From Pokémon stardom to Calgary Expo: an interview with Sarah Natochenny
By Ben Read, May 21 2026—
Sarah Natochenny is a voice actress who is best known for her work as Ash Ketchum in the animated Pokémon series. She had a booth set up for Calgary Expo from April 23 to 26 where local Calgarian fans and fans from all over the world for this event would get the chance to meet her. Prior to Expo, the Gauntlet got the opportunity to interview her regarding being part of a franchise as massive as Pokémon, her experience with voice acting and meeting fans at conventions like Calgary Expo.
“It’s such an honour to be part of a franchise that’s crossed all borders, all languages, and affected so many people in so many wonderful ways,” said Natochenny.
Natochenny mentioned how she was grateful to have gotten the opportunity to meet with fans who have been personally impacted by her work. She recalled that she has had interactions with a large variety of fans from those who have served in the military service to others who were able to work through medical crises thanks to their experience with Pokémon. The franchise is capable of breaking boundaries and connecting people from many walks of life, primarily due to its uniquely global popularity within popular culture.
“I love to experiment and to find things in the character that might not necessarily be obvious.” said Natochenny.
When asked about her favourite part of the job of voice acting, Natochenny mentioned her love for diving deep into the character she is working with. She picks out certain traits of the character she is voicing, and experiments with her characters through these traits. The escapism into her roles offered her the chance to delve into being someone she isn’t.
“Working with great people is a joy. 50% of the joy of acting is working with great people and escaping into roles and being somebody I could never be in real life,” said Natochenny.
Natochenny also mentioned her enjoyment of working with other people. While recording lines remotely often causes voice actors to be isolated from their coworkers, conventions like Calgary Expo allow her to experience the connectivity that recording sessions would often lack. Furthermore, the option to go into recording studios as opposed to recording remotely provides the potential for human connection within the voice acting industry, which has continued more frequently after the pandemic.
“It’s not theatre, so you’re not in front of anybody. So the people who are enjoying what you’re putting out are not directly in front of you. So it’s really nice to go to these things and have them directly in front of you,” said Natochenny.
Natochenny spoke about the joys of interacting with fans who have grown to appreciate her work, as well as seeing how the fans experience with her roles have affected or stuck with them. Her comparison between theatre and voice acting displays the fundamental differences between the two mediums, while also exemplifying how fan interactions at conventions like Calgary Expo define the fandom interactions and learning how fans enjoy your work.
Some of Natochenny’s upcoming projects include live action films such as Raccoon by Michael Basta and By Nothing, a Duplos Brothers movie which is directed by Bob Byington. She is also going to star as Elya in Granite Waves, a series that will launch as the first vertical animated series on the Ryuu app.
Sarah Natochenny was at Calgary Expo from April 23rd to April 26th. Those interested in attending Calgary Expo can find more information on how to get there on their website