Ryan Drummond (born January 10, 1973)[1][2][3] is an American actor, comedian, singer, clown, mime artist and performer who is best known for his role as the original voice of Sonic the Hedgehog in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game franchise from 1998 to 2004.[2][3][4]
Ryan Drummond | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 10, 1973[1] Lima, Ohio, U.S.[1] |
| Education | Eastern Michigan University (BA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Spouse |
Lisa Drummond
(m. 2002; div. 2019) |
| Children | 2 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres |
|
| Years active | 1991–2010 |
| Member of | The A.Y.U. Quartet |
| Comedy career | |
| Medium | |
| Genres | |
| Website | www.ryandrummond.com (archive) |
Early life
Ryan Drummond was born in Lima, Ohio, on January 10, 1973.[1] He attended Clague Middle School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, were he participated in various children's theatre, beginning in 1980 at seven years old.[3][5] Both of his parents also worked in theatre, his mother and father was both actors and theatre directors of the children theatre plays that Ryan participated in while in school.[3]
In 1993, he got his first paid acting job at a dinner theater while still attending college.[2] He graduated from the Eastern Michigan University in 1995, with a degree in theater.[3] Upon graduating, he moved to San Diego, California in 1996 to pursue his acting career.[2]
Career
In 1997, Drummond got his first television acting role as DJ Johnny Jam in an episode of the television drama series Baywatch. He would later star in several other television shows, such as Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, The Chronicle, The Invisible Man, Point Pleasant and Trauma. He also made a guest appearance in an episode on The Rosie O'Donnell Show in December 1998, during the Toys For Tots segment.[3] In film, he made his feature film debut in the 2000 teen cheerleading comedy film, Bring It On as Theatre Boy.
As a voice actor, he has provided many character voices in various video games titles. In 1998, he became the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog in the video games series for SEGA, he continued to voice the character for six more years until 2004, the video games includes Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, Sonic Shuffle, Sonic Battle and Sonic Advance 3.[2][3][6][7][8]
He also voiced Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic Shuffle, Metal Sonic in Sonic Heroes and has also briefly voiced Shadow the Hedgehog in the Final Hazard level in Sonic Adventure 2, when David Humphrey was unavailable.[9][10][11]
Additionally, he also voiced Elliot Ballade in Blue Stinger, Insider in AirBlade, Bill Bardi in The Godfather II, J. Edgar Hoover and various other characters in Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, Kevin Kertsman in Illbleed and has recently voiced the Doctor character in Mafia: Definitive Edition, where he also did the motion-capture.
Drummond initially wanted to play Sonic in the anime adaptation Sonic X, and even offered to move to New York so he could play the role, 4Kids instead hired Jason Griffith who later became his successor.[12][2]
In an interview, Drummond stated he was offered the chance by Sega to re-audition as a third Sonic, a version from the Dreamcast era that was planned for Sonic Generations, but he rejected the role because Sega refused to give him a union contract.[13]
He also did voice work in commercials, such as The Padres, McDonald's, Wheel Of Fortune, Sega Dreamcast, Oceans Eleven, Checkmate Inc., Clear Factor Skincare, Hoist Fitness Systems, and Diedrich Coffee.[14] Additionally, he has done voices for theme parks including SeaWorld Orlando as Shamu for a few years and has also provided various voices in Legoland California.[4]
Outside of acting, Drummond has also worked in comedy, such as a mime artist and a clown.[2]
Today, Drummond mainly works in theatre. He starred in a musical comedy theatre show in San Diego titled Forever Plaid.[15] He would later star in many other musical theatre productions, such as Godspell, Into the Woods, City of Angels, Zhivago, The Producers, Hairspray, The Wedding Singer, Anything Goes, Singin' in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Sunday in the Park with George and most recently, Groundhog Day.
Additionally since 2017, he has been the main performer of the theatrical play, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus.[3][16]
Music career
From 1991 to 2010, he was a member and the bass vocalist in the music group, The A.Y.U. Quartet.[2] Together, the music group has released three albums.[5]
Personal life
Upon moving to San Diego, California, Drummond met his wife Lisa.[2] The couple were married on October 8, 2002.[2] Together they have two sons, Daniel and Tommie.[2] As of 2019, the couple have since divorced.[2] He and his sons currently reside in San Francisco, California.[17]
Drummond would update his fans about his personal life from time to time on his online blog.[18]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Bring It On | Theatre Boy | [19] |
| 2001 | Poor Man | Mime | Short film[19] |
| 2008 | Based on a True Story | Man | [19] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Baywatch | DJ Johnny Jam | Episode: "Baywatch at Sea World"[20] |
| 1998 | Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place | Isaac Glickstein | Episode: "Two Guys, a Girl and an Elective"[20] |
| The Rosie O'Donnell Show | Himself/Sonic the Hedgehog | 1 episode[3][20] | |
| 2001 | The Chronicle | Andy | Episode: "What Gobbles Beneath"[20] |
| The Invisible Man | Mime, Man | Episodes: "Money for Nothing: Part 2", "Immaterial Girl"[20] | |
| 2004 | Veronica Mars | Associate | Episode: "You Think You Know Somebody"[20] |
| 2005 | Point Pleasant | Booth Vendor | Episode: "Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Choked"[20] |
| 2009 | Trauma | Fair Patron | Episode: "All's Fair" |
| 2011 | Dual Suspects | Robert Evans | Episode: "Fast Food Fatality" |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Sonic Adventure | Sonic the Hedgehog | [21] |
| 1999 | Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned for Danger | Rick Arlen | [21] |
| Blue Stinger | Eliot Ballade | [21] | |
| Twisted Metal 4 | Pizza Boy | ||
| 2000 | The Three Decoders: Riddle of the Ring | Sheldon | [2] |
| The Three Decoders 2: Key to the Carousel | [2] | ||
| Evil Dead: Hail to the King | Merchant | [21] | |
| Danger Girl | Additional voices | ||
| The Mummy | Jonathan Carnahan | ||
| Sonic Shuffle | Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Sonic, Knuckles the Echidna | ||
| 2001 | Undying | Various | |
| Illbleed | Kevin Kertsman | [22][23] | |
| Sonic Adventure 2 | Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog (few lines) | [11] | |
| 2002 | AirBlade | Insider | [21] |
| NASCAR Racing 2002 Season | Spotter | [21] | |
| Sonic Adventure 2: Battle | Sonic the Hedgehog | Archive footage | |
| Backyard Baseball 2003 | Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Cliff Floyd, Frank Thomas, Achmed Khan, Ernie Steele, Pablo Sanchez, Tony Delvecchio | [23] | |
| Backyard Football | Achmed Khan, Amir Khan, Ernie Steele, Pablo Sanchez, Tony Delvecchio | [23] | |
| 2003 | Chrome | Additional voices | |
| Rogue Ops | |||
| Backyard Soccer 2004 | Additional voices | [23][24] | |
| Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut | Sonic the Hedgehog | Archive footage | |
| 2004 | Duel Masters | Additional voices | |
| Sonic Battle | Sonic the Hedgehog | ||
| Sonic Heroes | Sonic the Hedgehog, Metal Sonic | [10] | |
| Gangland | Black Boss, Bouncer, Croupier, Civilian, Sniper, Cop, Ninja, Additional voices | ||
| Spy Fiction | Michael Kwain | ||
| Sonic Advance 3 | Sonic the Hedgehog | ||
| Sega Superstars | |||
| 2005 | Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth | J. Edgar Hoover, Seaman Willie Thompson, Experiment, Poorhouse Resident, Cutter Urania Seaman, Yithian, Additional voices | |
| Cold War | Carter, scientist, Civilian | ||
| 2006 | Scared Rings | Additional voices | |
| 2008 | The Godfather II: Crime Rings | Bill Bardi | |
| 2009 | The Godfather II | Bill Bardi, Additional voices | |
| Guitar Hero: Van Halen | Additional voices | ||
| 2020 | Mafia: Definitive Edition | Doctor | Also motion-capture[25][21] |
Web
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–2021 | Sonic and Tails R | Sonic the Hedgehog | 10 episodes YouTube audio drama series |
Theme parks
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Festival Of Christmas: Once Upon A Time... | Thorr | [26] |
| 2000–2005 | Forever Plaid | Smudge | [15][27][28][26] |
| 2002 | Godspell | [26][28] | |
| 2003 | Cotton Patch Gospel | Rock | [26][28] |
| Festival of Christmas: It's Christmas And It's Live! | Ronald Harmon | [26] | |
| 2005 | Palm Beach | Ensemble | [26] |
| 2006 | Zhivago | Performer | [26][28] |
| Into the Woods | Baker | [26][28] | |
| 2008 | Silicon Valley | Stuart Gellman | [26] |
| 2009 | The Producers | Leo Bloom | [26] |
| The Wedding Singer | Robbie Hart | [26] | |
| On the Town | Ozzie | [26] | |
| 2010 | A Grand Night for Singing | [26] | |
| Hairspray | Corny Collins | [26] | |
| She Loves Me | Georg Nowack | [26] | |
| 2011 | Curtains | Lieutenant Frank Cioffi | [26] |
| The Fantasticks | El Gallo | [26] | |
| 2012 | Anything Goes | Moonface Martin | [26] |
| Assassins | Samuel Byck | [26] | |
| Pal Joey | Ludlow Lowell | [26] | |
| 2013 | Singin' in the Rain | Cosmo Brown | [26] |
| Carnival | Paul Berthalet | [26] | |
| 1776 | Richard Henry Lee | [26] | |
| 2013–2014 | Edward Gant's Amazing Feats of Loneliness! | Dearlove | [26] |
| 2014 | Painting the Clouds With Sunshine | Russell James | [26] |
| Du Barry Was a Lady | Jones, Le Docteur, Paingrille | [26] | |
| Life Could Be a Dream | Denny | [26] | |
| 2015 | Nick & Nora | Nick Charles | [26] |
| Company | David | [26] | |
| 2015, 2016 | Scrooge in Love | Jacob Marley | [26] |
| 2016 | City of Angels | Buddy Fidler, Irwin S. Irving | [26] |
| 2017 | La Cage aux Folles | Georges | [26] |
| 2017–2018 | A Christmas Story | The Old Man | [26] |
| 2017–present | Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus | Performer | [3][16] |
| 2018 | Sunday in the Park with George | Jules, Bob Greenberg | [26] |
| 2018–2019 | Mary Poppins | Mr. George Banks | [26] |
| 2019–2020 | Groundhog Day | Phil Connors | San Francisco Playhouse[29][26] |
Discography
- S.C.R.A.M., 1994 studio album by the A.Y.U. Quartet – Harmony, lead vocals
- Atomic Young Ultrasonics, 1996 studio album by The A.Y.U. Quartet – Harmony, lead vocals
- Acappella Yuletide Uproar, 2010 studio album by The A.Y.U. Quartet – Harmony, lead vocals
References
- ^ a b c d "Ryan Drummond interview". www.angelfire.com. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Orr, John (July 27, 2011). "Seen and heard: The wide-ranging career of Ryan Drummond". MercuryNews.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Arbor, Ann (January 28, 2017). "Huron High and EMU alumnus starring in 'Men are from Mars' in Detroit". Milve.com. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "RyanDrummond.com: Voice-Overs". www.ryandrummond.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; October 20, 2007 suggested (help) - ^ a b "Ryan Drummond short bio".
- ^ Sonic Team (September 9, 1999). Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast). SEGA. Scene: Credits.
English Character Voices
- ^ Sonic Team (December 5, 2003). Sonic Heroes (GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, & Windows). SEGA. Scene: Credits.
English Voices
- ^ Sonic Team & Hudson Soft (November 14, 2000). Sonic Shuffle (Dreamcast). SEGA. Scene: Credits.
Voice Acting
- ^ "Sonic Cult // Sonic – Post 16 bit // Sonic Adventure // Interviews // Interview with Ryan Drummond //". www.sonic-cult.org. Archived from the original on September 18, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
- ^ a b Ryan Drummond [@RYANtheDRUMMOND] (April 6, 2015). "@jakefagan1233 I was Knuckles for a short while, and Metal Sonic for a short while. Find out where!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b "Drummond's confirmation". Twitter. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- ^ Drummond, Ryan. "RyanDrummond.com: Current Events". www.ryandrummond.com. Blogspot. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ^ Oliver, Tristan. "Report: Drummond Re-Auditioned for Sonic VA During Generations Development". TSSZ News. Archived from the original on September 12, 2012. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
- ^ "RyanDrummond.com: Commercials". www.ryandrummond.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; September 12, 2010 suggested (help) - ^ a b Writer, PAM KRAGEN – Staff. "Welk's fine 'Plaid' is worth another look". sandiegouniontribune.com.
- ^ a b ""Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus" actor says show remains relevant 28 years later".
- ^ Drummond, Ryan. "This update is for my mom and everyone else". Current Events. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
- ^ Drummond, Ryan. "RyanDrummond.com: Current Events". www.ryandrummond.com. Blogspot. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
- ^ a b c "RyanDrummond.com: Film". www.ryandrummond.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; October 20, 2007 suggested (help) - ^ a b c d e f g "RyanDrummond.com: Television". www.ryandrummond.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; October 20, 2007 suggested (help) - ^ a b c d e f g "Ryan Drummond – 38 Character Images". Behind The Voice Actors. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ^ "Illbleed (2001) Dreamcast credits".
- ^ a b c d "Ryan Drummond Credits".
- ^ "Ryan Drummond Video Game Credits and Biography".
- ^ "Mafia Definitive Edition Game Credits".
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj "Ryan Drummond theatre profile".
- ^ "'Forever Plaid' not bad, but by no means great". April 17, 2003.
- ^ a b c d e "RyanDrummond.com: Theatre". www.ryandrummond.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; September 12, 2010 suggested (help) - ^ "Groundhog Day the Musical – San Francisco Playhouse Official Site". San Francisco Playhouse. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
External links
- Official website (archived)
- Ryan Drummond at IMDb
- Ryan Drummond on Twitter