was starting to increase their output of dubbed anime. Talent met opportunity,
and Patton advanced from a collection of bit parts to major roles in ADV
productions. At the time of Anime Central, Patton was voicing roles in seven
productions, and seven of them were lead roles - including the lead in Rahxephon.
"I've gotten very lucky at a very good time for ADV," Patton said, adding
that he has so much voice acting work that he doesn't have to worry about
having a day job.
Patton
calls Rahxephon "a fun show," and he feels a close bond with his 17-year-old
character in that series. As with other Patton roles, his Rahxephon character
gets beat up a lot and spends as much time screaming as talking. "He goes
through so much in the first episode, and you go through the first volume
trying to work things out. He's very resilient, he's a 17 year old and he
handles it very well." Patton identifies with that character because it represents
the opposite of what he was at 17, worldly rather than naive. "I didn't have
any vices and he's very pure. The only thing he's dirtied by is from outside
circumstances. I think it's his inner purity that helped him handle the circumstances." 
Kamina
Ayato is the same age as Yu Ominae, the suit-equipped fighter in Spriggan,
another of Patton's lead roles. "Yu was programmed to be an ass kicker. Ayato
is just a kid. You'll hear similarities in the voices, but not in the characterizations."
Patton likes to say that he has a teenager's voice and a grownup's mind,
and he'll next get a chance to show that combination when ADV dubs Full Metal
Panic, a wild high school story filled with alien invasions, fights and reluctant
romance. "I think once Full Metal Panic hits it's going to be bigger than
Rahxephon. The lead character is appealing without knowing he's appealing.
He's being sent into a high school to protect a girl and he's totally clueless."
