Joshua Garcia during an “Inside Out 2” launch. Image: Courtesy of Disney+ Philippines
Despite his magnetic presence onscreen, Joshua Garcia admitted that he was nervous when he was tapped to lend his voice to Lance Slashblade in the Filipino dub of “Inside Out 2.”
The actor was revealed as the voice behind Lance Slashblade, a macho yet insecure video game character whom Riley had a secret crush on when she was young. The superhero — armed with a massive sword — harbored a lot of inner doubts which initially stopped him from fulfilling his destiny.
If Garcia could liken his thoughts to the film’s Emotions when the opportunity was offered to him, he could relate to Fear and Anxiety.
“Kasi hindi ko alam paano ko [ito] gagawin. Tuwing nakakapanood ako and nakikita ko siya, lalo na sa mga Japanese anime, wala pa akong idea paano mangyayari at the time. Nakakapagod pero nan’dun ‘yung excitement, so may Joy pa rin,” he said at a recent launch event in Taguig.
(I didn’t know what to do. Every time I see animations, especially in Japanese anime, I have no idea how voice dubbing works. It was a tiring experience but I was excited, so I guess Joy was there as well.)
Joshua Garcia during the “Inside Out 2” launch in Taguig. Image: Courtesy of Disney+ Philippines
Bringing life to Lance Slashblade
One of the differences that Garcia noted in voice acting was the need to be “more expressive” in the recording booth, compared to the subtlety he usually shows in films and TV shows.
“Akala ko madali lang. Ang hirap pala niya para siyang may kailangan kang hawakan habang nilalabas mo ‘yung emosyon mo para maging mas expressive ka,” he said. “Mas subtle ‘yung acting [sa movies at TV] pero ang laki ng emosyon rito. Ang gandang experience kasi doon ko nakita na hindi madali ang maging voice actor. Napakahirap niyang trabaho.”
(I thought it was easy. It’s hard because you have to hold onto something while voicing out your emotions in a more expressive way. The acting in movies and TV is more subtle but the emotions are bigger here. It was a nice experience because it made me realize that it’s not easy to be a voice actor. It’s a very difficult job.)
Joshua Garcia in a behind the scenes photo for “Inside Out 2’s” Filipino dub. Image: Courtesy of Disney+ Philippines
Garcia found himself relating to Lance despite the character’s “more makata-like” nature throughout the process. From the outside, Lance is the picture-perfect superhero but he doesn’t see himself as such.
“Sa mundo nila, isa siyang sikat na [hero] so I think, d’un ako nakakarelate sa kanya, as an actor na nilo-look up ng maraming tao (He is a famous hero in their world. So I guess, that’s how I can relate to him as an actor whom a lot of people look up to),” he said of his character.
Touching on Lance’s insecurities, the actor confessed there was a time he wasn’t sure if he’s deserving of the admiration he received from the public.
“Pero tulad ni Lance Slashblade, I’m not sure if dapat ba akong i-look up. May gan’un eh, ‘yung tipong anong dapat i-look up sa’kin ng mga tao. Tulad niya, hindi rin siya sigurado kung bakit isa siya sa pinili na characters [sa video game na ‘yun], even if hindi siya gan’un kalakas,” he said.
(But like Lance Slashblade, I’m not sure if people should look up to me. I experience this kind of feeling as well, where I’m not sure what people see in me. He’s not sure why he’s chosen to be one of the most popular characters in the video game even if he’s not strong enough.)
Joshua Garcia during the “Inside Out 2” launch in Taguig. Image: Courtesy of Disney+ Philippines
“Inside Out 2,” which will be available for streaming on Sept. 25, centers on Riley entering high school. Her brain’s console containing her personified emotions — Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger — are joined by Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui.
The animated coming-of-age film is currently the highest-grossing film of 2024.