Caroline Rhea is stunned by her tiny voice as she looks back at Sabrina.
Table of Contents
Have you ever watched old videos of yourself and had a hard time recognizing your own voice?
That’s what happened to Caroline Rhea at 30,000 feet, and her reaction was absolutely genuine.
Caroline Rhea’s Time machine in the sky
The beloved magician aunt from “Sabrina,” now 61, came face-to-face with her younger self during a recent flight to Hawaii.
The plane’s entertainment system showed a part of her past that shocked her.
“I was watching Sabrina … and I was actually thinking, ‘Was I 15 when I made this show?’ she told PEOPLE, laughing at the surprise of hearing her very high, youthful voice through headphones.
“Now, I think my voice is deeper than ever,” she admitted. It’s such a sneaky thing about aging that we rarely notice it happening — until suddenly we do.
Challenges of Voice Acting
This unexpected revelation came while Rhea was preparing for her return as Linda Flynn-Fletcher in the animated hit “Phineas and Ferb,” which is returning after a 10-year break.
“I try to make Linda Flynn-Fletcher sound like she does, just a little older,” she explained.
Voice actors face a unique problem — your instrument changes over time, but your cartoon character shouldn’t suddenly sound like she’s started smoking!
Magical Effects
From 1996 to 2003, Rhea cast a spell on audiences as Hilda Spellman, one of Sabrina’s two peculiar 600-year-old aunts who help her get through her teenage wizard troubles.
Though the show ended decades ago, its impact continues to surface in heartwarming ways in Rhea’s life.
“You know what I love to see? It feels so good when someone comes up and says, ‘I grew up watching you,'” she shared sincerely. “Taylor Swift was a Sabrina fan!”
Starstruck on both sides
It’s not just the average fan who comes up to her at grocery stores.
Rhea remembers being totally starstruck upon meeting Pink – but it turns out the feeling was mutual.
“I was really gushing over Pink and she’s like, ‘You don’t understand what your show meant to me,'” Rhea recalled, still seeming shocked by the encounter.
These experiences have given her a special perspective on the powerful women of today.
“It’s just a generation of women,” she reflected. “I think in music, they’re so strong and influential, and I see them as little Sabrina watchers.”
Who would have thought that a ‘90s show about a teenage wizard would help inspire a generation of courageous women? This is some powerful magic that even Hilda and Zelda would be proud of.