Tyler James Williams decided to focus on voice-over work after his “voice dropped”.
Tyler James Williams has discussed his career evolution
The 31-year-old actor shot to stardom as a child, playing a young Chris Rock on the hit sitcom ‘Everybody Hates Chris’, but Tyler’s career changed as he went through puberty.
He told Variety: “My voice dropped, and it scared production.
“My voice was deeper than Chris Rock’s voice-over, and it didn’t make sense anymore.
“I was trying to make that transition from child actor to adult, and the voice-over space allowed me to do that because I sounded older than I was until I was able to have my body and face catch up.”
Tyler has been keen to support other child actors who have gone through a similar experience.
He said: “There’s several kids who I’ve passed along to my old child agent like, ‘Hey, there’s something here.’ Cindy Osbrink, one of the best child agents of all time. She had me, Dakota Fanning – everybody who made that transition.”
Asked if he’s changed agents during his career, Tyler replied: “Yes. I turned 18 and was like, ‘Should I leave? How does this work?’ She said, ‘No, not yet. When it’s time, I’ll tell you’.
“I was like 21, 22. I had just done ‘Dear White People’. Right around then, she was like, ‘I think you’re ready to go.’ And she handed me off.
“I don’t know where I would be in my career had I not been with somebody like her who could handle those transitions.”
Tyler subsequently suggested that in order to be taken seriously as an adult actor, he needed to develop a “sexy” side.
He explained: “Part of the transition of getting the industry to see you as an adult is that you gotta become sexy at some point.”
