Melissa Fahn is an American actress and singer, best known as the voice of Gaz Membrane in ''

Invader Zim ''Invader Zim'' is an American animated science fiction dark comedy television series created by comic book writer and cartoonist Jhonen Vasquez for Nickelodeon. The series centers on an extraterrestrial named Zim (voiced by Richard Steven Ho ...

'', as well as

Hello Kitty , also known by her full name , is a fictional Character (arts), character created by Yuko Shimizu, currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi, and owned by the Japanese company Sanrio. Sanrio depicts Hello Kitty as an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphi ...

in ''

Hello Kitty's Paradise There are several different Hello Kitty animated series, featuring the character Hello Kitty, from the Japanese company Sanrio. ''Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater'' (1987) ''Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater'' is an American animated series ...

'' and voicing many anime and video game characters like

Edward Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...

from '' Cowboy Bebop'', Neptune from

Hyperdimension Neptunia is a series of role-playing video games created and developed by Compile Heart and Idea Factory. The series debuted in Japan on August 19, 2010, with the video game of the same name for the PlayStation 3, later re-released as an enhanced rem ...

and Rider and her various other incarnations in the '' Fate stay/night franchise''. She starred in the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

performance of ''

Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe * '' Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' s ...

'' and various theatre projects in Los Angeles.

Early life and education

Fahn is the youngest of four siblings. She performed dancing at the age of 3. Her family moved to

Huntington Beach, California Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, Orange County in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 duri ...

. Her father, a jazz drummer, encouraged her to learn singing and acting in addition to just dancing. She continued in community theater productions and toured with Young Americans. She majored in dance at California State University, Long Beach, but left after one year to devote her time to work and theater.

Career

While working as a receptionist, her voice caught the attention of a casting director for a new Betty Boop featurette, which led to her first voice-over role in '' The Betty Boop Movie Mystery''. Fahn has voiced many animated characters, Edward in '' Cowboy Bebop'', Haruka in ''

Noein , also known simply as ''Noein'', is a Japanese science fiction anime television series directed by Kazuki Akane and produced by Satelight. The series has 24 episodes which make up a complete storyline. The English version was produced and dubb ...

'', Gaz as well as others in ''

'', and Rika Nonaka, Kristy Damon and Nene Amano in ''

Digimon , short for "Digital Monsters" ( ''Dejitaru Monsutā''), is a Japanese media franchise encompassing virtual pet toys, anime, manga, video games, films and a trading card game. The franchise focuses on the eponymous creatures, who inhabit a "Di ...

''. She is the voice of

Neptune Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the farthest known planet in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 times ...

in the ''

'' series. She performed live on stage worldwide in shows such as

Hal Prince Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre. One of the foremost figures in 20th century America ...

's ''3hree'', ''Gilligan's Island the Musical'', ''

Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell and Cyd Charis ...

'', ''

No, No, Nanette ''No, No, Nanette'' is a musical comedy with lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, music by Vincent Youmans, and a book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel, based on Mandel's 1919 Broadway play ''My Lady Friends''. The farcical story involves t ...

'' and the rock-operas of

Vox Lumiere Vox Lumiere is a Los Angeles-based theater/concert production and company. Vox Lumiere's shows combine the playing of a silent film with the live performance of original songs, dance and music. Vox Lumiere has combined live performance with the fo ...

. In 2007, Fahn released her music album ''Avignon'' which was produced by her husband, Joel Alpers. The album also involved her brother Tom on trombone and sister-in-law Mary Ann McSweeney in bass. Alpers also played drums and percussion.

''Wicked''

Fahn was a member of the ensemble in the original Broadway cast of

Stephen Schwartz Stephen Lawrence Schwartz (born March 6, 1948) is an American musical theatre lyricist and composer. In a career spanning over five decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as ''Godspell'' (1971), ''Pippin'' (1972), and ''Wicked'' (20 ...

's musical ''

''. In March 2004, Fahn became an

understudy In theater, an understudy, referred to in opera as cover or covering, is a performer who learns the lines and blocking or choreography of a regular actor, actress, or other performer in a play. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to ap ...

for the role of

Glinda Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Coun ...

, replacing Melissa Bell Chait who had suffered a minor stroke. Fahn departed the show on October 31, 2004. She later became an original cast member of the Los Angeles sit-down productions, performing in the ensemble and again understudying the role of Glinda before departing on December 30, 2007.

Personal life

Fahn has three older brothers:

Mike Fahn Mike Fahn (born December 16, 1960) is an American jazz trombonist. Background Fahn was born and raised in Huntington, New York. His father played drums with Lionel Hampton and he started on drums himself. Mike played trumpet, baritone, then at a ...

is a musician, while

Tom Fahn Thomas Fahn (born 1962) is an American voice actor. He is known for his portrayals as Sho Fukamachi in '' Guyver'' and Agumon in the '' Digimon'' franchise. Personal life His sister and brother, Melissa Fahn and Jonathan Fahn, respectively an ...

and

Jonathan Fahn Jonathan Fahn is an American voice actor, the brother of Melissa Fahn and Tom Fahn, the brother-in-law of Tom's wife, Dorothy Elias-Fahn, and the husband of Jennie Fahn. Filmography Anime dubbing * ''Ambassador Magma'' as Mamoru Murakami * ''B ...

are fellow voice and stage actors. In 2000, Fahn met musician Joel Alpers in Los Angeles, and they wed at

Kauai Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...

, Hawaii, in 2002.

Filmography

Animation

Film

Video games

Theater

Live action television and film

Dubbing roles

Anime

Film English

Video games

Discography

* ''Avignon'' (2007)

References

Bibliography * * * * * * * *

External links

* *
Melissa FahnMelissa CharlesTina Dixon
at Crystal Acids Voice Actor Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Fahn, Melissa Living people Actresses from Los Angeles American musical theatre actresses American sopranos American stage actresses American video game actresses American voice actresses American women singers California State University, Long Beach alumni Singers from Los Angeles Year of birth missing (living people) 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers