Standish913.com has been blessed to do an exclusive interview with...
"MICHAELA MURPHY"!
Let's get into some exclusive questions..
STANDISH: You voiced "Toph" in "Avatar: The Last Airbender", can you tell us more about this role & what it's done for you today?
MICHAELA: Toph Beifong is a stubborn, badass Earthbender (the greatest earthbender) who stands on business and casually helps train the Avatar to save the world...and tries to open up and learn the value of friendship and relying on others along the way. Sometimes I refer to Toph when I myself need some encouragement, especially when I need to face something head on.
Avatar and voicing Toph have completely changed my life. When they put Avatar on Netflix back in 2020, we thought oh hey cool, a little bump in popularity of this show we did 15 years ago...and now here we are today. So incredibly grateful for what the Avatar community and Toph have given me, and I hope to continue to entertain and inspire with any future projects I do as well!
STANDISH: Do you agree with the method they used to cast you as an additional voice in "Finding Nemo"?
MICHAELA: The method they used? I'm not 100% sure what the method was, but it was my first voiceover role that I booked, so heck yeah I agree with however they chose me!
STANDISH: What's it feel like to be such an inspiration in the animation world?
MICHAELA: I don't feel like much of an inspiration most days, I'm still learning to be the best me, but Toph definitely is. I think Toph is so well written, it made my job so easy. She is so complicated and talented. She is often too strong willed and can bulldoze people, but is also unapologetic about her power and being blind...man the blind jokes kill me every time! I think seeing such a powerful, tomboy gal whose "disability" actually makes her stronger than everyone else, is unparalleled in its influence. I'm so grateful she exists for so many who don't quite fit in and feel like they're a little rough around the edges.
STANDISH: What is a must have on the days you are headed to a comic con?
MICHAELA: WATER! And/or tea, ideally both. And breakfast. Of some kind. And usually 8 hours of sleep but I sleep pretty terribly while travelling, so I'm often running on like 4-6 hours!
STANDISH: What is the biggest lesson you learned from attending Yale?
MICHAELA: That education is accessible pretty much everywhere; what you do with said education and who you know is exponentially more important than the education itself.
STANDISH: What's the beef between Yale and Harvard - where do you stand with this?
MICHAELA: Hiiiissssssss huck farvard!!! like seriously what the heck is a crimson?! How can that be a mascot? Bulldogs, bulldogs, bow wow wow! That is all.
STANDISH: How did you get into acting at such a young age?
MICHAELA: I saw a friend in a commercial, thought it looked cool, always liked singing and dancing, so begged my mom to help me get into acting until she said yes. She put me in some local theater first, I had a blast, then we had headshots taken and went door to door until someone would rep me for commercials and tv. And thankfully, someone did!
STANDISH: What role are you most proud of & why?
MICHAELA: Toph is definitely the most impactful, but I actually really really loved voicing Young Franny in Meet the Robinsons, it's such a wonderful movie and message. Keep moving forward!! I love how sassy and smart Franny is, and how into music, fashion, and science she is.
STANDISH: Tell us a little about where you grew up...
MICHAELA: I was born in southern Indiana, but grew up in Los Angeles, and I'm so incredibly grateful that I got to have both places as a home. I'm from a very small town, a couple churches, one town square, everyone knows each other. Sometimes we know too much about each other. And the other end of the spectrum is Los Angeles, so many new people and opportunities popping up, the world is kind of your oyster here. And the sunshine...pretty hard to beat. It's expensive for sure, but one of my favorite places on earth and I'm happy to be living here for now.
STANDISH: What's the scariest thing you've had to overcome in your career?
MICHAELA: Other people's gossip, other people's opinions, and other people's rejection. You have to belive in you more than anyone else, make sure you're doing the inner work to be the best person you can be, and keep going.
STANDISH: Between singing, writing & dancing, what's your favorite?
MICHAELA: Aw man, what a hard question. It depends on the day honestly, but probably singing/anything involving music wins most of the time!
STANDISH: What is something that motivates you?
MICHAELA: I know money isn't everything, but man, it can sure make a lot of things in life easier. There have been many moments where I was so depressed and broke, crying on the floor, stressed about bills, feeling lesser than those around me, that I basically vowed to myself many years ago that I would do anything in my power to always make sure I was financially okay so I would never have to feel so low again. Money doesn't solve every single problem (especially internal/emotional problems) but it's an incredibly important tool that we should talk about more and have more education for!
STANDISH: What's on Michaela's playlist?
MICHAELA: Caroline Polachek, Royel Otis, K-Pop Demon Hunters, Wicked (both versions) and a general Y2K playlist
STANDISH: If you could have dinner with three people, dead or alive, who would you choose?
MICHAELA: Probably Prince, my mom, and Lady Gaga. So my mom could hang with her favorite artist, and I could hang with one of mine.
STANDISH: Anything you'd like to include?
MICHAELA: Geese. Silly geese in particular are very crucial to our most joyous existence.
STANDISH: What are your social links?
Instagram: @michaelamostly
https://www.instagram.com/michaelamostly/
TikTok: @michaelajillmurphy
https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelajillmurphy
YouTube: @michaelamostly
https://www.youtube.com/@michaelamostly
----
Thanks so much for your time! If youd like an exclusive w/ Standish, please email: