Why Jennifer English Hates the Term 'Voice Actor' and How It Diminishes Her Craft in Games Like Baldur's Gate 3

Let me tell you, it absolutely ignites a fire in my soul when I see my name prefaced with those two little words: 'voice actor.' I am Jennifer English, the person behind Shadowheart in the monumental Baldur's Gate 3 and Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and I am here, right now in 2026, to scream from the digital rooftops that this label is a gross, reductive injustice to the art form we create! It's not just a pet peeve; it's a fundamental misrepresentation that erases years of blood, sweat, tears, and full-body commitment. When I pour my entire being into a character, the last thing I want is for that monumental effort to be boiled down to a term that sounds like I recorded a few lines in a soundproof booth and called it a day. The reality is so much more visceral, so much more demanding, and it's time the world understood the difference.

Why does this make me so furious? Let me break it down for you. 🎭

1. It Erases My Entire Career as an Actor: The phrase 'voice actor' feels like a tiny, confining box. It's as if all my training, all my stage work, all my screen performances—my entire identity as a performer—suddenly vanishes. I am an actor. Full stop. The medium changes—stage, screen, motion capture stage—but the core craft of building a living, breathing person does not. To call me a 'voice actor' for Baldur's Gate 3 is to tell me that everything else I've done doesn't count. It's infuriating!

2. It Completely Negates the Physical Art of Performance Capture: This is the big one, folks. The term 'voice acting' makes it sound like a purely vocal exercise. But have you seen Shadowheart's subtle expressions? Her weary posture? The way she holds a weapon or shares a tender glance? That's not just a voice! That's me, in a ridiculous mocap suit covered in little balls, contorting my body, living in that character's physical space for hours, days, years! The term 'voice actor' dismisses the grueling, athletic, and deeply emotional work of motion capture as if it never happened. It's a slap in the face to the technological and artistic symphony that brings these characters to life.

Think about the sheer scale of what we do. For a project like Baldur's Gate 3, it's a marathon of total immersion. We're not just reading lines; we're reacting to imaginary companions, feeling virtual environments, and making choices that ripple across a hundred-hour narrative. The performance is holistic.

Here’s a quick comparison of what people think vs. the reality:

Common Misconception ("Voice Acting")	The Demanding Reality (Performance Capture Acting)
🎤 Sitting comfortably in a booth	🦿 Wearing a restrictive mocap suit for 10-hour days
📄 Reading lines from a script	🧠 Embodying a character's physicality, psychology, and history
🗣️ Isolated vocal performance	👥 Interactive, ensemble-based improvisation and reaction
⏱️ A short recording session	📅 A commitment spanning multiple years of development

And let's talk about the future! As of 2026, my career is blazing hotter than Avernus itself. Following the earth-shattering success of Baldur's Gate 3 and the critical darling Clair Obscur, I'm now leading the charge in the upcoming epic, Tides of Annihilation. This isn't a step up for a 'voice actor'; this is a leading role for an actor who has proven she can carry the emotional weight of a blockbuster title on her shoulders—both vocally and physically. The industry is finally recognizing that the performers who power these games are not a separate, lesser category. We are leading ladies, complex character artists, and essential collaborators in the gaming revolution.

Now, the million-dollar question on every fan's mind: Will I ever be Shadowheart again? The love for her is humbling and wild, truly. While the possibility is out there, I've been clear: my return is not guaranteed. It hinges on conditions that honor the character and the collaborative spirit Larian Studios fostered. If the franchise moves forward without them, any new developer must understand that Shadowheart is not just a collection of voice lines—she is a performance built from the ground up. They would need to commit to the same level of artistic integrity that defined the original experience. Otherwise, it might be time for both Shadowheart and I to seek new adventures.

So, the next time you think of the incredible performances in your favorite games, I beg of you: recognize the actor. See the person in the suit. Understand the full spectrum of the craft. We are not just voices in the dark; we are artists in the light, sculpting digital souls with every gesture, every breath, every heartbeat we commit to the performance. The era of the 'voice actor' as a catch-all term is over. Welcome to the age of the performance capture actor. The distinction isn't just semantics—it's respect. And frankly, it's about time. ✨