Regardless of the story (Jo’s voice-over work ranges from legendary Cuban singer Celia Cruz to a lesbian “Muscle woman” to a variety of comical characters), Pratta believes in suffering to find the true essence of the character. She regards every role she takes on as important and strives to give it everything she has. Jo is also aware of bad voice-over work and easily recognizes it. She comments, “Some people take the work we do for granted, thinking that you can simply show up at the studio, say the lines and leave. I’ve actually seen that happen and the end result is not pretty. It ends up sounding like a bad samurai movie and comes off comical. Imagine watching a dramatic hospital scene and seeing the emotion on the actors’ faces: pain, angst, etc. One actor opens their mouth to deliver a heartfelt line only to sound as if they’re ordering a sandwich. Your ear, after many years of watching movies and television, will instantly catch this aberration. If it continues, it actually becomes difficult to watch the mixed signals on the faces and what you’re hearing. Thus, just as much (if not more) heart and effort must be given for the voice-over as in the on-camera performance.” It’s this respectful and committed mindset that has given Jo an edge over many others. It has earned her the respect of her peers. André Mattos costarred with Pratta on Allá Te Espero but has been an admirer of her abilities for many years. Mattos confirms, “I have known Jo since she was a child actor back in Brazil, and I have always been charmed by her sweet personality combined with fierce acting skills. I have seen her growth from project to project and I must say, I am very proud to have directed her in many projects throughout the years. In Allá Te Espero, Jo’s talent and voice gave life to the character of Lucia in a very important way, since she was the motherly figure and very important in the development of the plot.” Lucia is a matriarch character in this production which focuses on a family and their struggles in an attempt to achieve the American Dream. Lucia is older than Jo and called for the actress to age her voice subtly and imply the pain of a woman who husband has died, leaving her a widow. Pratta threw herself into investigating the state of mind of Lucia and her life experiences, regarding the voice over performance every bit as demanding as the one onscreen. She found herself reading articles online about broken homes and self-help blogs about how to get over the loss of a loved one… things which she otherwise had no business reading. Having these genuine feelings of loss made Jo appreciate the people and things in my life that she was actually afraid of losing and thereby convey them in her performance.
Jo loves her homeland and family in Rio but admits that she has always desired a career in the US. For a voice-over actress like herself, as well as many entertainers throughout the world, Hollywood is the brass ring. Since her early days of acting as a child, she understood that the best of the best in entertainment come to America to be a part of this creative community. One might not expect an actress who has played villains as well as music icons like Celia Cruz to cherish the dream of working with Tim Burton but, in LA…it doesn’t seem farfetched at all. There’s a universality to Burton’s movies that makes sense when you consider Jo’s many languages and residences in different parts of the planet. Hard work and humor are a common trait for the filmmaker and this voice-over actress as well. That comical surface which, upon investigation, reveals immense talent. It would seem that Jo Pratta, empowered by her quirky outlook and talent, would be well placed in Hollywood.