"Squid Game" Doll Voice Sensation & Actress Reagan To
Tell us who Reagan To is. Hello, my name is Reagan To! I am an actress, dancer, model, performer, and I love my job. I am 10 years old and in 4th grade right now. I live in Los Angeles—I love it here in California! I get to be in many projects where I can perform. I feel blessed that my family lives here in LA.
At such a young age, you became a viral phenomenon! How does it feel? How much has your life changed after “Squid Game”? Wow—I am still surprised and thrilled by Squid Game’s success worldwide! It is all over the internet, and I still come across videos of people dressed up as the doll and using my Squid Game voice. It feels so unreal! I remember my dad showing me my voice on Saturday Night Live one day, and I felt like I was dreaming. I feel very lucky to voice both Ga-Yeong and the Squid Game doll for the Netflix series. Both roles were very challenging, but very fun to voice! The voiceover director for my Squid Game project taught me a lot about getting the voices right.
When you are in school, are people treating you differently? Do you have your own section/lunch table/no homework pass? Essentially a ‘get out of trouble’ pass. My friends keep talking about series at school! I am very glad that my friends treat me the same so that I can just play and be myself. It’s also very hard for me to find the time to do homework. I am very thankful to my teacher Mr. Chu. He works with my acting schedule so I can balance jobs and school. Whenever I miss school, my teacher will prepare a giant packet of homework, and I must go over the lesson by myself. I never want to fall behind, so I get my homework done when my mom drives me to Hollywood for my auditions and projects!
We know you love to do science experiments. Tell us about your most interesting/fun experiment? Any experiments ever go wrong? (Explosions, giant mess) Yeah! It’s so exciting when I do science-related activities! I usually look for experiments I can do with stuff around the kitchen so that my brother can also help. It’s really fun because it makes me feels like I’m performing as a scientist. Last time, I was playing with vinegar and baking soda. At first, my volcano wasn’t moving, and I thought it didn’t work. Nothing happened, and I was so confused. Then I poured another cup of vinegar, and it went poof! I was screaming to my brother, and we ran away. It felt like we were in a disaster movie—it was so fun!
You have so many talents, ballroom dance award winner, modeling, musician. If you do not continue acting, what would be your career choice? I really love performing! Dancing in competitions is just as fun as doing voice work. I find that dancing is my relaxing time. I have been competing in Latin dancing for six years. It makes me really happy. For me, it’s another creative outlet to just let go and have fun. I think it’s really important for me to try different arts and performances. They help me explore new roles, and they open me up to new characters and moves that I didn’t think about before. Dancing and modeling taught me what is important in-front of the camera. Whenever I’m dancing or modeling, I feel that my mind is focused. Even though I get tired at the end, it feels really relaxing afterward! One day I hope I can dance with JoJo Siwa!
As a voice actor, what vocal exercises do you practice? To get ready, I like to take time to practice before a performance. When voicing a role, I find that is it important to also think about how the actress performed live in front of the camera. Then I have to match that to get a natural voice for both the character and the actress. In my singing classes, my teachers taught me many exercises to get my voice ready. I remember for my role in The King’s Affection on Netflix, I practiced some vocal exercises in Korean as well. Some roles need me to use a huge range of voices and emotions, so I make sure to take more time to get ready!
As a child voice actor, while living home with your family, where do you go to practice loud scenes? Or loud vocal exercises? Oh, I have a big brother—he always walks into my room when I’m practicing telling me to quiet down! My mom helps me set up an audition room so I can practice and perform. But when the role needs me to be really loud, there is one trick I do—it’s called hiding in my closet! It hides me from my brother, so I can finally practice my loud vocal exercise. The role I voiced for Sisyphus: The Myth on Netflix needed a lot of vocal range, so I was screaming, yelling, and crying. My favorite exercise is to sing the whole ABC song, but in just one breath! It’s fun because I get to hear myself, and then see how much I improve!
How have you managed to balance your schoolwork, acting and your other activities so far? Auditions really keep me happy! I love performing and giving my best at a new role. When I look at the script for a new character, it feels like I’m meeting a new person and a new friend. I get to learn a lot during the auditions as much as I do at my dance competitions. Both keep me happy, and I feel that when I’m happy, I can more easily balance my job with school. I always thank my mom and Mr. Chu for working on my schedule together. The best part about my amazing teacher is making sure I am always on time with my homework!
So, you have aspirations of opening your own bakery. What is your favorite thing to bake? Oh, wow—now I’m thinking about that question again. If I can’t perform anymore, I think I would be baking sweets! You will see me open a giant bakery and baking school, so one day everyone can come and enjoy my sweets. It’s fun because sometimes I get to bake with my dad, and I always have to teach him. It feels like I’m on the show Bake Off and trying to rush but teach at the same time. Muffins are always a great choice because I get to decorate! There are so many kinds of muffins I can do a whole series on!
Do you have any upcoming projects or roles you would like to share? I am so excited to be part of an animation project—it was my first animation! I always thought about what I would look like as a cartoon because it’s so different from what I did before at the studio. I can’t spoil anything, but I feel very lucky to work with the animation team and the director to get the voice right. I am also currently working on more voiceover projects for TV series too—they are hugely successful dramas from overseas like Italy and Spain! When I get any news, I usually can’t wait to share more on Instagram, so follow me at @reagan_to for my next roles!
You’re a celebrity now, with such a large fan base of all ages. How does it feel to be a household name?
I have so much to learn so I wouldn’t say I am a celebrity yet! I’m glad that my friends and my family support what I do. I would love to be part of more projects in front of the camera. I love showing all sides of my personality, so it’s fun to share my passions. It’s so awesome when people recognize me for my performances! It’s great to tell new stories people haven’t experienced yet—I get so happy to see viewers enjoy my performances. One day I hope I can get there!
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Writer's information:
Rasheena is an educator, creative, and writer from Far Rockaway, Queens. She wears many hats and is passionate about Black culture, early childhood development, and enjoying life. Stay connected with Rasheena on Instagram @rahaka