When Brina Palencia was studying music at college, she didn’t think her career would be in voice acting.
“[Music] was what I thought I would go into before I started going into voice acting,” Brina says.
“When I was doing stuff at Funimation I was going to school for music, that’s what my major was in college; voice was my instrument.”
However, years later, with a career in a range of animes, video games, TV shows and movies so long you have to expand the list on her IMDb, Brina has definitely found her home on-screen.
Perhaps best known for her on-screen performance as Sophia in the short-lived science fiction show ‘Star-Crossed’, Brina will be making appearances at both Sydney and Perth Supanova events this month.
Brina has had a wide variety of roles, many of which occurred in English-dubbed versions of cult Japanese animes including highly revered shows such as 'One Piece' and 'Dragon Ball Z'. “I’ve gotten to play a lot of really, really fun roles, but Ciel Phantomhive [from the 2017 film ‘Black Butler: Book Of The Atlantic’] has a very, very special place in my heart.
“He’s so complicated both emotionally and technically. Having to do both the young boy voice along with the English accent, it’s just a lot to have to do. He’s one of the most challenging roles I have had to do, and therefore one of my favourites.”
Brina has appeared at previous Supanova events around Australia, but has never travelled to Perth or Sydney. She is “super excited” to set her eyes on the Sydney Opera House for the first time.
Part of what draws Brina, a Texas resident, back to Supanova is the all-inclusive nature of the event. In addition – or because – of this inclusivity, Brina hopes she will get the chance to meet a fellow Texan, Supanova headliner and star of 'Walker Texas Ranger', Chuck Norris.
“I’ve never [had the chance] to meet him before… Supanova is very inclusive and loving and lovely, that’s a big reason I love the convention. I think there is a good chance I might get to meet him [at Supanova].”
Aside from her voice acting work, Brina has been pursuing her own, original music through Instagram where she releases a new song weekly on her IG account based on a word suggested to her by her fans.
“I recently decided to start diving back into music and my own original stuff, and it has been really fun. It has been met with a lot of positivity, so I definitely intend on diving in further.”
The word suggestions come thick and fast from fans, so Brina says she picks one that hooks her emotionally. “It’s just whatever strikes me that week.”
