The Doorpost
GUEST: Rick Dempsey
Rick Dempsey is the Senior Vice President, Creative of Disney Character Voices and Disney Character Voices International. Rick joined The Walt Disney Company in 1988 as a founding member of Disney Character Voices, which ensured character consistency and integrity for all character assets company-wide, reporting directly to Roy Disney, Vice Chairman of The Walt Disney Company. Rick continues to serve as a creative resource for all franchise and character-driven properties. It’s quite possible that no one in The Walt Disney Studios has directed more talent than Rick. Having been with Disney for over 20 years, he has directed over 5,000 recording sessions with some of Hollywood’s best known talent, including Tim Allen, Glen Close, Phil Collins, Billy Crystal, Danny DeVito, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Garner, Anne Hathaway, Charlton Heston, James Earl Jones, Michael Keaton, Demi Moore, Uma Thurman, Patrick Stewart, Robin Williams and James Woods to name a few.
On a global-level, Rick creatively oversees the foreign-language adaptation and dubbing of all Disney products around the world, having worked on such hits as THE LION KING, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, TARZAN, TOY STORY 1, 2 & 3, FINDING NEMO, THE INCREDIBLES, TANGLED, RATATOUILLE and most recently, FROZEN, which has become an international phenomenon. He has also worked on such live-action films as ENCHANTED, THE PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN Franchise, NATIONAL TREASURE and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA Franchise.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
“Nobody knows nothin’ about nothin’” -Co-worker
BIG BREAK:
Being asked to join a brand new venture called Disney Character Voices under Roy Disney’s leadership at 24 years old.
BUSINESS FAILURE:
Using the wrong terminology when laying off an employee.
Not being bold enough to share his ideas in a meeting of upper management and other creatives early in his career.
SUCCESS HABITS:
Integrity. If he says he’s going to do something, then he’s going to do it.
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