In April, the cartoon Mundo Bita introduced the first character with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) in the series. Léo is an eight-year-old boy who loves writing and takes part in adventures with his friends Tina, Lila, Dan, and Tito. The character is voiced by 18-year-old Nikolas Darsaclis, who is also autistic. Junior reporter Carolina M., age 13, interviewed Nikolas to find out how dubbing works. Check it out below:

How did you get started in this career?

That’s a classic question. I started in 2021 on a Food Network show. Afterwards, I continued doing work for places like Nickelodeon and some films. Want to know a really cool one I did? I dubbed a character in the Super Mario movie. I play one of the gorillas that shouts “I love you, DK” from the audience.

Did you always want to be a voice actor?

Not always. In fact, I only discovered dubbing between 2017 and 2018.

How is dubbing done?

It’s very simple. We record the character’s voice in a recording studio. The actor is cast for dubbing, and we often record without knowing which production it’s for. Sometimes we watch a version that has no music or sound effects, just the voice. The voice actor tries to memorize as much of the text as possible and then dubs over the scene, matching the voice with the character.

And what are the biggest challenges you face when dubbing?

The biggest challenge is to give the character intention. This means that we have to dub while understanding what the character is going through. The right emotion that the scene is asking for has to be there. For example, if the character is running, you have to speak kind of breathlessly too.

How did you become a voice actor? Did you go through tests?

The first thing we have to do is a dubbing course. It’s also a good idea to take drama courses, because of the character that will be acted out. I did several workshops. I have studied at IAB [Brazilian Artistic Institute]. And which character did you enjoy voicing the most? It might be a coincidence, but it’s Léo from Mundo Bita.

And why?

Because he will show that each person, even if different, is special (…) we are both autistic. He is the first of many autistic characters I plan to play.

When did you find out you were going to play Léo?

It was on the last day of class of a course I was taking at Back Studios. I was called before class to do a test, but I didn’t know it was for Léo. When we found out that I had passed, I was very happy, and my parents were thrilled.

AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

The World Health Organization (WHO) website explains ASD as “a range of conditions characterized by some degree of impairment in social behavior, communication and language, and by a narrow range of interests and activities that are unique to the individual and carried out repetitively.”

MUNDO BITA

A Brazilian production created in 2011 by Chaps Melo from Pernambuco. It features animated episodes and music videos and has over 13 million followers on YouTube. Its episodes are available on HBO Max’s streaming service.

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