Living The Dream: Ryan Bartley Enters The World of Hello Kitty

The year 2020 has been one of the most trying years for many, and in the midst of a global pandemic, anchored by political and civil unrest, social media has become a forum for people to voice any and every thought they may have. 

Ryan Bartley, a die-hard Hello Kitty fan and career voice actor, opened her Twitter app on April 3rd and tweeted, “Please let the world not end before I’m on a Sanrio series.” Her tweet was met with 121 likes, retweets, and comments from her followers like “cuuuuuute” and “you are amazing and would slay Ry for a Sanrio series.” The jury is still out on whether the world will end, but at least, in the meantime for Ryan Bartley, her wish has come true.

Verité Entertainment provides audio services, including casting and voice direction, for a number of projects. We have had the fortune of remaining active during the pandemic and one of the projects completed during this time was the Sanrio series Hello Kitty and Friends Supercute Adventures. We sat down with Ryan during a Skype call to talk about her experience working on the series for this beloved brand. 

Michael: First of all, we’re very glad the world didn’t end before or after you booked the series? 

Ryan: [Laughs] I mean, this whole year has been so strange. It really makes you think about the things you want to do with your life. Hello Kitty is something I really felt like I wanted to do, so I put it out there into the universe just because it’s so important to me. I am a big believer in manifesting. The energy you put out is the energy you draw towards you. This is one of the more explicit examples of that. 

Michael: Did you have any inkling that there would be a Hello Kitty series coming up? 

Ryan: I would have been willing to wait a lifetime. I had no idea it would come this year in the middle of a pandemic. I kind of always knew a series was going to happen, but when it happened so fast a few months later, it was kind of wild! But I think of the old saying, luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

Michael: What was the preparation for you to get you to this moment? 

Ryan: I work on my craft a lot and I take it seriously. This is my calling and my passion. So it’s not like I was doing all of this work my whole life so I can be on the Sanrio show. That was just a happy accident. -- Although, I do think growing up I was fascinated by these little creatures. It was shows like Hello Kitty, Disney and Pokémon that made me want to do character work. My whole life I’ve been focused on being the best actor I can be – getting the training I needed. And then, thinking that Hello Kitty would someday have a show that I would get to be on was the icing on the cake. It’s not the end of the journey or anything, but Hello Kitty is a really cool part of it. 

Ryan Bartley at the Supercute World of Hello Kitty 

Michael: When did your love for Hello Kitty begin? 

Ryan: I wish I could say exactly, but it’s been a huge part of my life since I was tiny! As soon as I became aware of Pom Pom Purin, I loved him! My favorites were always Tuxedo Sam, Choco Cat, and Pom Pom Purin! My first Pom Pom Purin plushy was him dressed as a fairy with wings with his cute little bum. My lock screen is Choco Cat. And it’s been like that for years. In my bathroom, I have a Hello Kitty bath matt, a Pom Pom Purin soap dispenser, and a Tuxedo Sam clock. They’ve always been a big part of my life. 

 Funny story. I’ve always collected the plushies of all the Sanrio characters. When I was little, my Dad would help me study. I would use these little creatures to help me answer the questions.

 Michael: Did you do it in a voice?

Ryan: [Squeals] Yeah! Yeah, I did! I was in grade school learning the periodic table, and I would have Choco Cat and Keroppi jumping up and down and I would say the answer as Choco Cat. It made learning fun for me. My parents knew they could get me interested in anything if I could make the characters learn it with me. Even as an adult, I still have all my plushies. They don’t help me study anymore but they inspire me every day! 

Michael: You’re clearly a die-hard Hello Kitty fan. What was it like auditioning for the show?

Ryan: When we audition, we have to slate our name and the name of character we’re auditioning for. I honestly had to redo my slate several times because I kept tearing up. I also had to be at peace with the fact that I might not get on the show. As a fan, I was just happy that Hello Kitty was going to have a new series. The sides were very funny, and I could tell that it was something that fans of all ages would enjoy and appreciate.

Michael: What was it like finding out you got the role?

Ryan: I submitted through my agent. The email was titled, ‘Hello Kitty Casting’ or something. I was like, ‘I think I’m on the show.’ I opened it and reading the text, was me just reading to get to the role! When it read, ‘Pom Pom Purin,’ I was shocked! If I could’ve chosen, I probably would’ve chosen that character! I sobbed and my boyfriend could tell I had lost it. He asked what happened and I told him I was going to be Pom Pom Purin! Then I had to get my parents on the phone! It was really an incredible moment. I feel really humbled to be representing this property and will do it with grace and kindness because that is what Hello Kitty would want.  

Michael:  What was it like recording for the show?

 Ryan: I recorded here in my booth, in my apartment (remote recording.) You’re always a bit nervous when you’re presented with something that means so much to you. It was a pretty special day. The session itself was pretty normal, I mean, voiceover sessions are pretty similar from one to the next, although this time we didn’t have the other actors like we would normally in this situation. The director (Rene Veilleux) read me in so I could feel the flow of the scene as if the other actors were there! Getting to tell the producers and the writers how much I loved the scripts as a fan was awesome! I’ve been so familiar with these characters and locations for so long.

Michael: Does being a part of the series, take away from your excitement of seeing the final product. 

Ryan: The day that it releases will probably be one of the most memorable days of my life to be totally honest. I’m so excited to see it come together. As a fan, I’ve been excited for another series for years. I was going to love it no matter if I was on it or not. Now that I am, I am even more excited! I hope everyone loves it, as much as we do! I know the fans will because I am one of them. It’s exactly what I hoped it would always be. It’s funny and has little cute character moments that are genuinely hilarious and contemporary while maintaining the overall message of Sanrio, which is about friendship, spreading kindness, joy, and lifting your friends up! I cannot not wait to see it.

This interview was conducted before Hello Kitty and Friends Supercute Adventures was released. You can catch the new series on YouTube Here.