WonderCon is almost always an amazing experience, and we were fortunate to have a fellow shellhead on hand at the event this year. Machelle Noel (AKA our very own April O’Neil) of GeekRockTV performed interviews with a variety of actors while attending the convention, but her discussion with Greg Cipes may have been one of the most interesting. As you may know, Cipes plays the role of Michelangelo in Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and he had a lot of interesting things to say about the fifth and final season of this series.
One of the biggest revelations was that he has written the lyrics for an Ice Cream Kitty song which will soon get its own music video. He also revealed that the series will finish off with an epic 3 part story which will wrap things up quite nicely. Afterward, he dropped a not-so-subtle hint which may have answered one of the biggest questions we’ve had for several months when saying “you never know where I’ll pop up in the new show.”
Machelle Noel tried to get some more definitive information about this, but all Cipes would say is that the amount of involvement he has with Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will depend upon the fans. It would appear that Nickelodeon may just decide to make Greg Cipes a regular on the show if the fans show enough support for him. Regardless of what comes next, he tried to reassure fellow shellheads by stating that he’ll always be Mikey where it counts and he’ll always be a part of the fan base.
After asking these questions, Noel moved on to a quickfire round of sorts which produced some pretty interesting answers. Here’s a rundown of some awesome responses from Greg Cipes himself:
- He owns a pair of nunchucks and practices martial arts
- The first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie was his favorite
- He prefers the animated series over TMNT comics or movies
- His favorite pizza topping is Avocado (he is a Raw Vegan)
These were only a few of the more significant topics covered by Machelle Noel during the interview. If you’d like to see more, make sure to watch the whole thing in the video above. Alternatively, you can also check out her interviews with actors/actresses like Luke Perry, Rachel Kimsey, Wes Gleason, and Marisol Nichols in the video below. If you want to see everything else Machelle has been up to, check out her work on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter @MachelleNoelTV and @GeekRockTV. Special Thanks to Machelle Noel, Matthew Weatherson, Matt Beck, Emily Beck and GeekRockTV.com.
WonderCon 2017 | Nickelodeon | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Interviewer: Machelle Noel | Writer: Justin Wren
Article Source: www.TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles.com
Date: Friday – March 31, 2017 | Location: Anahiem Convention Center
With Teen Titans Go and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, you never know what to expect – especially with Greg Cipes, the voice of the funny, ‘Beast Boy’ and ‘Michelangelo’ who is the epitome of surprise. With an amusing episode of a tooth fairy stealing the holiday of Easter and a prominent battle between the two, these shows are two you can’t miss. When asked what the audience should expect in future episodes in Teen Titans Go, Greg laughed light-hearted, saying the whole fifth season is “really fun, where we get loose and creative” – even mentioning a song he wrote just for an episode. Cipes stated that the assurance of his role being reprised was up to the fans, citing there’s popular hashtags in support of him staying the voice of these classic characters gushing that he’ll “always be Mikey…” So what does Greg Cipes geek out about? Well, I think fans would be surprised that for Cipes, dogs are the “highest form of life on the planet”. He also loves ‘Geeking Out’ over meditation and yoga, saying it makes a difference for every role he plays. “Well, I like to be healthy, happy and holy which means controlling what comes in your body because that will affect what will come out of your body.” So, of course we had to ask Greg what foods he eats and what food he stays away from, which is anything that comes from animals. Greg is a flexitarian and credits that his raw, vegan super-food diet gives him that funny, adorable voice we all love hearing. Besides eating right and dabbling in yoga, Cipes gave us the distinct difference of his experiences within the animation world and the video gaming world as a voice-over actor, adamantly saying it’s huge. “As far as an actor playing in both worlds, with video games, it’s more tedious… you’re there all day long and you’re doing a million lines and screaming, and it’s kinda piecemeal together into some kind of thing, which is cool. Whereas, when you record a show such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Teen Titans Go! – it’s a smoother experience and a lot more fun”. Speaking of fun, to keep up Cipes’ adventurous spirit, he has a pair of nun-chucks, practices martial arts, has a black belt and yells his favorite slogan from time to time. What is his favorite slogan do you ask? Boo-ya-cha-sha!
Don’t miss the new episodes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Teen Titans Go on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.
Host: So, what’s going on with the show?
Greg: Well, you know with Teen Titans Go, you never know what to expect. We got a really fun Easter episode coming up where the tooth fairy tries to steal the holiday of Easter and we gotta battle the tooth fairy, oh course. But it’s an odd situation because you really get to dive into the nuts and bolts of the Easter bunny, like where does the egg come from?
Host: What can we expect from future episodes?
Greg: Well, the whole fifth season is really a fun, fun season – where we really got loose and creative. There is also a fun ice cream song I produced and wrote with my buddy, ham who I love. I also created a Facebook series called Mikey and Mikey which the fans are loving.
Host: Now, will you be reprising your role? All we know, is that it will be set in 2018, it’s a 2D version called rise of the ninja turtles?
Greg: Yeah, I really think that’s up to the fans. You know, there’s been a lot of talk and a lot of hashtags like, “keep Mikey Greg” and you know, I’ll always be Mikey. You never know when I might pop up and be a part of the TMNT series, for sure.
Host: You are so awesome. So, what else do you Geek out about?
Greg: Umm, you know, I geek-out on my dogs. I love my dogs, they are the highest form of life on the planet.
Host:as a voice-over actor, how do you describe your experience within the animation world and the video gaming world? Is there much of a difference?
Greg: I think there’s a great difference. As far as an actor playing in both worlds, you know I’ve done a lot of video games, mostly I do television shows and movies. But with video games, it’s more tedious (as far as the recording process goes), you’re like there all day long and you’re doing a million lines and screaming… and it’s kinda piecemeal together into some kind of thing, which is cool. Whereas, when you record a show such as TMNT or Teen Titans Go! – it’s a smoother experience and a lot more fun.
Host: What are some voice over techniques that you do prior to your recording? How do you keep that voice precious?
Greg: Well, I like to be healthy, happy and holy which means controlling what comes in your nine holes in your body because that will affect what will come out of your nine holes in your body, so…
Host:You definitely inspired me to get into my Zen mode, that’s for sure.
Greg: I surf, I teach mediation and yoga.
Host: just going back to the yoga, what foods do you normally avoid and what helps?
Greg: Well, I’m a flexitarian but mostly I’m a raw, vegan super foodist – so I like to eat yummy, plantbased meals… umm, kale salads are like my favorite things in the whole world. I make the best one ever. But I don’t like eating dead animals. It’s not good for the animals and it’s not good for the you or the earth.
Host: Okay, so fast round, do you own a pair of nunchucks?
Greg: I do, I have a couple pair of nunchucks.
Host: Do you practice martial arts?
Greg: I do. I was a black belt and I trained in many different styles.
Host: Out of the 5 ninja turtle movies, which one is your favorite?
Greg: The first TMNT movie was my favorite.
Host: Are you more into TMNT comics, movies or animation?
Greg: More into the show the nick series.
Host: What’s your favorite pizza topping? Because we all know it’s all about that cheese.
Greg: Avocado. I don’t eat cheese
Host: Favorite slogan?
Greg: Boo-ya-cha-sha!
Anissa Morgan | Writing Contributor & Transcriber
B.A. | Communication | University of North Carolina
M.F.A. | Screenwriting | Chapman University
Anissa Morgan is a first-year graduate student at Chapman University pursuing a Screenwriting MFA degree. She is dedicated in taking her youthful exuberance, unbridled energy, creative optimism and diverse perspective and channeling those traits in every project she encounters. In addition, Anissa has demonstrated a history of working in the Motion Pictures & Film industry. Her skills include: Communication, Public Speaking, Media Relations, Writing, and Leadership. Anissa has written full newscasts, screenplays, directed and produced segments and have been afforded the opportunity to be in them. She has continually been sharpening her skills by turning her ideas into real-life scripts. From deep novels to addicting telenovelas, her love for TV has helped her focus and direct her writing into something she can one day see on any television screen. Find her Portfolio| View My Blogs
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