Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with It’s Pony’s Jessica DiCicco

Jessica DiCicco is an accomplished voice actor who’s brought your favorite characters to life on the small and silver screens. Current and past projects include Adventure Time, Frozen II, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Gravity Falls, to name a few. With over 150 credits to her name, Jessica DiCicco has without a doubt stamped her mark as one of the top voice actresses in the biz. Pop Culturalist caught up with Jessica to chat about discovering her passion for acting, her career, and her latest series, It’s Pony.

PC: How did you discover your passion for voiceover acting?
Jessica: It was a slow process, but when I discovered that I could really sound like a very young kid and I saw how people reacted, I started to explore it more. I vividly remember auditioning for a pilot for the role of a five-year-old-girl. When I read in-person for casting and the show creator, the creator started to cry from laughing. He took off his glasses to wipe his tears away. I was confused at first, but ultimately concluded it was a positive reaction.

Then, I auditioned for Disney. It was for the role of a four-year-old, and they really thought I was a kid. The Disney casting guy suggested that I move to LA to pursue voiceover work. I truly love the art form. You have so much freedom with voice acting; you have full reign to let your imagination run wild. It’s so much fun. I love my job!

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Jessica: As I started booking gigs in animation, I was working with the most incredibly talented actors. I think being around that level of talent has been the biggest influence overall. It constantly pushes me to grow and evolve as an artist. I now get to work with my childhood heroes: the voice actors I grew up listening to! It’s pretty crazy.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Jessica: I’ll never forget this moment: I had just moved to LA and soon after booked my first animated series, in which I played the title character, Maggie (Disney’s The Buzz on Maggie). I went to the Grove outdoor mall in LA and there was a huge banner across the entrance with my character’s face on it. My jaw dropped and I just stared at the banner blinking, taking it all in. It was like the equivalent of seeing my name in flashing lights on Broadway.

PC: What’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started your career?
Jessica: As cliché as this sounds: just have fun and be yourself! Earlier on in my career, I would get so nervous, which in retrospect was such a waste of energy. I wish I knew to relax and have fun with the process of making cartoons. Of course, I eventually settled into my career and now have a blast every time I go in to record, but I definitely wish I knew that when I first started.

PC: You’ve brought iconic characters to life in Adventure Time, The Secret Life of Pets, DC Super Hero Girls, and tons more. Do you have a favorite character you’ve voiced? How are you able to make each character your own?
Jessica: It’s impossible to choose a favorite character because they’re all an extension of a part of my personality. I think that’s what helps me make them my own—adding layers of myself into each of them helps me relate to them and add nuance.

PC: You have a lot of exciting projects coming out in 2020. Tell us about a few.
Jessica: The new Nickelodeon show, It’s Pony, is such a great show. It reminds me of the solid, engaging, funny show that you couldn’t wait to watch when you got home from school. The creator, Ant Blades, is British, so I feel like it has a different sensibility than any show I’ve worked on. It’s grounded and based in reality, which is my favorite kind of humor for a cartoon. And parents will absolutely laugh as well!

I’m also so excited for Close Enough to come out this May! The show is deeply funny, and I have such a feeling this show is going to be a huge hit. I really don’t want to jinx it, but this one is different—it really is. It’s created by JG Quintel, who created Regular Show. This is his first prime time show, so he has way more freedom. It’s about a couple with a kid who can’t afford rent because it’s so outrageously expensive, so they live with some “colorful” roommates. This one is not meant for kids, so I can’t wait to see what happens and who responds to it.

I’m going to be on a ride at Universal Studios! My character, Princess, one of the puppies from Secret Life of Pets 2, is a character on the ride! Total career bucket list item I never even knew I had. It opens in April, and I’m going to a special premiere for the ride and I get to be one of the first people to ride it!

Other upcoming shows are Season 2 of Ballmasterz on Adult Swim (I play Ace and DeeDee), Season 3 of Muppet Babies (I play Summer Penguin), Season 4 of Puppy Dog Pals (I play Hissy), and Season 5 of Loud House (I play Lynn and Lucy). And I’m also working on the Loud House Movie!

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Jessica: Curb Your Enthusiasm

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Jessica: I don’t know if it’s a guilty pleasure, but Parasite.

PC: Favorite book?
Jessica: Becoming by Michelle Obama

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Jessica: Hamilton

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Jessica: Lil Kim (her older stuff)

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Jessica: I’m still waiting to cast this!

To keep up with Jessica, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Catch new episodes of It’s Pony on Nickelodeon.

Photo Credit: Storm Santos