Queen Noveen living her dreams through the power of her voice

If you enjoy playing video games on your favourite system, you might have heard Queen Noveen’s voice. A multi-talented 32-year-old woman of black American origin born in Hartford, Connecticut, the USA.

Noveen became renowned for her exceptional ability to bring characters to life through the power of her voice. She is part of several video games, including ‘Friday the 13th: The Game’, ‘The Sinking City’ and Red Dead Redemption 2.

She is also the voice actor behind the character Layla Ellison in the Redfall video game. Layla, Noveen’s character, is a telekinetic researcher whose powers were gained during a medical trial.

But the renowned voiceover artiste for her appearances in numerous TV shows and animated children's series, including Rainbow High and L.O.L. Surprise! House of Surprises.

Queen Noveen is widely recognized as the global voice of E! Network and has announced The People's Choice Awards and The Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Although she discovered her exceptional vocal abilities during her college days, Queen Noveen began her professional career at age 7, performing live theatre with The Hartford Stage Company.

She shares that people would frequently praise her unique voice, although she had yet to grasp its true value.

"I didn't even really know anything about the voiceover industry or even know that it was a career that I could pursue," Noveen reflects on those times.

As her love for performing art blossomed in her childhood, the voiceover actress appeared in numerous commercials during her teenage years, performed in children's theatre and was part of a show in a high school choir early on.

And then right into college, "it was singing, dancing, and acting. So, I think having a theatre background and even taking classes helps to widen your imagination in the acting and voiceover worlds. That's important. That's honestly the foundation of it all." Says Noveen.

While pursuing her Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts, Noveen also took a voiceover class, which introduced her to a new way of tapping into her acting gifts.

Soon after graduation, Noveen dedicated herself to honing her acting skills both on and off the camera. Noveen has had a genuinely extraordinary journey from a young age, recognizing her skills and handling different facets of her life.

She details how important a strong support system is, especially in an acting career. She shares that having people who keep her grounded while also encouraging and pushing her is crucial for her success.

Even before beginning her voiceover work, there were times when she thought about giving up acting.

She says, "I think having a really good support system to keep you down to earth, keep you humble and grounded, but also push you in a healthy way to where they know that this is something that you want to do, but it's just a challenge or a hurdle that you have to learn to overcome."

The volatile character of the business world is one of the most important lessons Noveen has learned throughout her career. Although primarily rejections, it is a roller coaster ride full of both good and bad outcomes.

Despite the challenges, she believes in navigating through the ups and downs while maintaining a strong drive and passion for the industry.

"I think it’s just about learning to have some kind of strong hearts and to have courage to keep going; this industry is not for the faint of heart," shares Noveen,

Noveen appreciates her family's love and support. She says, they are the ones who know her best, have supported her during her struggles, and have been there to share and encourage her victories.

She didn't have a role model when she was a little girl, but in her early adolescence, she became a fan of Selena Gomez after seeing her on the Disney Channel.

Voiceover is not exempt from the challenges that come with every profession. Noveen shares how challenging it was to break racial barriers in the entertainment industry.

She says the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement during Covid-19 changed the industry’s portrayal and perception of people of colour.

She expresses her gratitude and honour for voicing black characters that would have previously been given to white actors.

She remarks, "Continuing to voice these characters of colour and share the work that I'm doing and talk about it and continuing to help break those barriers down and pave the way for others who want to get into this industry as well, I think is super important, and I'm glad the industry is going in a more positive, genuine, authentic direction for people of colour."

Apart from racial barriers, Noveen faces challenges mastering different accents for her voiceover work. Despite her training in a variety of dialects, she occasionally has trouble telling apart accents like those from New York, Australia, Wales, or India. Although her accent is her biggest obstacle in this industry, she is actively taking classes to develop it.

She advises aspiring young girls to persevere and retain their focus despite the inescapable ups and downs of life and business.

She says, "There will be ups and downs in life and in the industry, but keep pushing forward. Stay focused, and all that hard work will pay off. You will learn and grow from those challenges, so be proud of yourself and know that you can do it too!"