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In the latest episode of Portrait of a Fangirl podcast, host Jenna Wrenn spoke with voice actor, Tara Sands.

Portrait of a Fangirl Podcast

The Portrait of a Fangirl Podcast is a series from the team at the Temple of Geek. Portrait of a Fangirl initially began as a web series and has now expanded into a podcast series as well. You can watch and listen to the series both here and on our YouTube channel. The podcast is currently in its second season.

Hosted by Jenna Wrenn, at the core of the project is the importance of telling the stories of women who have found inspiration, growth, and power through fandom.

You can listen to the Portrait of a Fangirl Podcast directly on this page or stream it on Apple Podcasts / Google Podcast / iHeart Radio / Spotify and wherever you stream your podcast. You can even watch it on our YouTube channel. You can also find us on social media on Instagram and TikTok.

The Evolutions of Fangirling

Tara Sands became part of the entertainment world as a teenager. She recounted her first job and the excitement that came along with it:

So I from a young age knew I wanted to be an actor. I don’t know how else to explain it, except I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I begged my parents. I lived in New Jersey really close to the city. I begged my dad to get me that newspaper ‘Backstage’ where there were auditions. So finally, when I was in high school, they they let me get that. And I begged them to take me to auditions, and they did. they were very patient and kind.

Then I was in a local singing competition. I was a sophomore at the local Y. And I entered this contest, and there was a talent manager there, and she called me into her office. And she was like, ‘hey, I think we’re going to send you on auditions and we think you could also do voiceovers.’ And I’m like, I don’t know what that is.

The first job they sent me on was a voiceover commercial for Compound W wart cream. And I had to say something like, ‘oh, gross!’ And I booked the job, and it was my first audition. S something in the universe was like, this is what you’re supposed to do. And I did the job.

Tara Sands can be heard as over 50 characters in the original English Pokemon TV series, including Bulbasaur, Richie, Jasmine, Oddish, Yamper, and Tori. Some other roles include Biscuit in HunterXHunter, Mokuba in Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kari in Digimon Adventure Tri, Anna in Shaman King, Curious in My Hero Academia,  and Momo, Utahime and Young Panda in Jujutsu Kaisen.

For 2 years (over 100 episodes), Tara was the on-camera host of Cartoon Network’s weekly Friday night lineup, appropriately titled Fridays. On Fridays, Tara interviewed dozens of celebrities like George Lucas, Robin Williams, Charles Barkley and Daniel Radcliffe, and had more on-camera food fights than she cares to remember.

Tara has also narrated over 300 audiobooks!

Currently, Tara is co-hosting a podcast called 4KidsFlashback where she interviews the actors and staff of 4Kids Entertainment, the company that brought tons of anime (like Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and One Piece) to English-speaking audiences.

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A post shared by Tara Sands (@tarasandsvo)

You can follow Tara on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

About our Host

Host and executive producer of the Portrait of a Fangirl Podcast, Jenna Wrenn, is also an entertainment correspondent for Temple of Geek.  Jenna has conducted interviews with talent such as Max Brooks, Christopher Paolini, Rachel Smythe, and Ashley Eckstein and has written several articles for Temple of Geek covering conventions, anime, pop culture, and much more.

A historian by trade, a writer by passion, and a cat mom by birthright. Jenna loves to travel, forge new connections, and cosplay. Jenna is excited to bring more fascinating interviews to viewers/listeners of the Portrait of a Fangirl podcast.

More episodes from season two of the Portrait of a Fangirl Podcast

• Season 2, Episode 2: Fandom as a Window to the World with Alice Fanchiang (3/29/20214)
• Season 2, Episode 1: Fandom in Academia With Dr. Sabrina Mittermeier (3/15/2024)

Check out season one of the Portrait of a Fangirl Podcast

• A Conversation With Author EK Johnston (11/10/2023)
• Rachel Smythe Roundtable Interview at New York Comic Con 2023 (10/19/2023)
• Inclusivity and the Authentic Self in Content Creating (10/3/2023)
• Emily Zemler on “The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town” (9/8/2023)
• Kayleigh McKee on Creativity, Industry, and Personal Growth (9/1/2023)
• A look at Fandom From Behind the Scenes – POAFG Podcast (8/15/2023)
• Discussion With Graphic Novelist Ghezal Omar (7/20/2023)
• The Art of Fangirling With “Let’s Play” Creator Leeanne Krecic (7/19/2023)
• Interview with Ashley Eckstein – Her Universe Fashion Show (6/28/2023)