Colleen Clinkenbeard

Colleen Clinkenbeard’s Dual Legacy as Voice Actress and ADR Director

Stage training at Florida State University – where Clinkenbeard earned her BFA in Acting – laid the groundwork for one of the most wide-ranging careers in English anime dubbing. A chance introduction through fellow voice actress Laura Bailey brought her to Funimation for an audition, and what followed was a career built across hundreds of roles, with equal weight given to performance and direction.

One Piece and the Challenge of Monkey D. Luffy

Taking on Monkey D. Luffy in Funimation’s dub of One Piece meant voicing a male protagonist across thousands of episodes – a sustained technical achievement that few in the English dubbing world have matched. The casting reflected Clinkenbeard’s documented ability to anchor shonen leads without losing the raw, comedic energy that defines the character. Her work on the series runs parallel to her stint directing the dub, making her both performer and creative architect on the same project.

Fullmetal Alchemist and the Director’s Chair

Co-directing the English dub of Fullmetal Alchemist alongside Mike McFarland marked a turning point early in her career. Midway through Kiddy Grade, director Justin Cook had already handed her ADR directing duties – a signal of where her career was heading. That experience carried into directing My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, and other flagship titles, while simultaneously voicing Riza Hawkeye and Momo Yaoyorozu within those same productions.

Erza Scarlet, Fruits Basket, and the Emotional Range

Erza Scarlet in Fairy Tail gave Clinkenbeard room to balance combat authority with emotional depth across a long-running series. Her casting as Akito Sohma in Fruits Basket extended that range further – a morally complex character that demanded control across tonal extremes. Both roles point to a consistent pattern: characters that hold power while carrying psychological weight.

Video Games and Lilith in Borderlands

Outside anime, Clinkenbeard voices Lilith across the Borderlands franchise – a role she has sustained through multiple sequels. The character’s sardonic tone and combat-ready delivery translated cleanly from her animation work, demonstrating how she moves between formats without losing specificity.