Changes: Kristian Michaels

Latest revision as of 04:09, 14 March 2024

Crystal Morgan Michaels (born Kenneth Michaels, July 6, 1970), better known by her stage name Kristian Michaels, is a Canadian-American puppeteer, voice actress, actress, and writer. She is best known for her work with the animation studio Nelvana as well as a prominent recurring Muppeteer. She is the voice of Grath Longfletch in Redwall projects, the current voice of Ariel Silverwing in the Silverwing franchise, portrays Wan Wan and was the voice of U-tan in Peek-a-Boo!, and is the voice and puppeteer of Mori's mother in Mori & Friends.

Early life

Michaels was born in Omaha, Nebraska to a Canadian father of Czech origin, Albert Michaels (born Teodor Rovenský), and an American mother, Cindy Hammonds-Michaels, and grew up in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. She was born Kenneth Thomas Michaels and was assigned male at birth before transitioning to female in her early-20s. Her father, who was a neurologist-in-residence at the Auvray University School of Medicine at the time of her birth, had been rescued in the Kindertransport and was adopted by an English couple who subsequently emigrated to Canada. Visual artist and cultural advisor Walton Michaels is her older brother, and fellow voice actress Rachel Michaels is her cousin. She is of Czech-Jewish descent through her father and of English descent through her mother.

Michaels graduated from Crestwood Secondary School in Peterborough in 1989, and was her class' valedictorian. She studied at the University of Toronto Scarborough.

Career

From 1991 onwards under the pseudonym of Louise Farlone, Kristian was a prominent writer of fan-fiction. Her Dungeons & Dragons fanfiction No, You Are Our Hero won the first annual North American Fanfiction Writers' Prize. She has also worked as a modeler on Second Life and has been active in the Neopets community.

For several years beginning in the mid-1990s, Michaels worked on several Muppets projects - as a writer (co-writing Journey to Eagle Rock and episodes of Eagle Rock), as a puppeteer (she performed Brenda and the Grand Councilor in Eagle Rock, and was an ensemble Muppeteer for Sesame Park and Wacky Works), and doing photo puppet work for several Muppets books. She also performed a walk-around version of Louis the otter in Sesame Park Live: When I Grow Up and Sesame Park Live: 1-2-3 Imagine! and walk-arounds of Zoe and Rosita at Ontario's Playland. She has sometimes been credited in her Muppets works as "Crystal Michaels", her post-transition real name.

One thing Michaels is known for is having a wide vocal range; this is arguably best heard in the contrast between the voices of Peek-A-Boo! characters Wan Wan (contralto/tenor) and U-Tan (soprano).

Michaels has been doing voice work in the Silverwing franchise since 2004, when she took over the role of Ariel Silverwing, Shade's mother.

Michaels has also worked as a voice artist with the successful Toronto-based animation firm Nelvana, lending her voice to Squeak! The Mouse Show, Redwall: The Movie and other projects.

Michaels puppeteers Noel the Panther in Between the Lions: Let's Explore and the Between the Lions reboot.

Personal life

Michaels lives in Toronto.

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+{{Infobox person|title1 = Kristian Michaels|native_name = Crystal Morgan Michaels|born = July 6, 1970 (age {{age|1970|7|6}})|place_of_birth = [[File:Flag_of_the_United_States.svg|border|22px]] {{W|Omaha, Nebraska}}, {{W|United States|U.S.}}|nationality = Canadian-American|years_active = 1985-present|siblings=[[Walton Michaels]] (brother)|family=[[Albert Michaels]] (father)<br />[[Cindy Hammonds-Michaels]] (mother)<br />[[Rachel Michaels]] (cousin)}}
+'''Crystal Morgan Michaels''' (born '''Kenneth Michaels''', July 6, 1970), better known by her stage name '''Kristian Michaels''', is a Canadian-American puppeteer, voice actress, actress, and writer. She is best known for her work with the animation studio {{W|Nelvana}} as well as a prominent recurring Muppeteer. She is the voice of Grath Longfletch in ''Redwall'' projects, the current voice of Ariel Silverwing in the ''Silverwing'' franchise, portrays Wan Wan and was the voice of U-tan in ''[[Peek-a-Boo! (Canadian TV series)|Peek-a-Boo!]]'', and is the voice and puppeteer of Mori's mother in ''[[Mori & Friends]]''.
+== Early life ==
+Michaels was born in {{W|Omaha, Nebraska}} to a Canadian father of Czech origin, [[Albert Michaels]] (born Teodor Rovenský), and an American mother, [[Cindy Hammonds-Michaels]], and grew up in {{W|Peterborough, Ontario}}, {{W|Canada}}. She was born '''Kenneth Thomas Michaels''' and was assigned male at birth before transitioning to female in her early-20s. Her father, who was a neurologist-in-residence at the [[Auvray University School of Medicine]] at the time of her birth, had been rescued in the {{W|Kindertransport}} and was adopted by an English couple who subsequently emigrated to {{W|Canada}}. Visual artist and cultural advisor [[Walton Michaels]] is her older brother, and fellow voice actress [[Rachel Michaels]] is her cousin. She is of Czech-Jewish descent through her father and of English descent through her mother.
+Michaels graduated from {{W|Crestwood Secondary School}} in Peterborough in 1989, and was her class' valedictorian. She studied at the {{W|University of Toronto Scarborough}}.
-{{Alternate counterpart|[[Kristian Michaels (GP Wiki)|under the same name in the GP Wiki universe]]}}
-{{Infobox person|title1 = Kristian Michaels|native_name = Crystal Morgan Michaels|born = July 6, 1970 (age {{age|1970|7|6}})|place_of_birth = [[File:Flag_of_the_United_States.svg|border|22px]] {{W|Omaha, Nebraska}}, {{W|United States|U.S.}}|nationality = Canadian-American|other_names = Christopher Columbus Michaels<br>Christopher Michaels<br>Chris Michaels<br>Crystal Michaels<br>Kris Michaels|residence = [[File:Flag_of_Canada.svg|border|22px]] {{W|Toronto}}, {{W|Ontario}}, {{W|Canada}}|years_active = 1985-present}}
-'''Kristian Michaels''' (born '''Christopher Columbus Michaels''', July 6, 1970) is a Canadian-American voice actress and puppeteer. She has voiced women, men, and children due to her versatile vocal range.
 == Career ==
+From 1991 onwards under the pseudonym of ''Louise Farlone'', Kristian was a prominent writer of fan-fiction. Her ''{{W|Dungeons & Dragons}}'' fanfiction ''[[No, You Are Our Hero]]'' won the first annual [[North American Fanfiction Writers' Prize]]. She has also worked as a modeler on ''{{W|Second Life}}'' and has been active in the {{W|Neopets}} community.
-For several years beginning in the mid-1990s, Kristian worked on several Muppets projects - as a writer (co-writing ''[[Journey to Eagle Rock (TV film)|Journey to Eagle Rock]]'' and episodes of ''[[Eagle Rock (TV series)|Eagle Rock]]''), as a puppeteer (she was an ensemble Muppeteer for ''Sesame Park'' and ''[[Wacky Works]]''), and doing photo puppet work for several Muppets books. She was the first transgender Muppeteer. She also performed a walk-around version of Louis the otter in ''[[Sesame Park Live: When I Grow Up]]'' and ''[[Sesame Park Live: 1-2-3 Imagine!]]'' and walk-arounds of Zoe and Rosita at [[Ontario's Playland]]. She was sometimes referred to in her Muppets works as "Crystal Michaels", her post-transition real name.
+For several years beginning in the mid-1990s, Michaels worked on several Muppets projects - as a writer (co-writing ''[[Journey to Eagle Rock (TV film)|Journey to Eagle Rock]]'' and episodes of ''[[Eagle Rock (TV series)|Eagle Rock]]''), as a puppeteer (she performed Brenda and the Grand Councilor in [[Eagle Rock (TV series)|''Eagle Rock'']], and was an ensemble Muppeteer for ''Sesame Park'' and ''[[Wacky Works]]''), and doing photo puppet work for several Muppets books. She also performed a walk-around version of Louis the otter in ''[[Sesame Park Live: When I Grow Up]]'' and ''[[Sesame Park Live: 1-2-3 Imagine!]]'' and walk-arounds of Zoe and Rosita at [[Ontario's Playland]]. She has sometimes been credited in her Muppets works as "Crystal Michaels", her post-transition real name.
-She was Creative Director for [[Latikuu Edacra Entertainment North America]] from 2001-2005.
+One thing Michaels is known for is having a wide vocal range; this is arguably best heard in the contrast between the voices of ''[[Peek-a-Boo! (Canadian TV series)|Peek-A-Boo!]]'' characters Wan Wan (contralto/tenor) and U-Tan (soprano).
-Kristian has also worked as a voice artist with the successful {{W|Toronto}}-based animation firm {{W|Nelvana}}, lending her voice to ''[[Squeak! The Mouse Show]]'', ''[[Redwall: The Movie]]'' and other projects.
+Michaels has been doing voice work in the ''Silverwing'' franchise since 2004, when she took over the role of Ariel Silverwing, Shade's mother.
-== Personal Life ==
-Kristian was born in {{W|Omaha, Nebraska}}, {{W|United States|U.S.}} to a Canadian father of Czech origin and American mother. She was born '''Christopher Columbus Michaels''' (named after the explorer) and was assigned male at birth. Her father, at the time a historian at [[Auvray College]], had been rescued in the {{W|Kindertransport}} and was adopted by a Canadian couple from {{W|Brandon, Manitoba}}. Kristian came out as transgender to her parents on her {{age|1970|7|6|1986|7|6}}th birthday.
+Michaels has also worked as a voice artist with the successful {{W|Toronto}}-based animation firm {{W|Nelvana}}, lending her voice to ''[[Squeak! The Mouse Show]]'', ''[[Redwall: The Movie]]'' and other projects.
-Kristian graduated from {{W|Crestwood Secondary School}} in {{W|Peterborough, Ontario}}, {{W|Canada}} in 1989 under the name of "Chris Michaels", and was her class' valedictorian. She studied at the {{W|University of Toronto Scarborough}}.
+Michaels puppeteers [[List of characters owned by Seagrounds Financial Group|Noel the Panther]] in ''[[Between the Lions: Let's Explore]]'' and the ''Between the Lions'' reboot.
-Visual artist and cultural advisor [[Walton Michaels]] is her older brother.
+== Personal life ==
+Michaels lives in {{W|Toronto}}.
 [[Category:United States]]
 [[Category:Canada]]
-[[Category:Fictional voice actresses]]
 [[Category:Voice actresses]]
-[[Category:1970]]
+[[Category:Actresses]]
-[[Category:1970 births]]
+[[Category:Television writers]]
-[[Category:Omaha, Nebraska]]
-[[Category:Toronto]]
-[[Category:Ontario]]
-[[Category:Fictional LGBT people]]
-[[Category:LGBT people]]
-[[Category:Fictional Muppet performers]]
 [[Category:Muppet performers]]
-[[Category:Fictional puppeteers]]
 [[Category:Puppeteers]]
+[[Category:1970 births]]
+[[Category:Transgender actresses]]
+[[Category:Actresses from Omaha, Nebraska]]
+[[Category:People from Peterborough, Ontario]]
+[[Category:Canadian puppeteers]]
+[[Category:Canadian transgender actors]]
+[[Category:Canadian people of Czech-Jewish descent]]
+[[Category:Canadian people of American descent]]
+[[Category:Canadian people of English descent]]
+[[Category:American emigrants to Canada]]