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B.J. Ward

B.J. Ward is an American actor, singer and voice performer whose career has moved comfortably between the stage, recording studio, television and film. Born on September 16, 1944, in Wilmington, Ward began onstage in 1960 as an understudy for Luisa, also known as the Girl, in the original off-Broadway production of The Fantasticks. She secured the opportunity by calling the show’s producer—a fittingly direct opening to a career shaped by versatility and initiative. After touring briefly with the Groundlings, Ward began building her voice-over career with Hanna-Barbera’s Jana of the Jungle in 1978. Voice acting became the work for which she is best known, drawing together her experience as an actor and singer. Her career also includes work as a film actor and opera singer, making vocal performance a consistent thread across several different forms. Ward’s singing career extends well beyond voice-over. She released seven albums and became known for her acclaimed one-woman show, Stand-Up Opera, which found success with critics and audiences. The project neatly reflects the range of her work: theatrical, musical and centered on the expressive possibilities of the voice. Although voice acting remains central to Ward’s profile, she has also appeared in live-action television. In 1985, she made a rare film appearance in the television movie Malice in Wonderland alongside Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Alexander. Her television guest roles include appearances on Frasier, ER and In-Laws. Across these different parts of her career, Ward has avoided being confined to one medium. Stage performance, opera, albums, animation and television all belong to the same larger picture: a performer whose voice has been both an instrument and an acting tool.