Audiobook Lovin’ Presents: Our Interview with Roger Wayne

By Kelly on June 26, 2017 in Audio Book Lovin’ Series, Audiobooks

Viviana, Enchantress of Books and I, Books-n-Kisses had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with Roger Wayne last week! We thought it would be fun to share our interview with you! But first let’s get to know Roger a little better.

Roger Wayne was born in Wadena, Minnesota. He was raised in rural farm country, and attended K-12 in the small towns of Northwestern MN. He moved on to Community College for a year, and then decided to join the Air Force. Out of 170 that were available, he couldn’t find a job in the military that he wanted. When his recruiter mentioned one last position he could apply for, he was intrigued. This was to be his first ever audition. Roger was escorted into a radio studio, read the given script, and got the part. . . he was on his way to becoming a broadcaster in the United States Military. In the Summer of 2004 he joined the Air Force as a Radio & Television Broadcast Journalist.

After Basic Training in San Antonio, TX, he moved to Fort Meade, MD, to train for military broadcasting, and was then stationed in Osan Air Base, South Korea. He won several awards including Best Radio Commercial military wide in 2006, and Best Feature Story for the Air Force, and his story on the local football team won an award as well. He became close friends with his work partner Luka, who was originally from Poland, but had grown up in Detroit. Through him he gained a respect and appreciation for Arabic, Lebanese, and Jewish culture, and music. To this day his favorite female artist is the Lebanese singer, Najwa Karam.

After completing his tour in Korea, his next assignment was to be in Italy, which is where his father had been stationed when he worked in Intelligence many years prior. At that time, several contractors were taking over positions in broadcasting so Roger made the choice to come back home. With a background in Journalism and a more worldly perspective under his belt he headed back to Minnesota to finish school. During his two years in Community College, he participated in several plays, mostly Shakespeare, and worked with drama teacher Ert Hermerding. Previously Ert had worked with Actor Steve Zahn, who is also from Minnesota.

To satisfy a desire to speak his opinion on the mistreating of civilians in the Middle East and the stereotypes many people had formed over Muslims because of the terrorist attacks, Roger aced his speech class, when he did his final speech on Muslims in the Middle East and America, citing differences between extremists, and normal . During this time he also wrote papers in regards to the mistreatment of the Native Americans, and although patriotism is part of what led him into the military, he felt a need to talk about much of the destruction the United States had caused to such an important culture. He finished his second year in Community College, and then went on to Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN.

He was awarded an Acting Scholarship to attend Augsburg. He completed two shows there, including Checkhov’s “Three Sisters,” where he received praise for his portrayal of ‘Vershinin’. Although he had his scholarship, ultimately the theater program did not hold much interest, and instead attained his degree in Communications & Journalism, and graduated with honors. He then began to work as a Journalist in the Civilian market. Telling stories was a passion, but it wasn’t enough, he wanted to continue playing characters, exploring new worlds, and ultimately take on the life of a professional actor. He made a quick transition, became involved in the local acting scene, and worked with local Talent Agents for Commercials and Print Modeling work. He completed many Independent student, and professional film projects, several commercials, and plays, including work at the Guthrie Theater. He continued to get good marks, while playing roles like ‘Mortimer’ in “Arsenic & Old Lace,” ‘Uncle Louie’ in “Lost in Yonkers,” and others. He also worked with a Voiceover Agent, and started doing Radio and TV Commercial voice work.

After spending two years working in Minneapolis, he knew it was time to make a change, and move to a bigger market. He made the decision to move to New York City. The move has offered him a chance to hone his skills on a much higher level in all aspects of the business.

Roger now lives in New York City, actively working in Voice Industry, Film, Television, and Theater. Roger consistently performs audiobooks for various production companies including Tantor Media, Audible.com, and does voice commercials for Radio, TV, as well as characters for Animation, and Video Games. Voice work has become the backbone of his career. He has also completed several Independent Features and Short Film projects, a Webseries, and is active in the Theater community as well, staying true to his roots and further challenging his craft on the stage. Roger just booked his first TV Co-Star role in 2015 for HBO. He is also the spokesperson for “Renter’s Warehouse.” Recently, the feature film, “The Center,” of which he performed in, executive produced by Jonathan Demme (Silence of The Lambs) , made it’s debut as an official selection at the “Cinequest Film Festival” in San Jose, CA. The film will also be shown as an official selection in the “Minneapolis/ St. Paul International Film Festival,” and is selected for the “Byron Bay Film Festival,” in Australia.