We recently connected with Hope Levy and have shared our conversation below.
Hope, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?
The first actual dollar I earned was recording a 45 record “Hope and Her Friends”, and I believe I made 100.00 back in 1974 which for a 7 year old who loved to sing was a lot of money!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Hi! Thanks for taking the time to read a bit about me and my journey into music, acting, and voiceover. I started singing when I was six years old in a little town called Woodacre, up in Marin County, Northern California. It was a huge change from where I’d spent my early years—Los Angeles. Suddenly I was surrounded by trees, clean air, and a tight-knit, creative community (a lot of former Haight-Ashbury hippies had moved there to raise their kids). It truly was the most beautiful place I had ever seen!
I went to a very unstructured elementary school called the “open classroom” where singing with others was part of the day, and that’s where it all really began. I joined a kids’ singing group led by Marla Hunt (from the all-girl rock band The Ace of Cups), and she noticed I had a strong voice and perfect pitch. She picked me to sing two songs on a 45 record we made called Hope and Her Friends. We even performed on KPFA, a Berkeley radio station, where a songwriter named Rita Abrams heard me and cast me in my first commercial—for M&Ms. That’s how, at nine years old, I joined the Screen Actors Guild.
After that, I did more commercials and even got to sing with folk legend Malvina Reynolds (Little Boxes) on two children’s albums. I also hosted a kids’ TV show called “Just Kidding” from KRON Channel 4 in San Francisco from age 11 to 13. But by high school, I was ready to be a “normal” teenager and threw myself into theater, leaving behind TV and recording… at least for a little while.
After high school I went to CalArts for one year and then took a leave of absence. I knew I wanted to pursue acting—on stage and on screen. And yes, I also became a waitress. (Because isn’t that kind of the rule for actors?) I landed small roles on shows like Thirtysomething, Knots Landing, and Beverly Hills 90210. I also sang on cruise ships, performing in variety shows and my own cabaret show! My friends I sang with along with our co-producer and our costume designer are still some of my closest friends to this day!
One of my biggest dreams was to be in the musical Les Misérables. When I heard it was auditioning in Los Angeles for the LA Company I was so excited I actually had a little emotional breakdown in my audition! It was my moment in the audition room and I couldn’t sing! I loved one of the songs from the show so much and I wanted to be in the show more than anything in the world that I was suddenly overcome with major sobbing! The people in the room somehow took a liking or (pity!) to me because they called me in 6 months later to audition again and low and behold I cried yet again! OMG I was MORTIFIED. They went “Oh yeah! You’re the girl who always cries!” Finally at the third audition about 7 months later it was the charm and I held back my emotions and sang my heart out and I got cast in the Los Angeles production in the ensemble and understudy for Eponine! I performed the final six months of its run at the Shubert Theatre, including stepping into the role of Éponine. Singing her songs and playing that role truly was a dream come true—and the show also earned me my Equity card.
Eventually, I found my way into voiceover. I took every class I could in the ‘90s and finally landed an agent. One of my first big roles was voicing Rebecca Chambers in the original American version of Resident Evil. I had no idea it would become such a long-running, iconic franchise, but to this day, I get to meet amazing fans at conventions. I also voiced Chet Zipper on Nickelodeon’s As Told By Ginger, and the mom in The Boss Baby: Back in Business (DreamWorks/Netflix). Somewhere along the way, I sang “Welcome to Duloc” in the very first Shrek movie—thanks to my friend who wrote the lyrics, Mike Himmelstein, who hired me and our friend Jill Bogard to sing on the original demos and the actual version in the film!
In 2022, I stumbled onto the music of Connie Converse, a brilliant and deeply underappreciated singer-songwriter from the 1950s. She vanished without a trace at age 50, but her songs—intimate, honest, ahead of their time—really spoke to me. I created a live show called The Connie Converse Universe, where I perform her music and tell her story. I’ve also recorded an album, Hope Levy Sings Connie Converse!, which comes out August 3, 2025 (digital first, vinyl & CDs later that month). This project has been very meaningful to me as I feel I am a song messenger for Connie’s songs and story.
And on the home front—I’m a mom. My son started his own voiceover career as the voice of Catbug in Bravest Warriors. When his voice changed, he pivoted to being a full-time student and even starting a film club in high school, and now he’s studying film & tv studios in college. I’m incredibly proud of him and can’t wait to see where his creativity continues to take him.
And lastly—yes, I write songs too. I started at 19 with a song called “Me and My Little Car,” then didn’t write another until I was about 25. After that, the songs kept coming. I write on guitar, on keys, sometimes in my head while walking around the house. I’m in my mid 50s now, and I’m still writing. I also sing with a very fun Los Angeles pop band called The Circlons!
And yes I’d be very remiss without giving credit to my most supportive person in my life—my husband, Tom Lavagnino. He’s a talented playwright and very grounded person. He is extremely honest about my work and pushes me out of my comfort zone which is why he is my main director of all my projects. He also is open to feedback on his projects as well and I am too! It’s really important to have just the right amount of encouragement and support especially in the same house!
Thanks again for reading. Grateful there’s a platform like this to encourage all types of artists and people to share their projects and enthusiasm for doing things they are passionate about!
With music,
Hope :) p.s for those of us who love to sing try to vocalize every day! I try as well! It really is a muscle that must be exercised daily!
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
In my view, society—especially the cities, states, and country we live in—needs to do more to support the arts financially and have venues for them to perform in. Art reflects what’s happening in the world, in our communities, and in our inner lives. It has to be encouraged. There needs to be meaningful investment in keeping the arts alive and thriving, especially to support and inspire people to create AND make it cost effective for all to see!
That goes beyond just the arts. I feel the same way about restaurants. We need them!!!! They’re places where people gather, connect, and nourish themselves. But it’s incredibly hard for restaurants to survive with the cost of rent, employee wages, and healthcare. I really believe our cities should do more to support them as well.
At the core of it, I believe in a more collective approach—I believe in socialism, in the idea of helping one another, sharing resources, having places for all to enjoy and benefit from such as education, parks, libraries, and accessible medical care which nurture and create happier environments for us all! When people and its communities are supported—even just a little more—they can pursue their dreams with greater confidence, dignity, and stability. Public institutions are part of the fabric that connects us and allows people from all walks of life to grow, learn, and contribute. Supporting people in real ways—through policy, funding, and care—makes for a stronger, more fulfilled society.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I’m getting older and time is flying by even faster!!!! Just three years ago, though, I felt completely stuck. Creatively, I was in a rut. I didn’t feel like I had anything to say artistically. Nothing to write in a song! Something in me needed to shift—I just didn’t know what it was or why I had gotten to that place. I tried all kinds of writing exercises and creative prompts, but nothing was coming. It was frustrating. I felt empty, like I had nothing left to express.
I was praying out loud, asking the universe for help, for direction for something I could latch on to and feel artistically excited about. And then—bam—I discovered the music, story, and mystery of Connie Converse. It seriously was my “aha moment!!!”
Since then, I’ve been laser-focused on performing my show, The Connie Converse Universe, and sharing her incredible songs and story with audiences. I’ve been self-booking so far, but now I’m actively looking for a booking agent—it’s time. I’m also thrilled that my album, Hope Levy Sings Connie Converse!, will be out in August. I can’t wait to see it in actual record stores!
Contact Info:
- Website: Hopelevy.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/hopelevy20
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hope.Levy20/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hope-levy-86949710/
- Twitter: https://x.com/Hopelevysings
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HopeLevyFan
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/hopelevy
- Other: https://linktr.ee/hopelevy https://ConnieConverseUniverse.com
Image Credits
Images by Sloane Morrison. Logo images and audience photo by Tom Lavagnino. NBC image from Tod Mcofsky