Ray Barrett provided the voices of John Tracy and the Hood in Thunderbirds and Commander Shore, Titan and Lt. Fisher in Stingray plus numerous others, most famously the Duchess Of Royston in The Duchess Assignment.

This interview was conducted via e-mail and exlusive to this site and Stingray Online where an illustrated version is mirrored.

Q: How did you come to be cast in Stingray?
A: I can only assume that being Australian and used to the fast work in Sydney radio in the 50's and playing many voices, characters and accents, was a major factor.

Q: What was it like working with Gerry Anderson?
A: Gerry was a very quiet man and didn't show his emotions much, but you knew when he was happy with the result.

Q: Was dialogue pre-recorded in advance of the puppets being operated?
A: Dialogue was pre-recorded, having chosen which puppet/s took our fancy and felt comfortable about voicing.

Q: Were any of your voices based upon real-life people?
A: No (However see below).

Q: Did you ever use your normal voice?
A: No.

Q: Which of your five regular characters (Commander Shore, Titan, Lt. Fisher, John Tracy and the Hood) did you prefer doing the voice for?
A: I liked doing them all, but perhaps the outrageous ones, such as the Hood and the Duchess!

Q: Do you have a favorite series and / or episode?
A: No, or should I say perhaps playing The Hood and the Duchess. So that means Thunderbirds, doesn't it?

Q: Was there a joker in the cast?
A: Yes, me!

Q: Were you aware of Gerry Anderson's hatred of John Tracy and how did you feel about the character? Did you enjoy voicing him?
A: No. I enjoyed playing him but he was a bit too 'American stereotype hero'. (WHY did Gerry hate one of his puppets????)

Q: Was voicing the Duchess of Royston difficult?
A: No. The women in the cast found it difficult to find a voice for her, so I volunteered and simply did an impersonation of Dame Edith Evans.

Q: Why were you not involved in the second Thunderbirds movie, Thunderbird 6, and did you want to be?
A: I have no idea; I was out of the country or working on other things. Yes I would have liked to do it.

Q: If a new Thunderbirds series or movie were made, would you consider taking up your old roles once again?
A: Yes, it would be great fun.

Q: To what do you attribute the success of Thunderbirds and Stingray?
A: Their complete fantasy and escapism.