You may not recognize E.G. Daily at first glance, but you most certainly will recognize her voice, especially if you are the parent of a young child. E.G. has given life to some of the most memorable characters in the world of cartoons and children’s movies.
From Babe, the adorable talking pig in the live-action film Babe: Pig in the City, to Tommy Pickles on Nickelodeon’s top-rated Rugrats to the go
get ’em Buttercup on the hit Cartoon Network show Powerpuff Girls, E.G. is a voice-over powerhouse and perhaps one of the most famous and talented voice-over artists in the world today. She is certainly one of the busiest, with two top cartoon shows under way at the same time and other projects always in the works.
The glamorous E.G. has made her mark in the world of adults, too. She has starred in more than 15 feature films, had a Billboard number one dance hit, and is the author and producer of her own one-woman musical play, which debuted earlier this year in Los Angeles to rave reviews.
With all that talent, it is surprising that Daily would have time for anything other than her career, but this busy lady puts family first. For E.G., that includes her two daughters and their house full of beloved pets. She and her girls currently have a Chihuahua named Sharky, a pot-bellied pig named Mimi, and a Rottweiler named Cassius who lives in a unique “shared ownership” arrangement between Daily and her assistant.
PETS MAKE IT A HOME
E.G. says she has always had animals in her life. A friendly person with an open and direct manner, Daily recounts how she grew up in the Los Angeles area surrounded by furry friends of all types and sizes. “We have almost always had animals,” she says, explaining, “my dad is sort of a cowboy.”
Her family lived part of the week in West Hollywood and the rest of the time on their ranch in the country. No matter where they were, though, they always had animals around them, even in their “city” quarters in West Hollywood. “We just had a big yard and a lot of animals.”
Daily and her sister grew up playing unusual games, including “Dodge the Bull,” in which they would run through the pasture and jump over the fence to get away from the charging bull. While she does not currently have a bovine in her backyard, she says of her own children, “I am pretty adamant about their being raised with animals, too.” That was the reason she allowed them to get Sharky, a black and white Chihuahua that was a gift from E.G.’s mother.
While she already had an older husky at the time, she wanted her children to also have the experience of raising a dog, “so that they can learn that he needs things. He needs to go out, to be fed, to be held. Sharky was like a tiny baby.”
Daily believes her children learned wonderful lessons from that experience. “It gives them some sense of responsibility for another life. Now, in their little lives, they have learned to be responsible. It is a great way to teach kids compassion,” she notes. (Of course, it goes without saying that children and pets should always be properly supervised during their time together.)
While Sharky was supposed to be the children’s dog, however, he ultimately wound up bonding with E. G. “Sharky and I have just fallen in love,” she laughs. “He is feisty, but with me he is really loving and gentle.” While she admits they are “working” with him to be better with strangers, he is the perfect family dog. At night, he sleeps right on top of her daughter and always seems to think that, despite his small size, “he is guarding us. He does not seem to know how little he is,” E.G. notes.
THE HUMAN–ANIMAL CONNECTION
That protective feeling Sharky has for his family is one of the reasons E.G. treasures the animals in her life. “I think they make you laugh a lot. Protect you. I think they fill a huge space in your house.” Even though Sharky is a little Chihuahua, “when he is not there, there is a huge ‘energy’ missing from the house,” says Daily. “They are a part of your family—a complete family member.”
In return for all that devotion, E.G. feels that owners have some very definite responsibilities toward their pets, too. “You need to really cherish them. Do not neglect them or leave them out in the backyard all the time,” says Daily, adding, “animals bloom with a lot of nurturing, just like people and kids.” Daily also thinks it is important to try to rescue animals from shelters. That is how she has obtained most of her pets except for the ones that were given to her.
When you do decide it is time to get a pet, it is important to make sure you are prepared for what they need. For example, before E.G. and her girls brought home their pot-bellied pig Mimi, “we did a lot of reading and research to make sure we could provide a nice home for her.”
Mimi is also black and white, just like Sharky, and together they make a cute pair. Mimi loves to be held, and E.G. says she makes these “cute little nuzzling sounds” when she is in your arms. Part of taking good care of pets includes providing them with proper veterinary care, and Daily has good relationships with her veterinarians as a result. She is especially charmed by how attentive her “pig” veterinarian is. He frequently calls to check up on Mimi after appointments. When her husky, Jake, died recently, she was also deeply touched by the expressions of sympathy she received from his veterinarian.
When animals do not fit into your home life or lifestyle for some reason, owners also have to take responsibility for either making creative changes or finding the animal a good home. E.G. knows from personal experience. Her Rottweiler Cassius, whom she “inherited” from her marriage, was “a big snuggle bear” with people but was dangerously aggressive with her older dog, Jake. She tried separating them but was constantly worried that someone would leave a door or gate open. So E.G. found a creative solution. Her assistant, who had known Cassius since he was a puppy and loved him, started taking him home at night and on weekends. Although Jake is now gone, Cassius has become so attached to his caretaker that they have continued the arrangement and he now has two families. He spends time at Daily’s house during the day and the rest of the time lives with his “other” family. “Cassius seems better now that he is the top dog. He needs lots of one-on-one attention, and now he gets it,” Daily says.
THE SECRETS OF HER SUCCESS
That empathic ability to understand animals and what they need is part of the reason why she is so good at voicing animals and children. For example, how did she manage to do such a spot-on job capturing the personality of that loving and loyal little pig in Babe: Pig in the City? “I understand completely that animals have feelings and are very in tune. Animals are very intuitive,” says Daily.
Her incredible range is one of the other reasons for her success. E.G. is able to create voices of all kinds and all ages. She says she often gets her inspiration for the voice from looking at pictures of the character, especially the shape of the character’s mouth. This ability has allowed her to win parts simply on the strength of a single audition. She seems to know what a character is supposed to sound like. Her contribution to Rugrats through her signature character Tommy Pickles, for example, is an important part of that show’s Emmy-winning success and its various movies.
At home, her success at juggling her schedule so that kids and pets can be a priority boils down to two words: “Have help.” She has an assistant who sets her schedules so that she can drop off and pick up her kids at school. She does most of her voice work while they are in school and her recording work and other types of projects at night while they are asleep. “My kid time is scheduled first, and my animals are part of that time,” Daily says.
It also helps that she has a housekeeper who loves her animals as much as she does. “We fight over who is going to get to sleep with them,” she laughs. Although she has help, the fact that she is a single mother still makes it hard. No matter how tough it has been, though, E.G. says it is all worth it: “It has been an interesting ride.”
SAYING GOODBYE TO A SPECIAL FRIEND
Like many devoted pet owners, E.G. has had her share of tough goodbyes. Most recently, she lost her beloved husky, Jake, when he died suddenly of a ruptured splenic tumor. E.G. describes how, when her daughter was little, she would watch her on the baby monitor. She was always amazed to see that, when the baby started to fuss, Jake would walk over to her and nuzzle her through the bars of her crib. He would stay there with the baby until E.G. came to see what was wrong.
Ironically, Daily says when she found Jake in a shelter 13 years ago, “I was actually looking for a Chihuahua.” When she walked in, though, she saw “the most regal looking, peaceful dog” and could not help but bring him home with her. Jake had been in a car accident, and the veterinarians
at the shelter thought he would lose his foot. E.G. nursed him back to health, however, and within a short time he was running “like a champ,” she says.
Jake repaid her kindness with a devotion of his own. She credits him with helping her get through a series of life changes—career bumps, marriage, children, and divorce.
The hardest thing for her has been that he died while E.G. was away on a rare vacation. Her assistant called her and said, “Something is wrong with Jake.” He had collapsed suddenly. Her assistant held the phone up to his ear and Daily at least got to say goodbye. He died while she was on the phone with him. “You feel them forever,” says E.G. of her loss, noting that she still misses her childhood dog, Brittany, which she lost more than 20 years ago.
A TRUE HOLLYWOOD INSIDER
E.G.’s name turns up in more places than you can imagine. In addition to Buttercup and Tommy Pickles, E.G. also voices Rudy Tabootie on Nickelodeon’s ChalkZone and has additional voice-over credits in Starship Troopers, Recess, Woody Woodpecker, Eek the Cat, Duck Days, Duckman, Jungle Cubs, Problem Child, and Baby Blues. Other cartoon voices are in the works. She provided the voice of Froggy in the feature film The Little Rascals as well as Bam Bam in The Flintstones and Lorenzo in the Academy Award winning film, Lorenzo’s Oil.
E.G. is a singer/songwriter who has co-written and co-produced two solo CDs on A&M Records and has had several of her songs hit the top of the Billboard charts, including “Say It, Say It,” which became a number one hit and music video. Her latest CD, “Tearing Down the Walls,” is available in stores nationwide. She has composed music and performed on a number of soundtracks, including Thief of Hearts, Scarface, The Breakfast Club, Summer School, and Babe: Pig in the City.
In the Los Angeles area, she has recently concluded a one-woman musical play that she wrote and produced, called “Listen Closely.” She is also a regular attendee at the annual Divas Simply Singing benefit concert and has entertained troops at Edwards Air Force Base.
What is next for E.G.? She has on-camera roles in a couple of upcoming feature films: Devil’s Rejects and National Lampoon’s Pledge This!, in which she plays Paris Hilton’s mother. She also has done voice work for a yet-to-be-released movie starring Elijah Wood in which she voices the young Elijah Wood as well as a penguin called Mumble. And, of course, she is still holding out for her dream role—“I still have not played my starring role in one of those big Disney musical features.” She would love to do a musical like Aladdin or Beauty and the Beast. “I have done almost everything else,” she laughs.
You can check out E.G.’s Web site at www.egdaily.com.