If you hear children laughing and singing around the television in the afternoons, more than likely they are watching their favorite cartoon. Among their favorite is the health-related cartoon antics of Doc McStuffins; a young African American girl who wants to become a doctor, like her mother. Kiara Muhammad is the voice of the lead character on Disney Jr. McStuffins spends her time healing her stuffed animals and teaching them healthy habits. The show has been a success, with a viewership of over 1 million children, ages 2 to 5.
Muhammad started her acting career in New York City at age seven, but moved to Los Angeles, so she could pursue TV work. She quickly landed parts on “Hannah Montana” and the Disney Channel Movie “Den Brother.” She only had gone on a few voice over auditions when she was offered the leading role of Doc McStuffins. The young actress stated, “This is my first time doing voice over so I was shocked, but I was really proud of myself, too.”
Muhammad hopes young viewers will get a lot of lessons from the show. “I think they learn pretty much everything possible to learn – brush your teeth, wash your hands, don’t spread germs. All the basic things to learn when you’re around five.”
“When recording, I am in a room by myself with a microphone and there’s glass so I can see the writer and director telling me how to say the lines. I try to think of some things that she does already, how she would normally do it to keep it the same. It would be a little weird if I did something totally different than what she normally does. Like does she nod when she says ‘yes’ or does she just reply — things like that. I put my voice really high so I sound younger! I ask myself, What is Doc McStuffins’ favorite thing to do?”
Kiara has truly become the Doc. She says, “Doc’s favorite thing is helping toys. But she also likes playing with…
… her friends. Family and friend time is important, too.”
When asked what she wants kids to learn from Doc McStuffins, Kiara simply adds, “The hygienic stuff is really important. Washing your hands and eating well and exercising — it’s a problem now because kids have all these electronics and can get lazy. They really have to take care of themselves.”
“I think we both strive for what we want. I really want to be an actress,” adds Muhammad. “so I took acting classes and I study my script before I go into the audition. In every episode, she always strives to help the toy and she always gets it done.”
Doc McStuffins continues to inspire children of all races to pursue being a doctor. There are legions of fans who dress like her, speak like her and want to be like her. Keep up the good work Doc!
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