Joel McDonald is an American voice actor, voice director, and scriptwriter who worked on English versions of anime series at Funimation. He is currently a voiceover producer and director with Gearbox Entertainment and author of Getting In: An Actor's Guide to the Greatest Gig There Is.
Biography Since McDonald was 7, he had a love for acting. He acted in plays at school and church, participating in community theater, secondary school theater and in speech competitions. Later, he acquired a BFA in Acting and Directing from Sam Houston State College. From that point onwards, McDonald took up acting professionally, taking parts in a national kids' theater tour, landing different roles in a couple dozen stage shows.
In 2006, after years of stage work in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, McDonald became involved in voice acting and also got into ADR directing and adaptive scriptwriting.
Career McDonald has provided voices for a number of English language versions of Japanese anime films and television shows, and video games. He is best known as the voice of Takumi Fujiwara from the Initial D series, Meow from Space Dandy, and Minato Sahashi from the Sekirei series, as well as the ADR director for the Funimation dub of One Piece, in addition to Sgt Frog, Deadman Wonderland, Space Dandy and Initial D.
In the 2010s, McDonald has been cast in more lead/major roles, such as Akane from Divine Gate, Mikage from the Kamisama Kiss series, Bartholomew Kuma from One Piece, Zeref Dragneel from Fairy Tail, Brief from Panty and Stocking, Hien from Chaos Dragon, Koki Mimura from Assassination Classroom, Azusa Hanai from Big Windup!, Toshimitsu Kubo from the Baka and Test series, Hayato Ike from the second season of Shakugan no Shana onwards, Jacuzzi Splot from Baccano, Motoharu Kaido from Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero, Ikta Solok from Alderamin on the Sky, and Dilandau Albatou from the Funimation redub of The Vision of Escaflowne.
On February 15, 2018, he resigned from Funimation as a director.
In 2018, he joined Gearbox Entertainment as a voiceover producer, director, and actor working on such titles as Borderlands 3, New Tales from the Borderlands, and the upcoming Borderlands 4.
Personal life On March 18, 2016, Joel announced the birth of his son, Beck Austin McDonald, born on March 16. His second son, Finn McDonald, was born on June 15, 2018.
Filmography Anime + List of English dubbing performances in animeYearTitleRoleNotesSource2009Big Windup!Azusa Hanai2009Baccano!Jacuzzi Splot2009Nabari no OuYoite2009Sgt. FrogSaburo Mutsumi2010One PieceBartholomew Kuma, Megalo, PacifistasFunimation dub, ADR Director2010SekireiMinato Sahashialso season 22010Initial DTakumi FujiwaraFunimation dub, ADR Director2010Linebarrels of IronHideaki YajimaRin: Daughters of MnemosyneMaryEp. 3 (w/green checkmark)Fullmetal Alchemist: BrotherhoodUrey Rockbell2012Darker Than BlackHotel Manager1 episode, credited under "EXTRAS"2012Shakugan no ShanaHayato Ikeseason 2–32012Panty & Stocking with GarterbeltBrief2012Black ButlerRonald Knoxseason 22012Hetalia: Axis PowersPolandseason 2 onwards2012Okami-san and Her Seven CompanionsRyoshi MorinoShangri-LaMedusaDeadman WonderlandADR Director2013Aesthetica of a Rogue HeroMotoharu Kaido2013Baka and TestToshimitsu KuboADR Director, also season 2 and OVA2013Future DiaryOuji Kosaka2013We Without WingsTakashi HanedaLast Exile: Fam, the Silver WingFritzGuilty CrownDaryl YanTenchi Muyo! War on GeminarAlanSankarea: Undying LoveADR DirectorGood Luck Girl!IbukiADR Director2014–2019Fairy TailZeref Dragneel, AliosStand-In with Justin Briner2014Space DandyMeowADR Director2014Attack on TitanMilieus Zermuskyalso Attack on Titan: Junior High2014Red Data GirlManatsu SodaDate A LiveADR DirectorRobotics;NotesADR DirectorLaughing Under the CloudsRakuchō TakedaADR Director2015Assassination ClassroomKoki MimuraADR Director, also Koro-sensei Q!2015Kamisama KissMikagealso season 22015Sky Wizards AcademyKanata AgeNinja Slayer From AnimationDisturbedEp. 8Yona of the DawnJaeha201691 Days Arturo TroncoEp. 32016Alderamin on the SkyIkta Solok2016All Out!!Sunao Ōsaka2016Chaos DragonHienDimension WBlueEps. 4–52016Divine GateAkane2016DriftersAllisterHanda-kunTakashi IshidaEps. 1–22016Joker GameJitsuiADR DirectorLord Marksman and VanadisTigrevurmud Vorn2016Maria the Virgin WitchGilbert2016 Monster Hunter Stories: Ride OnChevalPrince of Stride: AlternativeAsuma MayuzumiNo-RinKaoru HanazonoThe Seven Deadly SinsADR Script2016TricksterKanda2016The Vision of EscaflowneDilandau AlbatouFunimation dub, also movie2016 Yuri!!! on IcePhichit Chulanont The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. Reita Toritsuka –2025 My Hero Academia Yuga Aoyama ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept.BeurreEp. 4Chain Chronicle: The Light of HaecceitasMelchior2017NanbakaDaisen Rokuriki Kenka Bancho Otome: Girl Beats Boys Takayuki Konparu The Royal TutorErnst Rosenberg Code Geass: Akito the Exiled Ashley Ashra The Ancient Magus' BrideOberonBlack CloverAbraEp. 13 Garo: Vanishing Line Alfil Ep. 11 2018 Hakyu Hoshin Engi Kokutenko 2019 Fire Force Tojo Ep. 11 2023MF GhostNarrator, Takumi Fujiwara2024That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3Bernie
Films + List of English dubbing performances in filmsYearTitleRoleNotesSource2010Initial D: Third StageTakumi Fujiwara Fafner in the Azure: Heaven and Earth Misao Kurusu 2012Dragon Age: Dawn of the SeekerAlte2013Shakugan no Shana: The MovieHayato Ike2017One Piece Film: GoldMohkinADR Director 2017Black Butler: Book of the AtlanticRonald Knox Genocidal Organ Leland Fairy Tail: Dragon Cry Zeref 2017Initial D: Legend 1 - AwakeningTakumi Fujiwara2018Initial D: Legend 2 - Dream2018Initial D: Legend 3 - Racer
Video games + List of performances in video gamesYearTitleRoleNotesSource2012Borderlands 2Capt Flynt, Jim, Tector Hodunk2013The Walking Dead: Survival InstinctDeputy Albert Lee2014SmiteMercury2014Tales of Xillia 2ChronosEnglish Dub2018Dragon Ball LegendsZahhaEnglish Dub2019Borderlands 3Burger Bot, Fanatic Male 1, Bandit 3, Nilly, Bandit Walla2020My Hero One's Justice 2Yuga AoyamaEnglish Dub
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