Buttermilk Old-Fashioned Donuts & Raptor Noises: An Interview with Voice Actress Kayli Mills

Kayli Mills is both a voice actress and a longtime friend of A-to-J! Her voice can be heard in anime like Re:Zero (Emilia), Fly Me to the Moon (Kaname Arisugawa), Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club (Kasumi Nakasu), and more. Gamers might recognize her from Valkyria Chronicles 4 (Riley Miller), Crystar (Nanana), River City Girls (Misako), Genshin Impact (Keqing), Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion (Cissnei), as well as others we couldn't all list out here. We were lucky to catch up with her recently at Anime Los Angeles and interview her about her start in the industry, some of her future plans, and even what her favorite donuts are! We had a lot of fun with this one and we're sure that you will too! Fans of Kayli, or those discovering her for the first time, will want to read on to learn more about her, and maybe check out some of her social media links at the end to follow along with her special brand of nonsense!

A-to-J: Thank you for the interview! For those who may not know you, could you please give us an introduction and tell us a little bit about yourself?
Kayli: My name’s Kayli Mills. I really like donuts and beans. I also do voice acting which is kind of cool. You probably know me as Keqing in Genshin Impact if you play games. I am also Emilia in Re:Zero and Alice in [Sword Art Online]. I also adapt scripts & songs, and sing.

A-to-J: 2022 was a big year for you, you got engaged! I was there for that. Congratulations!
Kayli: Thank you! I did.
A-to-J: And you also got to work on your favorite series, A Place Further Than the Universe, working on the scripts for the dub and playing best girl Hinata.  How exciting was that for you?
Kayli: I flipped out. I almost missed out on the chance to write for it because I didn’t want to take on much more work at the end of the year, but one of the higher ups at Studio Nano was like: “Are you sure? You should write this.” I was like: “Okay, if you insist on it being me.” She then told me the show was A Place Further Than the Universe. I was like: It would be really cool if I got the chance to audition. Then I got that chance, but understood that my chance of booking at that time were not very high. So I spent the next week and a half or so before I heard back telling myself I had to be okay with not getting it. When I did, I screamed again. I spent a lot of that week screaming.

A-to-J: How did you get your start in voice acting? How did you decide it was what you wanted to do for a living?
Kayli: I really like performing when I was younger, singing especially. My mom was a singer, and I really wanted to be a singer too. I also started looking into theater and that seemed like a fun thing to do. So, I wanted to do musicals. I tried to do a couple in school, but I kept moving around too much and I couldn’t stay with theater long enough to be in a role that had words. I also got into anime at the time. It was on late and I thought Naruto was cool; I liked the music from it. The first thing I did was start adapting the music from the show, writing English versions of the songs which were really terrible at the time. I was 12 or 13, writing was not a skill yet. I kept working on them and uploading them to YouTube, just having fun with it.  
I eventually found Voice Acting Alliance, Rest in Peace, and they had a lot of people who were doing fan projects, so I got into that. I started doing that and liked that it was something I could do from home. My first microphone was the Karaoke Revolution microphone for the PlayStation 2! You don’t need a lot of money to get started! I kept doing that for fun and at the end of high school I decided that I wanted to try to do that for a living. I used the little graduation money I had to buy a Yeti Pro which is probably still not the best choice of mic, but it got my first couple of gigs that I booked online. I ended up studying abroad and doing a lot of other things which weren’t related as part of my Plan B, but travel is awesome, so it was great. I eventually decided to drop out of school and go 100% in voice acting, so I came back home and started taking actual classes. I eventually moved to LA and took that chance. I got a little bit lucky, but I really worked a lot. That’s about how I got here.

A-to-J: You’ve had a lot of amazing voice acting roles like Emilia in Re:Zero, Alice in Sword Art Online, Keqing in Genshin Impact and Misako in River City Girls. Do you have a favorite character or set of characters you’ve played?
Kayli: Yes. My favorite character I’ve played is probably still Clara from Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun because she’s the most fun, chaotic ball of energy which is me at my best at all times. We were working on season two when the pandemic started, so getting to go into the booth when I was kind of at a low moment and not seeing people really brought my spirits up. I owe a lot to that character too. Now we’re on season three which is awesome. I also get to voice her entire family, and I also got to do a bunch of her songs as well as sing as her entire family. It’s just a very cool, weird experience that I would have never expected to have. When I moved out here, they didn’t really dub songs, but some of my friends and I really pushed for it. That was one of the big things I wanted to do: I wanted to make dub songs a thing again, and make them good. I’m really glad that I’ve been able to start doing that. There’s still work to be done, and I’m not the only that wants to do that. I want to make it bigger so more people can do it like you [Editor's Note: Referring to Molly Ring, our interviewer.], because you’re an amazing singer.  
A-to-J: That’s going in the interview! We’re writing that down! [Editor's Note: Done and done!]
Kayli: I’m going to keep at it, but I owe a lot to Demon School because of how collaborative and fun it was.
A-to-J: Did you voice her parents as well?
Kayli: Her mom. Her dad, we don’t know.

A-to-J: As we mentioned, you’ve also started getting into ADR scripts. How did you get into that? Do you feel your work as a voice actor has impacted your work on scripts and vice versa?
Kayli: I started writing them kind of for fun before I moved out here because I know you needed more than voice acting to get by. Scriptwriting was always something that was interesting to me, especially since I was writing English versions of songs too. I was like: “Ok, I can do scripts too.”  So I started practicing that, and when I started working at Bang Zoom I knew they needed lots of people to do prep work, like timecoding. I did that for a couple years before I was given a chance to write. I was like: “I’ve had enough of timecoding, I really want to write. I’m going to do this.” And they were like: “Okay, if you’re going to quit timecoding, we’ll let you write.” I did get that chance, and thankfully I didn’t botch it, so I kept doing it.
I do think that being an actor helps. I don’t think you have to be an actor to write scripts, but it helps with the timing because you know how it’s going to be delivered and how a person is actually going to say that. A lot of times when I’m going through the scripts I will say each line out as I’m watching it, making sure it fits within the timeframe and matches the internal sync.  So, if a flap goes like this [makes a hand gesture of lips moving], it should sound like it’s two syllables instead of one long one over [gestures again]. Like: “How are yooooooooou?” I’ve sure seen dubs that are like that. It drives me nuts, so I try not to do that.

A-to-J: Besides anime, you’ve also done voice work in video games. Do you find one more particularly different or challenging than the other?
Kayli: They both have a different kind of challenge. With dubbing it’s so technical. You’re already locked so much into what the original’s done because everything’s on screen and particular, and you have to match the timing. Once you get the technical done it’s a little bit easier to play within that box, but you’re still stuck within that box. Especially when you’re starting out you’re thinking: “How am I going to get the timing right? And think about this? And still do my job?” So it’s never going to be as free as other kinds of media.
The more challenging thing about video games is that a lot of the time you’re given less context. In anime you might not know exactly what’s going on before your scene, but you still know what’s going on within your scene; you can still see it. With video games you are completely reliant on what you can possibly see of the script, which sometimes isn’t anything, and the director telling you what’s going on. That’s why sometimes you might see some old games where people who are having a conversation don’t seem like they’re talking to each other. That’s a hard thing to imagine how it’s going to be built and being able to trust the director to build the scene around you, and tell you what your job is there. You do have a lot more freedom in character a lot of the time. If it’s a JRPG the character already has their backstory and their personality, so you have to stick within those lines, but there’s still a lot more freedom. You don’t have to worry about the exact pacing of the lines most of the time.

A-to-J: Are there any characters from any anime or video game that you’ll hope you’ll get to play some day.
Kayli: I always just give the boring answer, I try not to get my hopes up about those things. There’s been so many times when I’m just in love with a character, and obviously most of the time it’s not going to happen because there are hundreds of other people who want to do the same thing. I try my best not to get attached. I did get attached to A Place Further Than the Universe, and that was kind of my thing. As far as anime goes, that was the big one for me. I could answer that I want to be in any of the big shows right now, but I think anyone would want to be. I’m not gonna pander.
Both: [laugh]

A-to-J: Do you have any favorite lines from any of the characters your voiced?
Kayli: It’s always so hard to think of anything on the spot. I think Keqing has a lot of really nice ones. Like: [Keqing voice] "When you’re heart is set on something, you get closer to your goal with each passing day." [Back to regular voice] A lot of my characters have a lot of nice, altruistic things which I think is nice, because I’m not like that in real life. I’m just kind of a mess so it’s nice to have that in my pocket.

A-to-J: You’re well known online as the Donut Queen/Gremlin.  What’s your favorite kind of donut and where’s your favorite place to get them?
Kayli: I like a variety of donuts, but in general my favorite donut is probably a really fresh buttermilk glazed. Maple glazed sometimes too, but butter milk, old fashioned, those kinds of things, if they’re done right, so perfect. That being said, my favorite place is Sidecar Doughnuts. They do have an old-fashioned, it’s not my favorite on the menu, but it’s good. They have more like cake donuts, and they do seasonal flavors. They have Girl Scout flavors right now which is amazing; the Samoa one is especially good.
A-to-J: That’s the one in Santa Monica, right?
Kayli: There is a Santa Monica location, but there’s also one at 3rd and Fairfax. They opened one near the Grove a year or two ago. They have a lot more adult flavors. Their Saigon Cinnamon is probably my favorite flavor. Their Butter and Salt donut is really crazy, especially if it’s hot. Huckleberry, I mean, everything’s good there. I’m answering this question more in-depth that anything else. I’m sorry. That’s just how my brain works.
A-to-J: No, I agree with the Old Fashioned. That’s how you judge a donut shop. If their glazed donut isn’t good, it doesn’t matter if anything else is good.
Kayli: Yeah. There’s a Buttermilk Old Fashioned and a Glazed Raised, that’s the litmus test for a donut shop.
A-to-J: Exactly. If that’s not good, I’m leaving.
Kayli: That’s exactly the correct way. I’d say Primo’s has my favorite regular glazed. Sidecar’s is good too, but Primo’s nails that and their buttermilk bars.  

A-to-J: You’ve also done some streams on Twitch, mostly signings and playing Genshin Impact. Do you plan on doing any more of that in the future?
Kayli: I don’t have a specific plan, but I’m sure I will. I’m sure I’ll do a signing especially because the next few months are going to be so busy. I’ve had to turn down a lot of cons unfortunately. So I’m still trying to interact with people a little bit more, and offer prints and signings for people who can’t make it out to the few events I do a year.
A-to-J: Let’s do a signing from Vegas!
Kayli: That is a disaster. That is a terrible idea. Maybe I’ll find some weird stuff in Vegas to sign and send out. Who would be into that?
A-to-J: We could sign our Guy Fieri costumes!
Kayli: Do you want this really weird, bright red visor that I wore as part of my Guy Fieri costume? Someone probably does... I don’t want to go any deeper into that...
Corina Boettger:  Selling it for $1000!
Kayli: Definitely not selling the Flavortown shorts, but who knows? Times might get tough. Gotta pay for a wedding somehow.

A-to-J: So, do you have any advice for people who aspire to become voice actors themselves?
Kayli: Don’t sell your shorts on the internet at first. That’s something for later. You’ll make way more money later if you already have a following for something else. [Laughs]
A-to-J: I mean it’s true.
Kayli [Serious Mode]: I would say my biggest advice is to just practice all the time and not use “Oh, I don’t have the money to get expensive equipment” as an excuse because I started on a PS2 mic and it worked out for me. Playing around on your own, understanding how your voice works and the things you like to do will go a long way. After that, you take classes. Through that you’ll find your own path because everyone’s path is different. You’ll meet people through those classes most of the time. They’ll become your friends and you’ll help bring each other up. Also, don’t be a dick. No one will want to work with you. It's a very small world and if you’re a dick, it’s over already. So be nice and make friendships. Make real friendship. Don’t think of everything as networking or you’re just going to have an awful time. You’re going to be miserable yourself, but people won’t want to talk to you. Make friends, have a good time, enjoy life because you’re a much better actor when you have actual life experience to draw from. That’s how things feel real. Just keep at it. Just because your past doesn’t look like everyone else’s doesn’t mean it’s the wrong one. Everyone’s is going to look a little different. Everyone goes at their own pace. It doesn’t mean that someone’s a better actor or a worse actor. If you love it, just keep up with it, and I believe in you.

A-to-J: What are some of your upcoming plans after ALA?
Kayli: After ALA, I’m going to go home and take a really big nap and wash the con off me. Then, I’m going to go to Vegas and party. Then, I’m going to get married and go to Japan. Then, I’m going to come back and get back to work and be depressed. But, then I’ll be happy because I get to do the things I like.
A-to-J: Honestly, that sounds like a great plan. I wouldn’t mind that being my after-ALA plan.
Kayli: I think it’s a good plan. I’m excited.

A-to-J: Do you happen to have any funny stories that you can share with us that have occurred at an anime convention?
Kayli: There was one time last con. We have our banners behind us with giant pictures of our faces and our characters. My fiancé was with me. Someone comes up to my booth and asks us: “So, which one of you is the voice actor?”  That’s one.
This isn’t a con story but it’s a recording story. One of my first shows that I worked on at Bang Zoom, they had just switched the booth around so people didn’t know which door of the booth went to which studio. I was taking a break from recording March Comes in Like a Lion, which is a really good show by the way. I was on the ground making raptor noises, like you do when you’re taking a break, and Crispin Freeman opens the door screeching and says: “Wrong booth!” And he never talked to me again.

A-to-J: Where can fans go to learn more about you?
Kayli: I am unfortunately active on Twitter (@KayliMills), same with Instagram. I occasionally use TikTok mostly for random chaos. That’s @thedonutgremlin. I have a website kaylimillsva.com, but I think my Twitter is a more accurate description of who I am, which is not great but it’s reality. Live your truth!

A-to-J: Lastly, can you give a closing message for your fans?
Kayli: The typical “Thank you for your support”, but I really do mean it. I would not be here if I didn’t have you guys. It’s just incredible that some of you have been there since the very beginning. Some fans who have become friends, and some fans in general who saw me in my first anime ever six years ago and have been following me and my journey since then. That just means the world to me that you believed in me from the start. Even if you weren’t there at the start, and you’re here now, I’m really glad that you’re joining me. I hope you enjoy the chaos! I know it’s a lot, and I know I’m a lot, but I appreciate it. Thank you!

We'd like to thank Kayli Mills for the interview and we strongly encourage everyone to check out her work and follow her social media via the links below. As always, keep an eye out for more from Kayli in the future! Also, special thanks to Anime Los Angeles for this opportunity!

For More Information On Kayli Mills:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaylimills
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaylimills/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thedonutgremlin
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/kaylimills

The above interview was conducted by Molly Ring, with assistance by Manuel Figueroa and photography by Ivan Aburto. Transcription by Jeffery Kelly.