The Voice of Barney

Have you met Barney? It is almost needless to say that Dean Wendt, the man behind the purple dinosaur, has led a colourful career. Known for his “friendly, welcoming tone”, Dean’s voice has appeared in various mediums and concert tours around the world, such as “Barney’s Colorful World” and “The Let’s Go Tour,” as well as in over 250 television shows and videos.

Before voicing Barney on the award-winning children’s show Barney and Friends, and working with emerging stars like Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato, Dean was the co-founder and first DJ on Radio Disney. Dean also worked on numerous live television shows, such as Live with Regis and Kelly, Today, Fox News, Wayne Brady Show, and Rosie, and has voiced thousands of spots for well-known clients, including Mattel, Hit Entertainment, Walt Disney Company, Levi Strauss, ABC Radio, Levi’s, SeaWorld, and NBCUniversal.

The widely-recognized voice of a beloved character came about in a memorable way. “I had auditioned back when I was working at Radio Disney. I really never thought I had a chance,” Dean recalls. “I got a call from one of the producers asking if I could come in and do a live audition in front of the executive producer and others. The next day I followed the directions they gave me to the recording studio. Well, it wasn’t a recording studio. It was a small apartment in Allen, TX. I was pretty sure it was a prank at this point. I walked into the apartment and the sound engineer had a huge mixing console in his living room. Good sign. He then told me to go into the back room, and then into a closet he had outfitted with a television monitor and microphone.” Dean laughs, “It was odd, but eventually the other producers showed up and I did the audition.”

Fast forward 15 years, and Dean is still living the dream. “I want to just keep doing what I am doing. I love doing voiceover. I love doing characters,” Dean smiles. “I’m very fortunate to be able to do something I love.”

When it comes to how the signature voice of Barney has benefited his career, Dean reveals “I try not to tell people up front because I want to get the jobs on my own merit. But it’s a blast when they find out!”

About Dean Wendt

Dean’s voice has been described on a spectrum of warm, friendly, and likeable to exciting and powerful. He can be the guy-next-door that so many clients seek, young and hip, or he can be the voice of Dad. He can even does character voices.

Dean’s performance experience includes live theater, appearing in award-winning plays such as Our Town, Mother Courage, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Mr. Wendt graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in English/Humanities from the University of Illinois, Champaign, IL. He has also completed acting workshops at Northwestern University and Pat Fraley character study workshops. To learn more about Dean, please visit www.VOthatsREAL.com