Rodney Saulsberry

Rodney Jerome Saulsberry (born July 11, 1956) is an American voice-over performer, actor, vocalist, announcer and author, known for his voice work on commercials (Twix, Zatarain's), his two books (You Can Bank on Your Voice, Step Up to the Mic) and the voice of Joe Robbie Robertson on the animated TV series Spider-Man.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, this University of Michigan graduate is the son of Thomas and Dorothy Saulsberry. He is married to Helen Montgomery with whom he has one daughter, Traci Alexis Saulsberry.

Music
His first R&B album "Rodney Saulsberry" produced two Billboard-charting singles, "I Wonder" and "Look Whatcha Done Now".

Movie soundtrack vocal performances

 * 2010 Just Another Day “Better Than Before” (Writer, performer)
 * 2009 Adventureland “I Need to Know” (Writer, performer)
 * 1999 Michael Jordan: An American Hero “I’m So Glad You’re Mine” (Writer, performer)
 * 1988 Midnight Crossing “Alone” (Writer, performer)
 * 1988 Prince of Egypt “Playing with the Big Boys” (Background vocals))
 * 1997 Sprung “We Are Love” (Writer, performer)
 * 1994 The Lion King “Hakuna Matata” (Background vocals)
 * 1994 The Lion King “Circle of Life” (Background vocals)
 * 1994 I’ll Do Anything “I’ll Do Anything” (Background vocals)
 * 1992 Night and the City “Love Doesn’t Matter “ (Performer)

Films, TV and audio
As an actor, his films include The Philadelphia Experiment (1984), Tango and Cash (1989), and the animated feature The Invincible Iron Man (2007). His voice work includes audiobooks and numerous movie trailers (How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Finding Forrester, Crooklyn). He narrated the documentary Ax Handle Saturday: 50 Years Later (2010), "Michael Jackson: Life of a Superstar" (2009), Andy Bobrow's mockumentary The Old Negro Space Program (2004), a satire on Ken Burns' Baseball (1994), and the Marvin Gaye E! True Hollywood Story (1998).

Upscale Magazine regarded Saulsberry as "a voice to be reckoned with, while Black Enterprise magazine labeled him "the voice of choice for behind-the-scenes-narration."

On television, he has been seen in various guest-star roles, including Taxi (1978), M*A*S*H (1972), Gimme a Break! (1981), 227 (1985), Hill Street Blues (1981), Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993), Without a Trace (2002) and Monk (2002). He was a series regular in the role of Jeff Johnson on Capitol (1982).

Animation
Saulsberry has voiced numerous characters, including Fasto in Minoriteam, James Rhodey Rhodes in The Invincible Iron Man, Phillip Rollins/Sparky in Static Shock, Chyron in The Animatrix: Matriculated, Mr. Jones in The Electric Piper, Willy in Xyber 9: New Dawn, Joe Robbie Robertson in Spider-Man and three episodes of Duckman. He also provided many additional voices for Skeleton Warriors and Avatar. He was Ufwapo in ''Aaahh!!! Real Monsters''.

Video games

 * G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Heavy Duty, Voice)
 * Grey's Anatomy: The Video Game (Richard Webber, Voice)
 * Driver: Parallel Lines (Bishop, Voice)
 * Star Trek: Starfleet Command III (Klingon Officer #2, Voice)
 * CSI: Crime Scene Investigation-Hard Evidence (Everett Brower, Voice)

Public appearances
Saulsberry has performed on the television variety show Soul Train and was the announcer on the 34th NAACP Image Awards, and the Essence Awards in 2003. He was a guest presenter at the first annual VOICE 2007 in Las Vegas and a featured speaker and panelist for two consecutive years at Voice Coaches Expo in Schenectady, New York. He has taught his voiceover workshop in various locations around the country that include, New York, Tennessee, Nevada and California. He has also been a guest lecturer for the Theatre Department at Western Michigan University, California State University, Northridge and the Black Theatre Festival in Winston Salem. Saulsberry has appeared at several book-signing events, including Borders and Barnes and Noble, and he is a regular featured panelist and workshop instructor for the SAG Foundation in support of the Don LaFontaine Voice-Over Lab.

Awards
Saulsberry played the lead role in the Academy Award-winning short film Violet (1981).