Fred Berman’s Followers (42)

Fred Berman

Born

The United States

Website

http://www.fredberman.net/

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Age & Hometown: 39 (“but in meerkat years, that’s 25!”); Manhasset, Long Island

Current Role: Entertaining Broadway audiences as the hysterical meerkat Timon in Disney's long-running hit The Lion King.

A Familiar Voice: An accomplished voiceover actor on more than 50 audio books, Berman says the key is not to impersonate or put on voices. “I cast the book in my mind,” he explains. “I say, ‘Who is this person?’ So, in my head, Judi Dench is playing this role. I don’t want to do an impersonation of Judi Dench, but I am channeling her in that moment. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.” Berman's audio work ranges from children’s books to what he calls “fantasy romance novels”—and sometimes both in the same day. “One time, I went from th Age & Hometown: 39 (“but in meerkat years, that’s 25!”); Manhasset, Long Island

Current Role: Entertaining Broadway audiences as the hysterical meerkat Timon in Disney's long-running hit The Lion King.

A Familiar Voice: An accomplished voiceover actor on more than 50 audio books, Berman says the key is not to impersonate or put on voices. “I cast the book in my mind,” he explains. “I say, ‘Who is this person?’ So, in my head, Judi Dench is playing this role. I don’t want to do an impersonation of Judi Dench, but I am channeling her in that moment. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.” Berman's audio work ranges from children’s books to what he calls “fantasy romance novels”—and sometimes both in the same day. “One time, I went from the most ridiculously depressing book, The Painted Bird, about a kid wandering through the forests of Poland after World War II, to a romance book where I voiced the sexiest Greek man alive who always wears leather pants and no shirt in softcore porn scenes.”

The Dangers of Timon: Berman was initially cautious about taking his Lion King gig. “I have never gone into a long-running show, and I knew I couldn’t do [Nathan Lane, who created the role onscreen]. I wasn’t sure how much of it was going to be ‘This is a machine and you need to do it this way.’” Berman’s doubts subsided when he was given freedom to interpret the role his own way—though he still has one fear. “I tend to gravitate toward blue humor, so I always get nervous when I have to improvise,” he says. “Having kids [he has two] makes you check yourself more.” Instead, he says his mantra is, “Play the positive; play the love!”

Let’s Rock!: Though acting pays the bills, Berman’s true passion is music. The son of a bandleader, he began playing piano at age five and discovered the drums, which would become his main instrument, in fifth grade. “Until I got into The Lion King, I was playing in bands my whole life,” he says. His musical influences range from fellow Long Island native Billy Joel to Led Zeppelin. “I have a tattoo of [late Led Zeppelin drummer] John Bonham’s symbol on my left arm!” When pressed to choose between acting and music, Berman responds, “I love them both, but I have to be honest: There is nothing in the world like playing drums in a rock-and-roll band at a live concert. That’s what I thought
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Fred Berman’s books

Average rating: 3.93 · 29,741 ratings · 7,620 reviews · 245 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (Goodreads Author), Fred Berman (Reading), Phoebe Strole (Reading) 3.99 avg rating — 1,732,069 ratings — published 2003 — 111 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Goodreads Author), Sara Arrington (Narrator), Jennifer Beals (Narrator) 4.24 avg rating — 1,017,141 ratings — published 2019 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) by Leigh Bardugo (Goodreads Author), Jay Snyder (Narrator), Brandon Rubin (Narrator) 4.49 avg rating — 782,274 ratings — published 2015 — 148 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) by Leigh Bardugo (Goodreads Author), Brandon Rubin (Narrator), Jay Snyder (Narrator) 4.61 avg rating — 526,634 ratings — published 2016 — 130 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult (Goodreads Author), Mozhan Marnò (Narrator), Jennifer Ikeda (Narrator) 4.28 avg rating — 200,514 ratings — published 2013 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	One of Us Is Next (One of Us Is Lying, #2) by Karen M. McManus (Goodreads Author), Maria Liatis (Narrator), Holly Linneman (Narrator) 3.95 avg rating — 181,604 ratings — published 2020 — 75 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Horns by Joe Hill (Goodreads Author), Fred Berman (Narrator) 3.93 avg rating — 110,199 ratings — published 2009 — 99 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sadie by Courtney Summers (Goodreads Author), Fred Berman (Reading), Dan Bittner (Reading) 4.07 avg rating — 105,749 ratings — published 2018 — 66 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dance With the Devil by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Goodreads Author), Fred Berman (Narrator) 4.37 avg rating — 64,169 ratings — published 2003 — 52 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Night Play (Dark-Hunter, #6; Were-Hunter, #2) by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Goodreads Author), Fred Berman (Narrator) 4.34 avg rating — 53,230 ratings — published 2004 — 45 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Fred Berman’s Followers (42)

Fred Berman

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Fred Berman’s books