Joan Baker Interviews Denise Woods: Hollywood’s Top Voice Coach Launches The Woods Institute
Joan Baker Interviews Denise Woods:
Hollywood’s Top Voice Coach Launches The Woods Institute
Okay, people, get ready to step inside the world of the trailblazing and downright fabulous Denise Woods.
Denise and I go way back. At the time, I was looking to level up my voice acting craft. My boyfriend (now husband) was a writer and director who worked with the voice actors for ABC News, Good Morning America, and all the big magazine shows. He thought it would be a great idea for both of us to get some expert guidance, so he reached out to Juilliard’s theatre program. And that was when I first heard Denise’s name.
We had a brief introductory call where we talked about my work as a voice actor and my goals for working with her. At one point, I asked, fully expecting to be praised for my standard American speech, if I had any sort of regionalism in my speech. Instead, I heard a soft chuckle.
“Oh, my dear, yes, you do. Are you from Northern California?”–
My jaw dropped. Not just California. Northern California. As if she could pinpoint the exact neighborhood I grew up in. And this was long before Google and AI could help.
My time studying with Denise at Juilliard was one of the most transformative experiences of my life. And it was not just about classroom learning. It was the friendship, the mentorship, and the bond we formed that led us to this interview nearly 30 years later.