"You Are An Actor. That's it": Gaming Stars Don't Want To Be Called Voice Actors
Summary
- Alix Wilton Regan wants to be known simply as an actor, not a voice actor.
- She is not the only gaming actor who feels this way, with others, including Neil Newbon, rejecting the distinction.
Alix Wilton Regan, well known for her roles in Dragon Age and Assassin's Creed, says that she wants to be known as an actor, not a voice actor. She argues that the distinction is unnecessary, and that those who act in video games should not be put in their own category like this.
This comes from an interview with Game Rant, in which Wilton Regan discusses the aims of the Pixel Pack, a collective of actors in games headed by Neil Newbon (Astarion, Baldur's Gate 3). Here, she explains her thoughts on the term "voice actor", as well as the ongoing threat that AI poses to the industry.
Alix Wilton Regan Wants To Be Known As An Actor, Not A Voice Actor
"One thing I hope will change, just a little bugaboo - one thing I've always found really weird, which I know Neil agrees with me on - I have never understood this obsession with calling actors a video game actor or a voice actor," Wilton Regan explains. "The clue is in the title: you are an actor. That's it. Full stop. New paragraph."
Wilton Regan is not the only one who feels this way. As she explains, Newbon also wants to be known as an actor, and other actors I have spoken with in the past feel much the same. It's easy to see why, as not only does it needlessly differentiate them from other actors, but it can often misrepresent their work, since many of them also provide motion capture for their characters.
As for replacing these actors with AI, Wilton Regan tells gaming companies that this is a mistake. "I would urge companies to protect their bottom line by protecting their talent," she says. "Because we are what helps bring up the bottom line: our energy, our art, our expression, our creativity."
Wilton Regan's most recent gaming credit is Dragon Age: The Veilguard, in which she reprised her role as the Inquisitor. Before that, she appeared in Assassin's Creed Origins as Aya, Cyberpunk 2077 as Alt Cunningham, and Mass Effect 3 as Samantha Traynor.
Dragon Age: Inquisition Like Follow Followed Action RPG Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 88/100 Critics Rec: 92% Released November 18, 2014 ESRB M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language Developer(s) BioWare Publisher(s) Electronic Arts Engine Frostbite Multiplayer Online Multiplayer Franchise Dragon AgeWHERE TO PLAY
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