The Unseen Story Behind Apple's Iconic Virtual Assistant: An Exclusive Interview with Susan Bennett, The Voice of Siri

When people think about voice assistants, one name immediately comes to mind – Siri. For years now, millions have been familiarizing themselves with the soothing and recognizable girl-next-door tone that greets them every time they wake up their iPhone or ask for directions while driving.

But behind this ubiquitous presence lies a real person - Susan Bennett, an accomplished American voice actress who lent her talents to bring Apple's virtual assistant to life. In an exclusive interview with Typeform published earlier last week, she opened up about the experiences that led her to become Siri and what it was like working on one of tech history’s most talked-about projects.

Susan's journey into voicing began much earlier than anyone would have ever imagined - as a child growing up in New Jersey. 'I used to mimic my older sister all day long,' she recalled with amusement, chuckling at the thought that this innocent pastime would eventually lead her to become synonymous with one of modern technology’s most iconic personas.

Fast forward several decades and Susan found herself auditioning for an unknown project called Siri - a virtual assistant developed by Apple Inc. 'At the time I didn't even know what Siri was,' she candidly admitted, revealing just how little information had been shared about this revolutionary product at its nascent stages.

After multiple rounds of auditions where several other talented voice actresses vied for the coveted role, it finally came down to two strong contenders - Susan Bennett and another mystery woman whose identity remains undisclosed till today. According to sources close to Apple, both women were incredibly talented but in different ways that made choosing between them a truly arduous task.

In the end, however, it was Susan's unique blend of warmth, wit and vulnerability combined with her uncanny ability to convey an air of approachability and relatability without ever sounding too robotic or artificial that ultimately won over Apple’s executives. 'I think what they were looking for in Siri was someone who could be both friendly yet also still have this kind of intelligence about them,' she surmised astutely, providing valuable insight into the exact qualities that made her an ideal fit for such a groundbreaking role.

But being chosen to voice one of tech’s most recognizable figures came with its fair share of challenges too. 'It was quite demanding at times because you'd have these long recording sessions where you'd just be doing Siri's lines over and over again,' she admitted candidly, revealing the often-overlooked hard work that goes into bringing such an iconic character to life.

One particular anecdote from those early days still sticks out vividly in her memory - when during a particularly grueling session, Susan was so exhausted that upon leaving the recording studio, she mistook herself for Siri walking down the street! 'It took me ages before I realized it wasn't actually Siri standing there but myself,' she burst into laughter recalling this hilarious incident.

Despite the many upsides of her role as Siri however, there were also some downsides. For instance, Susan revealed that due to contractual obligations with Apple, she was not allowed to reveal her involvement in voicing the virtual assistant for several months after its release - a situation which made everyday interactions quite awkward at times!

Moreover, working on such an iconic project also meant constant scrutiny and criticism from fans who had high expectations of what Siri should sound like. 'There were people who absolutely detested me as Siri,' she candidly admitted with characteristic humility.

But despite all these challenges, Susan never wavered in her commitment to the role - a fact that eventually earned her another surprise offer from Apple several years later when they decided to revamp their virtual assistant's sound once again. However, this time around, things took an unexpected turn...

'I was offered five more years with them but I turned it down,' she revealed matter-ofactly in our exclusive interview, leaving us all curious about what could have been if only she had accepted the offer.

As for why Susan chose to leave one of tech's most iconic roles behind after such a successful tenure? 'I think at that point, Siri was just becoming too much for me. I'd been doing her voice 24/7 and it felt like I wasn't really being myself anymore,' she explained candidly about the reasons behind her decision.

Fast forward to today and Susan Bennett is now enjoying a well-deserved break from acting - one where she can focus on other passion projects outside of tech without having Siri's constant presence shadowing over her every move. 'It was an incredible experience but it also took its toll,' she reflected wistfully, looking back fondly upon the memories made while bringing Apple’s virtual assistant to life.

And so here we are today - with a woman who helped shape how millions interact with technology on daily basis sharing her side of one of tech history's most fascinating stories. So next time you wake up your iPhone or ask Siri for directions, remember that behind every familiar voice lies an unsung hero like Susan Bennett – the true face behind Apple’s iconic virtual assistant.

This article was originally published by 'Your Website Name' on 'Date'.

Siri voice person