Wellington-area native Jimmie Stafford voices iconic Transformer in Netflix series

With Jimmie Stafford, there's more than meets the eye. As a kid growing up just south of Wellington — the Black River Schools area was his old stomping grounds and he attended the Medina County Career Center — Stafford remembers being hooked on the 1980s "Transformers" cartoon. Now he lends his voice to an iconic character in Netflix's "War for Cybertron" trilogy. The more mature incarnation's first installment came in 2020. Its third chapter, "Kingdom," which sees the Autobots and Decepticons take on animal forms, hit the streaming service this week. In nine episodes, Stafford lends his voice to Hound, the good-guy jeep who is a veteran soldier under the command of Optimus Prime. "The beautiful thing about the character is there's this grit and determination and toughness about him," Stafford said in a phone call from California, where he now lives. "But if you go back to (the original cartoon), there was this almost childish desire to be human. He really was happy to be on Earth." Forty-somethings who grew up on the first cartoon — fans call it "Generation One" or G1 — will know Hound. He's been around since the start and has been a fixture of most "Transformers" comics, cartoons, books and video games through the decades. Stafford called the character an underdog, because Hound is usually in the thick of the action even if he's rarely the center of attention. That's a vibe Stafford said he gets. He's long been a fan of those rare trading cards or comic book editions that are remembered fondly even if they aren't highly sought after. "And Hound is that character, so for me he was absolutely perfect," he said. Although reluctant to talk about his formative years in Northeast Ohio, Stafford said toying with voices and mimicry has been a passion since he was a kid. Throughout school, he considered himself an artist, and not long after graduating moved to Cleveland in search of new cultural experiences. Six years ago, in pursuit of an acting career, he made the move to Los Angeles. In 2016, he landed a role in the television miniseries "Up Willie's Alley," and the following year made an appearance on the show "Shameless" with William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum. The latter opened doors, Stafford said — most notably, making him eligible for membership in the Screen Actors Guild. "Transformers" is the pinnacle so far, he said. "It's just such a fun franchise. It's iconic." It was tough maintaining his composure in the audition, which was somewhat veiled in secrecy, he remembers. Stafford said he can clearly recall the moment when he found out he was going to give life to an Autobot, and the rush that came with it. Now the "War for Cybertron" trilogy appears to be over, although its conclusion leaves the door open for the possibility of further adventures. And while it's impossible to know what the future will hold, he said he'd "be up for any and all of it" if more voice acting opportunities were to arise within the franchise. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.