“Ponyo” Child Voice Actress Identifies with Character

There was nothing particularly challenging for 9-year-old Yuria Nara in playing the voice of the titular character of director Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film, Gake no Ue no Ponyo (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea). All she had to do was follow directions and use her pure-sounding voice to express Ponyo’s pure affection for the boy who takes care of her.

“At the audition, five people each took turns saying phrases such as ‘I want ham!’ or ‘I’m Ponyo!’” said Nara, who was chosen from 1,000 people for the role of Ponyo and Sosuke.

In the movie, a fish with a human face dreams of living in a house on a cliff. After becoming trapped in an empty jar, she is rescued by Sosuke (Hiroki Doi), who names her Ponyo and decides to keep her as a pet. They quickly form a bond, and Ponyo begins to dream of becoming human so she can stay with her new friend.

“My favorite scene is when Ponyo becomes a girl. She first becomes a strange fish girl, which is funny. But she becomes very cute when she fully becomes a girl,” Nara says, adding that she asks her mother to rewind the scene so she can watch the scene over and over.

Nara recorded her parts alone in the studio, practicing beforehand at home with her mother and sister.

“Ponyo is a lot like me: cheerful, optimistic and determined,” Nara said. “Although I do fish, I can’t swim very well, so I admire Ponyo on that part.”

Nara’s career goes back to just after she was born in 1999, when she modeled diapers, though she was too young to remember. Since then, she has appeared in commercials and catalogues, as well as on TV.

In 2005, she began her theatrical career, appearing in Peter Pan (2007) and Freddie the Leaf this year. Ponyo marks her first voice-over.

“I like both acting and voice acting, but I find doing voice-overs a bit more fun,” said Nara, adding that she would have loved to have done the voice for Mei in My Neighbor Totoro.

Source: Daily Yomiuri, Japan