10 Questions
10 Questions with Tre Mosley
Tre Mosley
Voice Actor
Social Instagram
Company: Tre Speaks For You LLC
Born: I was born when 8 tracks were a thing, lol. 1974.
Brief Career Synopsis:
Veteran voice actor. Heard here and there. WWE, ABC, NBA, and a whole bunch of other letters. If you’re into Madden you’ve heard me on there too since 2019 as commentator for SuperstarKO and the Franchise Matchups, tutorials, and stuff. Promos and narration are my bread and butter, but I do a little bit of everything.
1) Don’t you come from a family of radio people?
My uncle was a radio DJ back in the day when AM radio was king. He took that knowledge and went into broadcast television as a booth director in the 70’s and 80’s.
2) How did get into VO?
I’ve been doing VO all my life I just didn’t know it. A class clown since forever, I mimicked folks and have been impersonating folks since I was a kid in school. My teachers would always say at the PTA meetings “he’s a bright kid, but he’s ALWAYS TALKING and creating havoc. I took that skill and started getting paid for it around 2009. Just got laid off from work, and sat home watching documentaries, playing games, and watching cartoons.
3) If you changed careers, what would you like to do?
My mom taught forever…I coach my VO students, so teaching is in the blood. I love to BBQ so maybe a food truck where I can grill and chill all day.
4) What’s the most difficult thing about VO?
Negotiating rates, relevance, and consistency. We literally get fired from every job, and we’re always on the hunt for the next gig. If you’re blessed to get some gigs that are concurrent and you get a nice contract to stay with a client for a while, then it’s a plus. You have to always market yourself and stay relevant. If folks don’t know you’re out here it’s going to be hard to get work, or to get an agent’s attention. It’s key.
5) Growing up what air personalities caught your ear?
James T, Dallas Manuel, Jerry Rushin, all jocks from my hometown in Miami, and were all on the same station. WEDR. I also dug Greg Budell, Mindy and Malo, and Don Cox, aka Cox on the Radio. Even the late Uncle Al on the bootleg station in Miami. I’d hear Robert W. Morgan on Solid Gold (showing my age), Charlie Tuna on America’s Top 40 and Charlie Van Dyke doing station ID’s for the local TV stations.
6) Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Cheering my wife as she graduates from UNLV. Still doing VO and beyond, I’ve been writing short films and coaching to do on screen. Nothing Hollywood, a small part here and there, and just setting up for the final act of life. I just want to work consistently, spoil my baby and myself, buy more RC Cars and be a bad guy in a cartoon or video game. Oh, and still be able to enjoy a good Bone in Rib and cigar once or twice a month.
7) Who have been some of your influencers and mentors?
Dave Fennoy– Tells is like it is. One of the true good guys in the industry. Door is always open, he’s more like my VO dad or the cool uncle. I almost gave VO up, but he and others told to keep at it, he said I had something, and thankfully he was right. Hell of an African art collector too.
My wife: Call it cheesy but it’s true…her support from day 1 has been everything you want in a partner. She too told me not to quit. She said – “you’re so close…if you quit now, every commercial, promo, or game you hear and see you will always ask ‘what if?’ She was right. Supported me while I found my groove in VO. Now that she’s going to school, I returned the favor. Told her to quit her job and go for her dreams. If you’re reading this… Love you baby.
Joe Cipriano– Class act. Joe has never met a stranger, and he was another that told me I had the goods, but the demos I had weren’t representative of that. Joe told me “ I need to hear MORE TRE, not the music and the effects, MORE YOU!” I listened, Joe. I let him know I got my first “spot and a tag” meal.
My mom and dad– They didn’t understand what VO was, but were very supportive of it, and other projects that I’ve put together. Divorced but still co-parenting. You gotta love it.
Me– I doubted myself for a long time, and always compared my work to others. Human need validation, as much as we won’t admit it, and I felt like if I wasn’t getting any love, maybe I wasn’t good enough. Despite folks telling me I had the goods, I had to BELIEVE IT. Imposter Syndrome is real, yall, and I fought and at times still fight through it.
Joyce Castellanos, and Nancy Wolfson. One is tough as nails and the other is as sweet as Iced Tea. I’ll never say which is which, lol. Love them both the same.
Rodney Saulsbury– My very first VO coach. It all starts with him. He was always patient with me, taught how to read and RESPECT the copy. Can sing his ass off…I remember one coaching session, he remembered it was my birthday and sang the birthday song to me. I’ll never forget that.
8) What’s your forecast for the future of the business you’re in?
New Media is created almost daily, and yes Artificial Intelligence and tech are closing in on us, but it will never, in my opinion, be able to duplicate human emotion. It can recreate our sounds, but not our hearts.
9) Fill in the blank: I can’t make it through the day without _______?
Flirty texts, breakfast, my cat Smokey, or hearing from my mom or sister. Oh and at least one round of Candy Crush.
10) And the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Pay it forward.
Bonus Question:
What are you are most proud of? (This does not have to be VO related)
I’m still here. Growing up where I’m from, many don’t get to say that.
I’m also proud of the fact those same streets, gave me so many good memories, and bad, and I’ve turned them all into something positive. Former bullies are now fans. Folks that tell you that you can’t make it, now bear witness. I was teased a lot for speaking “proper” English and not enough slang, I was always told “you talk White” or was called “the white boy.”
To those folks I say, thank you.
Now, I get paid for it.
Finally, I’m proud to now mentor folks as folks mentored me. If a young man or woman of color reaches out to me and says “ I want to do what you do”…it’s the ultimate reward for me. Money and all of the things we attach ourselves to is cool, but I love to serve. I had this kid, he’s autistic, reach out to me because I was his favorite voice actor. Not Phil Lamarr or Tara Strong or all of these VO luminaries:
Me. It blew me away. He plays a lot of Madden and heard my voice in the game and instantly became a fan. I did the interview, and this kid was amazing. You can tell he prepped and had all his questions ready like a true pro.
If you were to tell me that a kid from Miami who was a smart ass and class clown, would be making a difference in kids’ lives, I’d run you off my porch.
To quote The Architect from the Matrix- “ While it remains a burden assiduously avoided, it is not unexpected, and thus not beyond a measure of control. Which has led you, inexorably, here.”
In other words, I knew I loved using my voice long before I knew what voiceover or announcing or what Imaging was. It was always there, waiting to be honed and unleashed. VO led me…here. (And) I ain’t going nowhere,