Melissa Fahn is an American actress and singer, best known as the voice of Gaz Membrane in '' Invader Zim'', as well as Hello Kitty 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-Sax ...

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'' 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 in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 during the 2020 census, mak ...

. 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 California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is a public research university in Long Beach, California. The 322-acre campus is the second largest of the 23-school California State University system (CSU) and one of the largest universities ...

, 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 Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick.Pointer (2017) She originally appeared in the ''Talkartoon'' and ''Betty Boop'' film series, which were produced by Fleisc ...

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 '' Invader Zim'', 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 ...

''. 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 time ...

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 C ...

'', '' No, No, Nanette'' and the rock-operas of Vox Lumiere. 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's musical '' Wicked''. 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 a ...

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 * '' ...

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 islan ...

, 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