A Journey Through Her Lens

The Road to Rediscovery is about reflecting on life’s lessons to learn and grow from them. And, of course, take it to the next level to help others who are struggling through dark times.

My special guest is Aria Noelle Curzon. Since childhood, she's had an extensive career as an award-winning on-camera and voiceover actress. Known for her voice work in The Land Before Time series, she’s done scores of radio and TV commercials and has starred in TV series and films such as Without a Trace; Sabrina, the Teenage Witch; The Muppets; and much more.

Aria shares her struggles and triumphs in her showbusiness journey, as well as what's in store for her down the road.

Here's an excerpt of the episode transcript. You can hear the full episode clicking the link above.

Aubrey: Aria, welcome to the show! How are you doing?

Aria Noelle Curzon: I’m doing about as well as you can expect. I’m doing pretty well, and I’m lucky and blessed right now in these times. How are you?

Aubrey: Thank you for asking. I’m doing great. I am just so glad to have connected with you so that we can talk and share a glimpse of who you are, what your journey is, and where you’re going with the listeners and some of those tremendous nuggets of knowledge and lessons that you’ve learned in your journey. I’m thrilled to have you, and I’m doing great. Thank you.

Aria: Awesome.

Aubrey: Let’s learn about Aria. You were born and raised in Southern California. Is that right?

Aria: That is correct.

Aubrey: Awesome. Can you share with the listeners how did you get started into acting?

Aria: Well, let’s go to the beginning. I remember being pretty young, and I was really into Shirley Temple and other cute shows like that when I was a kid. People would compare me to her with my curly hair, and I was a little blonde kid. It was suggested that maybe my parents should try to get me into commercials. My parents are both performers in their own right; they’re musicians for the most part. My mom took the bull by the horns and started looking around for agencies in the phone book. It was way back then.

When I was four or five, she was able to get a couple of meetings with some agents. I got representation pretty quickly. I was very lucky, and I started auditioning, and very quickly got a fair amount of work in commercials, and then transitioned, not entirely, but started in the voiceover world because I could read, and I had a fairly unique voice for a child, and I was pretty articulate. I just went from there. Did I answer the question?

Aubrey: You did. In fact, I think you even answered the next question, which was how did you crossover into voice acting. Yeah. Is there anything more you have to add to that as far as making that crossover into the voice acting? You were still doing on-camera stuff, I’m sure.

Aria: Yes.

Aubrey: But this was an added skillset. Is that right?

Aria: Exactly, yeah. Back then, the agents had different departments for every part of the industry modeling, commercials, film, voiceover. My agents, who were sending me out for other things, things started coming up in voiceover that they thought of me for. They were like, “Maybe we should get her in.” I talked to my mom, got it, and we went for it. One of my very first roles that I auditioned for and booked was the iconic role – I’m very proud of this one – the iconic role of Pebbles Flintstone for a Hanna-Barbera’s series called Cave Kids.

Aubrey: Yeah.

Aria: I got to do six or eight episodes when I was six years old. I forget how many now. I was quite a big splash into the animation world because I got to go to Hanna-Barbera Studios, which has an iconic history with the Flintstones and Jetsons, and all of their hundreds of shows probably. I got to meet Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera. It was a very cool experience.

Just from there, it blossomed naturally. I would be sent out quite a lot. I don’t remember because I was a kid. I don’t really remember how much I auditioned versus booked, but I think I was working pretty consistently. Then I got, when I was eight years old, that’s when the role of Ducky came around from The Land Before Time.

They already had a bunch of auditions. I wasn’t even going to go in for it, but we found out that it was happening through another friend who auditioned. My agent put her neck out there for me and got me an audition. She was like, “This is the girl, and she’s the one.” I don’t know why she believed in me so much when I was eight years old, but she was really great. I still know her to this day. Her name is LJ. I went in, and I got the role, and it’s been 20 years of doing that voice. So, it was a good one.

Aubrey: Amazing. Tremendous. What an experience and an exciting experience. I personally am a huge Hanna-Barber fan. I grew up watching the Flintstones and grew up watching the Jetsons, and Yogi, and all those guys. And to be able to go to the studios and meet the creators. Right? The ones whose names are out there for the branding of that animation. That’s tremendous. Wow!

Aria: Actually, I have something that relates to this. I can show it to you real quick.

Aubrey: Okay, yeah. Please do.

Aria: I can’t believe these are on my walls, but this is an original animation cel that they gave to me back then from the show.

Aubrey: Wow!

Aria: I love these things. I got so obsessed with animation cels as a kid because of that. This is how old I was. These are pictures of me with Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera. That’s how old it was.

Aubrey: No way. That is amazing. Look at that.

Aria: Joe Barbera had the coolest office. It was full of toys, and you could tell it was an animator’s mobile office.

Aubrey: For sure. I bet. Man! That is awesome! Thank you so much for sharing that.

Aria: Yeah. No problem...