Exclusive Interview: English Voice Cast Discuss The Characters From Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation

J. Michael Tatum and Paul Castro Jr. take us behind the scenes and into the minds of Dire Crowley and Riddle Rosehearts.

We caught up with two of the voice actors behind the English dubs of Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation, J. Michael Tatum, who voices Dire Crowley, the eccentric headmate of Night Raven College, and Paul Castro Jr., who voices Riddle Rosehearts, the brilliant but strict housewarden. Together, they shared what inspired their character portrayals and some of their favorite moments from the recording booth for this first season. And if you want even more info on the new anime series based on the hugely-popular mobile game sensation, check out our Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation season 1 deep-dive.

Note: This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

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J. Michael Tatutm and Paul Castro Jr. Talk About What It Was Like Being Part Of The Voice Cast For Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation

Were you familiar with the original Disney Twisted-Wonderland game before joining the cast? Or did you discover it through working on the series?

J. Michael Tatum: I was familiar with it because for years I've had fans of Black Butler being like, do you know about Twisted Wonderland? And the concept was so cool.

Paul Castro Jr.: I wasn't super familiar with it, but I had seen stuff on social media. When the project was announced, I was like, I love Disney and these villains, it would be so fun to be a part of this. Then an audition came around and as luck had it, I got to be Riddle, who is a very fun and ferocious character to play. It was really cool to see something, want to be part of it, and get the opportunity to. 

How did the legacy of Disney villains and movies inspire your performances? Were there any particular films or other villains you drew from?

J. Michael Tatum: I grew up idolizing Disney villains. I don't know what that says about me as a person, but it is what it is! They're fabulous and over the top and beautifully self-actualized. I may not approve of what they do, but I would give anything for their confidence. When I was a kid, I’d pretend to be them because they’re always the most interesting. I didn't know it at the time but looking back, Disney villains set me on the path to become an actor because I wanted those lines.

Paul Castro Jr.: Queen of Hearts is a huge part of my inspiration for Riddle. She's a hard character to sympathize with or idolize. I wound up doing a lot of research watching Alice in Wonderland and playing the Twisted Wonderland game to see where this character is going and [understand] why he’s obsessed with the insane rules idolized by the Queen of Hearts. As for other Disney villains, I loved Jeremy Irons as Scar in The Lion King, that’s like, chef's kiss in terms of layers and levels. He pushes his brother off a cliff; it's a pretty dark thing to do. Figuring out ways to idolize and sympathize with these characters is tough, but as actors we try not to make them one-note. 

How have fans reacted to the dub cast announcement and episodes?

J. Michael Tatum: Since the cast announcement the enthusiasm has been off the charts, and after the first episode dropped it just continued going upward. It’s always nice to know that fans think we've done a good job. We're very grateful for their energy, because without them, we're just crazy people in padded rooms making funny voices.

Paul Castro Jr.: It's been crazy, I couldn't have imagined the response. I knew with Disney and with this type of property, there was going to be a lot of eyes on it. [It’s great] to see the overwhelmingly positive [reaction from fans] as the property has existed for years and [many people] associate the characters with the Japanese animation and game. To hear that fans’ expectations are being met is one of the greatest compliments. The game’s Japanese voice actors did an exceptional job too, which was so inspiring and raised the stakes for us.

What are your favorite scenes and what was fun about performing the voices?

J. Michael Tatum: I am particularly fond of when Crowley takes us through Ramshackle Dorm and gives a haunted tour. I think it's just a really fun moment where we get to see [his personality]. Maybe that says something about me as a kid; I would love to have lived in a place like Ramshackle Dorm when I was in school. Are you kidding? Ghosts? That's amazing.

Paul Castro Jr.: Crowley is one of my favorite characters and you do such an exceptional job, [Michael]. I'm so excited for people to see your performance. There's been so many amazing moments for Riddle, it demanded a lot of me as a performer. I think people are going to be very surprised to see where the series goes. One of the moments in the trailer I really liked is when you see Riddle walk out to this Unbirthday Party, and he's like, okay, everything's in order. He's doing the checklist of all of these rules that should be in place. It was fun to play the meticulousness of that scene, before things may or may not go wrong and not to his liking.

J. Michael Tatum: If I can just return your compliment. Paul, your version and performance is so good. I have the easy job, Crowley is weird, fun, and not very far from where I live in my own skin to begin with, so there's very little acting involved for me. But you're so not that person in real life, you have to dig really deep to be that intense and narcissistic. Is that fair? Kudos to you, my friend, for a wonderful nuanced performance for such an over-the-top character, that’s no easy balancing act.

Paul Castro Jr.: Thank you. We have to give props to our director, Michael Sinterniklaas, as well as the other directors involved. I worked with Michael and Ruben, who was one of the producers, to really make sure these performances were as nuanced as possible. We took our time recording to make bigger, larger than life moments authentic. You can't do it without everybody: the engineers, the directors, the producers. It all came together to make the performances you see.

How do you hope people feel walking away or after watching the series?

J. Michael Tatum: I hope their love for it just grows and that it brings a new generation of young fans to older Disney properties, that would be really fun to see. It's just kind of cool to see how relevant those characters can be for the next generation.

Paul Castro Jr.: Everything Michael just said. I hope this can be a bridge for Disney fans to look at anime and Japanese animation and to see these villains on this pedestal in a way we don't normally get to see in Disney movies. It's a fun journey down the rabbit hole of idolizing characters that we often want to lose, like why am I falling in love with this character inspired by a Disney villain? To see what spawns as the next things that come after a show like this. There's a lot of content here, so I hope [fans are] excited for future seasons, too.

Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation

Based on the mobile gaming phenomenon, Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation brings to life new stories inspired by iconic Disney villains. Set at the magic school, Night Raven College, the series is full of mysterious intrigue to be enjoyed in the original Japanese with English subtitles, or with English dubs. Find out more about the show in our deep-dive article.

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