OSCARS
Who is Sylvia Villagran, the Latina set to make Oscars history?
The voice actress is making history by becoming the first Latina announcer at the 2023 Oscars award show.
With the excitement of the 2023 Oscars well underway, a number of people have been working behind the scenes to make the show a reality. One of those people is Sylvia Villagran, a bilingual voice actress who is the first Latina announcer for the Oscars.
Villagran is joining a select group of voice actors to have had the honor of being the voice of the Oscars, welcoming attendees and viewers to the show, and announcing presenters to the stage.
Villagran is excited to be the first Latina to announce the Osc
Villagran has worked in the industry since 1998 as a voice actress in video games, commercials, movies, and television.
A native Angelino, Villagran grew up in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles as a first-generation Mexican in the United States.
“Representing for Latinos, it’s a huge, huge thing,” Villagran told ABC7.
“When I first started, there was nobody. There were no Latinos doing what I do. So this a really wonderful thing for me and also for my family.”
Villagran is passionate about her work, enjoying the process of bringing written words to life.
“There’s something really beautiful about taking something that was written and giving voice to that,” she said.
As a Latina in a male-dominated industry with very little Latin American representation, she hopes she can be a role model for aspiring Latina voice actresses.
“Moving forward now, all these years later, I am absolutely thrilled that I can get to be that for young girls, and they get to see that this a possibility for them,” the voice actress explained.
Villagran has also worked as the announcer for the Emmys, Tonys, and the Grammys, and now with her upcoming Oscar work, she’ll be an EGOT announcer.
“I haven’t won them, but yes I’ve announced them. What an honor, right? I’m pinching myself. Everything that I’ve always dreamt of doing, all the hard work, has paid off.”
Women making history as announcers at the Oscars
Villagran joins both Janora McDuffie and Randy Thomas, who both made history as women announcers at the Oscars.
McDuffie was the first gay and Black voice actress to announce the Oscars during the 2022 Oscars, while Thomas became the first woman to announce the Oscars when she worked as the award show’s announcer in 1993. Thomas went on to be the award show’s announcer on 10 different occasions.
When to watch the 2023 Oscars
Catch the 95th Annual Academy Awards show on Sunday, March 12, 2023, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PST on ABC.