Exclusive: ‘AGT’ Star Michael Winslow Gives a Crash Course in Voice Artistry
NBC/YouTube Reading Time: 4 minutes
AGT star Michael Winslow is already a voiceover legend. He has had an impressive career since his breakout role in the Police Academy franchise. He joined us live on YouTube after his astounding audition aired during Tuesday night’s episode. This is an interview you’re certainly not going to want to miss.
Michael Winslow Describes His ‘AGT’ Audition Experience
Winslow started off the interview in a way that only he could, pretending to have a faulty internet connection. He sat “frozen” and stared at the screen before making sounds to imitate a spotty video chat. It was the best “gotcha” moment of all time and really showed off his fun personality.
The 62-year-old said he has been doing “a lot of travel” since his audition including gigs in the Pacific Northwest with Morgan Preston, a comedian, and friend of his. Winslow is accompanied by a drummer and a guitarist for this act called the Unicorn Pony Invisible Band. He went solo on AGT and was instantly recognized by Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel for his past work.
“It is another planet when you’re on that stage,” Winslow said about his AGT audition. “It’s a different atmosphere, a different planet but I’m glad to see everybody in the meantime.”
Though he is famous for appearing in seven Police Academy movies and a role in Mel Brooks’ 1987 film Spaceballs, Winslow started off on a show where most comedians’ careers blossom.
“One of the first times I got paid to do it was The Gong Show with Chuck Barris,” he said. “I got $516.32.”
To him, it was like a $1 million payday. Now, times have definitely changed as Winslow has a very good chance of actually winning the $1 million on AGT. He did say that if he won the prize he would give some of it away to “who needs help the most.” His awesome attitude was on full display during his AGT audition. He loved the experience because he was able to be his true self.
“If you remember, the thing about AGT is the rule is kind of like there is not a stiff dress code, you come as you are,” he said. “So basically you bring yourself. It’s the one thing that I’ve liked about this show and I enjoy all of the other shows because when you think about it, all of these shows including AGT, this is American entertainment. This is the American dream.”
Winslow Teaches Fans How to Make Some Classic Sounds
Winslow wanted everyone in our audience to relax a little bit by making some beachy ocean sounds. It was only just the beginning of the crash course he started for those tuning in. He taught us how to make the sound of a door opening. Well, he tried to teach us but it ended with a lot of saliva flying through the air. This sound seems simple and it happens in two parts. You use your lips to imitate the door unlocking, and screech like a pterodactyl to sound like a door creaking.
“I encourage everybody to practice their own noises because everybody’s got a skillset that they just haven’t used,” he said.
Just when you thought Winslow’s performance on AGT was insane, he has so many more sounds up his sleeve. His barking like a dog at the camera will probably upset a lot of dog owners. He sounds identical to a dog and warned us “don’t have the speaker on” when he is around. He took things even further when he came up with a huge Shark Tank idea.
“I would love to be able to have my own pop vinyl or Funko toy and put noises in it,” he said.
Winslow went on to tell us that his job is to “help everybody forget about the rent for an hour.” He did just that with this light-hearted interview. He closed out the interview by teaching everyone how to pretend that they’re working on Zoom by making keyboard noises. This is a technique that probably all of us will be using for the rest of our lives.
The Gremlins actor made us do our best Morgan Freeman impressions even though his is unmatched. We all took a ride in a helicopter, with Winslow absolutely nailing the sounds of takeoff. Going on a virtual helicopter ride with Winslow was such an awesome experience. He is certainly one of the acts to look forward to if he makes it to the live shows this season on AGT. Just based on the reactions of the judges and the fans, it looks like he will for sure be a contender to win the show.
