The world of voice acting has traditionally been male-dominated. Famous characters such as Edna Mode from The Incredibles, Tina Belcher from Bob’s Burgers, and even Maggie Simpson from The Simpsons, for example, are all voiced by men. But Amber Nash is changing the game with her character Pam Poovey on the critically acclaimed animated series Archer. Born and raised just outside of Atlanta in Lilburn, Georgia, Amber Nash wasn’t introduced to the world of acting and improv until she attended Georgia State University. After receiving her BS in psychology, she began working at a wilderness camp for troubled youth where she remained for several years.
However, in 2004, Nash decided to focus her energy on breaking into the entertainment industry and never looked back. Her acting career began at Dad’s Garage Theatre in Atlanta where she served as the Educational Director. In addition to her fulltime position, Nash joined an improv group called Laughing Matters and worked as a voice actor for several local radio stations. A few months later, her hard work paid off when she caught the eye of Matt Thompson and Adam Reed of Floyd County Productions. After Nash landed the role of Pam Poovey on the award-winning series Archer, her life was never the same. Often considered the hero of the show, Pam is a gun-slinging, sandwich-eating secret agent who never misses a punchline.
Actress Amber Nash dons a fancy fascinator as she strikes a pose for the camera. As the goofy yet lovable secret agent Pam Poovey on the hit show Archer, Nash is the voice of TV’s favorite character. Photograph by Yasmine Kateb.
In an interview with Atlanta INTown, Nash explains why playing Pam has been such an important experience: “I love that she’s one of the boys in a lot of ways. Coming up in improv comedy, I was oftentimes the only woman in a room, so I definitely identify with that… I’m a big fan of well crafted dirty quips in my own life, and Pam gets plenty of those.” The show received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Animated Program in both 2014 and 2015, but it wasn’t until 2016 that Archer cinched the award. Each year since 2011, the show has also been nominated for Best Animated Series at the Critics Choice Television Awards; in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015—Archer won.
Amber Nash in studio with her character, Pam Poovy. Image courtesy of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
But Nash isn’t only known for Archer; she also plays the protagonist in the hit web series Hart of America, is the co-creator and co-host of Archer After Hours with Lucky Yates, and the star of the upcoming film How to Ruin the Holidays featuring comedic icon Colin Mochrie (Who’s Line is it Anyway?). When she’s not acting, Nash works alongside Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong as board members at Projects Chimps. Project Chimps is an Atlanta-based wildlife sanctuary dedicated to the care of chimpanzees who were previously experimented on in product research facilities. She and her husband Kevin Gillese are also proud parents to Carol, a cuddly brindle pitbull, and Rubby Chuthers, a beloved rescue cat.
Written by Claire Kuwana