Alix Wilton Regan’s first acting credit in video games was Ariane inRunescapeback in 2001. After that, she returned to the industry in 2009 playing multiple characters inDragon Age: OriginsandRisen. Counting those, Wilton Regan has been credited in 45 already released video games and is set to appear in the upcomingPerfect Darkreboot as Joanna Dark, among other titles that have yet to be confirmed. Not only has she worked on those over the past year or so, but she also recorded the final lines for The Inquisitor inDragon Age: The Veilguard, as well as served as executive producer onTales of Kenzera: Zau.
FollowingTales of Kenzera: Zau’s BAFTA award in the Game Beyond Entertainment category, Game Rant spoke with Wilton Regan about that moment, her career, and the endeavor and goals of The Pixel Pack. The latter is a collection of actors who are pushing for more respect, more recognition, and more protection in the game industry. After all, as she says, actors bring characters to life.The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau at the BAFTAs
Q: Tales of Kenzera: Zau won the BAFTA award for Game Beyond Entertainment. You’ve had a little bit of time to process this award now, so how are you feeling?
A:I’m feeling absolutely ecstatic, to be honest with you. It was the award I really wanted us to win because I feel like Zau, itself as a game, is about going beyond entertainment. It’s a really important story about grief and about getting over the loss of a parent, right? It’s a near-universal experience that everyone has to go through at some point, unfortunately. The Game Beyond Entertainment category was the one I really wanted us to win, and when we did last night, I was absolutely thrilled.
To be perfectly honest with you, I wasn’t even looking at the stage or the announcer. I had turned around completely to my left, staring up at the seats behind me, so I could see Abu’s face in case we won. Then, we did, and I just literally saw my best friend and collaborator win aBAFTA, which is just beautiful.
Q: BAFTA defines Game Beyond Entertainment as “games that deliver a transformational experience beyond pure entertainment.” I know you touched on it a little there, but can you talk a bit about your goals when making the game in relation to that aspect?
A:I think there were several things. In the making of the game, I know we wanted to keep things really pure to Abu’s vision. That was very important to everyone because we all know him, we respect him, we love him, and we trusted what he was doing. Just in the creation of it, it was about staying true to his values, who he was as an artist, and what he was envisioning for Zau.
Then it was about delivering this, as I said, really important message about grief and losing a parent. It just so happens that Abu experienced that a lot younger than most people hopefully do, so we wanted to give players a truly immersive experience about how to process that through the game. Whether or not they’ve experienced parental loss, grief itself is still a universal theme, right? I’m very lucky that my parents are still with me, but I’ve obviously lost people I love. Death is part of life.
I think that’s thecentral message of Zau: death is part of life. It’s a beautiful, very cathartic way to experience being in an immersive video game like Zau, one that is beautiful with this very emotional music that supports the game. Do you know what I mean? It’s an overall combination of things that pull together to create this very rich experience with the game.
Q: This is also your first game credit that’s working on the development side and not as an actor. I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about how you came upon the role and how the work differed from your usual?
A:The role actually came to me, which I feel very lucky about. Abu approached me and said, “Would you like to be an executive producer on this?” I said, “Yes, I would.” I didn’t really take much convincing.
I feel like my small part in the whole of this project was just like an executive producer would do in a feature film, right? We offered some financial support. We helped raise a tiny bit of the financing. The main financing obviously came fromEA Originals, I think that’s quite well documented, but there was some private financing involved, which we had a hand in.
Then, there was looking at different iterations and giving feedback on animations, character creations, color, music, etc. I remember sending Abu some ideas for music, musicians, and different songs that I thought could really work in the game. That kind of stuff. Seeing some very early gameplay, giving thoughts, feelings, and feedback on what works, what isn’t clear, all that kind of stuff.
For the most part, I would say I was there when I was asked to be there. Does that make sense? Because when you have someone who knows the world of video games so well—like Abu is and has always been a gamer—it is also about me stepping back and allowing him to bring his vision to life. The game is not about me. The job is about supporting Abu to bring his vision to life, which I am thrilled that he did. The lovely thing is we all share in the glory of the award because it goes to the game, so all of us share in the BAFTA victory. It is genuinely a really lovely feeling, and there have been a lot of messages going around today between producers, people who helped support the game, and stuff like that. And you know, it is really lovely.
Yeah, I like how the BAFTA Award site for the winners and nominees actually says the name of the game and then “development team” right under it. There are some ceremonies where it’s just like “game name,” so having an emphasis on the development team is really nice as well.
Yeah, that is really nice. They do that very well. I have to say, BAFTA is extraordinarily good at promoting gaming as a whole but also championing the talent of theBritish games industry. I really applaud them for all the work they’ve been doing in that space because BAFTA is actually a charity. Not many people know that, but it is through charities and institutions like BAFTA that people become more aware of the work that we’re doing, you know?
Yeah, no, not many people do. Exactly.
Alix Wilton Regan’s Career
Q: Do you see yourself taking more development roles in the future?
A:I absolutely do. I may already be doing some. So yes, absolutely. Yes, I do, and I will be. Watch this space.
Q: Dragon Age: The Veilguard was also nominated for a BAFTA award. Looking at the games that you have been involved in to some degree being at the show, I was curious what comes to mind when you reflect on the past year or so of your career?
A:I have been incredibly lucky this past year because, as Xbox announced back in June, I’m going to be thenext Joanna Dark for the relaunch of the Perfect Dark franchise. Between doing Joanna Dark, having a small hand in Zau, and recording the last pieces of the Inquisitor, who was obviously the lead of Dragon Age: Inquisition and then appears in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I feel like I’ve had a very lucky year.
There are also a few other things that I’ve been in that will be released later this year, but I’m not allowed to confirm that I’m in. My hint to people reading this is that, if you listen very carefully to some trailers that have already dropped, you will hear my voice across them. That’s all I can say.
It’s been a really busy year, and I feel like I’ve been lucky. I know it’s been a difficult time for the game industry as a whole, for studios in particular, where staff have been cut, let go, or moved on from various projects. But for me, personally, I’ve been very lucky.
Q: Speaking of Joanna Dark, I understand you obviously can’t say much, but what can you tell me about stepping into that role?
A:I can tell you that it was a thrilling phone call to receive. It was a wonderful offer that a girl like me just can’t say no to. ‘Would you love to step into this iconic British role, you know, this powerhouse of a female video game character?’ I was like, “Yeah, of course I would. Absolutely brilliant.”
I can’t really say much more than that apart from, you know, I think it’s quite well documented that production’s ongoing, and it’s the thrill of a lifetime. It’s absolutely brilliant.
Nerding Out Over Dragon Age
I also meant to mention something when you brought up the Inquisitor. When I was playing The Veilguard and I met the Inquisitor, my wife was sleeping, but I woke her up by screaming because I was so excited to see the Inquisitor.
I have a question then, Josh. Did you suspect thatthe Inquisitor was coming back? What was your instinct on that as a games journalist?
I mean, if we’re like talking way before they confirmed it, then I always felt like it was a necessity with the way Inquisition ended. I know some people thought like, ‘Oh, we’re going to play the Inquisitor again,’ but I didn’t think that because having a new protagonist is so key to every game. The story with Solas was obviously not over, however, and you can’t have Solas back without the Inquisitor. I was always excited for the Inquisitor to come back because it’s also like, we saw Hawke in Inquisition, but we haven’t seen the Hero of Ferelden at all. The Inquisitor made the most sense, so yeah, I would have bet all my money that you were coming back as soon as they teased it in 2018.
Yeah, listen,in 2018I hadn’t recorded anything, right? But when they teased it, I would say that was my guess as well. I was like, ‘I think the Inquisitor is going to make an appearance.’
It felt sort of obvious that’s the way the story was going. Now, I had all kinds of crazy theories about the Evanuris and how it would go tearing down the Veil. On some days, I was definitely a ‘tear down the veil’ person.
I was just really excited to be back in the world. I waited a decade!
You and me both, my friend. We both waited a decade, so yeah, that makes two of us.
The Pixel Pack
Q: Moving on, I also wanted to talk to you a little bit about the Pixel Pack. I know both you and Neil Newbon discussed it a little bit with Entertainment Weekly at the BAFTAs. But I wanted to ask: why do you think there is such a big divide between how people think of game actors and how people think of movie/TV actors?
A:Oh, Joshua, that is a bloody brilliant question. Why is there this big divide? Why is there this big divide? I mean, I have pondered this question for the last decade of my career, to be honest, and I, in all honesty, don’t understand the divide. Certainly, myself, Abu,Neil Newbon, and a lot of the heavy hitters of the video game industry are classically trained actors who’ve been through drama school, we’ve done our Shakespeare courses and our Arthur Miller plays, and all the rest of it, right? I actually don’t know is the very honest truth.
I think that, potentially, some casting directors, directors, and producers didn’t understand the depth and the nuance of video game scripts and the levels of emotional flexibility that are required from the talent who performs these scripts exactly like a film or television series, right? I think because video games used to be so much outside of the mainstream media, which has changed, but because they used to be so much on the outside, people just didn’t understand them, right? They were kind of slightly ignorant of their value and the demands and nuances of video game acting, but I do believe that that is changing. I think it’s a shame that video games are still not as covered, I guess, by mainstream publications. But again, that is changing. You cannot ignore an industry that is worth $4 billion more annually than Hollywood, Nollywood, and Bollywood combined. You can’t ignore something that’s as commercially valuable as that.
You know, with all the kinds of critical successes these various games can have, more and more eyes are upon them. I hope that will change. 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. The clue is in the title: you are an actor. That’s it. Full stop. New paragraph.
No one says, ‘Oh, they’re a stage actor.’ You might say that someone is a great theater actor in blah, blah, blah, or they’re a great video game actor in this title, but you don’t ever say someone’s just a TV actor. You know, you wouldn’t say that to them. An actor is an actor is an actor. Hopefully, if you’re a very good actor, you should be able to work across all mediums. I personally don’t see why not. I mean, I was in the Oscar-nominated The Wife withGlenn Closeand Jonathan Pryce, so I’ve clearly got chops. It’s just strange that people don’t look at the video game world, go ‘Yeah, she was the lead in a title that made a billion dollars,’ and say, ‘Maybe we should see her for a TV show as well. She might just be good at her job.’
It’s a strange thing, but yeah, that’s my overall guess. That’s my educated guess. Obviously, I’m not a casting director or a film/TV director, but that is my educated guess, right?
Yeah, whenever I see someone like talking about AI’s impact on actors, they always say voice actor. I have to go ‘Bonk, not voice actor.’
What makes you do that? Out of interest.
I think the first time it really stood out to me…Obviously, you’re doing mocap and things I don’t even know about sometimes. Y’all do a lot more than voice a character. His name is escaping me…
Yeah, when I do performance capture, that’s my face, my voice, my body inAssassin’s Creed Origins, in Medal of Honor, in Joanna Dark, all of it. It’s my face, my voice, my body, it’s just acting. Sorry for interrupting, Josh, but I’m interested why you think so passionately about this.
I think it’s one of those things with people where, somehow, it got started or maybe because it was just voice acting at one point, maybe right? It just entered the lingo and stayed even after the job changed and evolved. I know the actor, but I can’t remember his name to save my life. But Red Dead Redemption 2’s actor for Arthur Morgan has always been vocal about being called an actor, not a voice actor. It just makes sense to me, so whenever I see “voice actor,” it’s like Arthur Morgan’s whispering in my ear. I’m like, yeah, that makes perfect sense to me.
When I see that done and people learn there’s a difference, we should make sure we respect that difference. That’s my guess as to why: it just kind of entered the lingo. But y’all do so much more. With BG3, I remember speaking with Neil about intimacy directors and all of that, so there’s really a lot y’all do that I think some people even in my position don’t consider.
Red Dead Redemption 2’s actor for Arthur Morgan is Roger Clark.
Just to add to your point, I think it’s because traditionally we haven’t gotten as much press, right, as film and television. That is changing, and I think it’s changing for the better. Fans love to know about how video games are made; fans love to connect with the people who bring their characters to life. You said it yourself, you know, you love the Inquisitor. Well, that’s me. There is no Inquisitor without Alix Wilton Regan. There is no Inquisitor without the brilliant writers who write all of their stuff as well, the animators who brought her face to life, and so on and so forth. But there is no Inquisitor without Alix Wilton Regan. Actors are an important part of the whole, you know, and I think it’s great to emphasize that, for sure, because that’s the human connection part, right?
That’s what we’re talking about. We’re talking about the bit where I said something and I made you feel something as a player. That’s about the human-to-human connection, and that’s what’s so precious and special about video games.
Absolutely, 100%. Dragon Age: Origins was a life-defining game for me. After Dragon Age: Inquisition, waiting a whole decade for The Veilguard, I would personally never do that over a movie.
Yeah? Well, there you go.
Q: One of my favorite statements from Newbon on the Pixel Pack is where he said: “By fostering inspiration, awareness, and advocacy, we can strengthen our collective voice and ensure that performance in games continues to be recognized, respected, and protected.” What does that look like for you?
Source:Entertainment Weekly
A:Well, apart from the fact that I think Neil Newbon is an incredibly emotionally intelligent and actually intelligent man, I agree with every word of that sentence. You can just quote, ‘Yes, Alix agrees’ because I do. I agree with all of that, but what does it look like to me?
It goes back to we tell stories because every single person in this world that has ever lived has a story to tell. Why do we all have stories to tell? Because we are storytellers. Why are we all storytellers? Why does every single person, even if you’re a neurosurgeon or you’re a postman, why does everyone have a story to tell us? Because we’re human, right? It’s about that human-to-human connection.
I think we need to emphasize that art is made by humans. Art is not made by robots, and it is not created by AI bots. AI can absolutely skim the internet and steal knowledge of art made by humans, it can copy art made by humans, and it can generate something that looks like art, but it won’t feel like art. And that’s the difference. That’s the one thing that humans can do that no other animal species can is express our emotions in an artistic fashion, but also put them together to make stories, to mean something, to connect with other humans, right? What is the point of having a robot that stops us from doing that? I personally can’t understand it, you know?
I think there is a valuable place for AI in the world, in general. Let’s use AI to solve the climate crisis and try to halt climate change. Let’s use AI to look at MRIs and detect the tiniest of tumors or bleeds on the brain, something terrible like that. But maybe let’s not use AI to do the fun stuff that we all need and love, to do the very thing that makes us human. If you use AI to strip us and our art of our humanity, I think, ‘What a sad, sad world we’ll be living in.’ I actually, really, truly believe everyone knows that deep down in their core. I don’t think there’s a single person who thinks an AI model is going to generate a better performance thanJennifer Hale did as Shepard in Mass Effect.
Hell no.
There’s no one that really, seriously sits there and thinks, ‘You know what? We should replace Meryl Streep’s incredible artistry with a robot.’ It’s just silly. I don’t think anyone truly believes that at their core, so I would urge companies to protect their bottom line by protecting their talent, you know? Because we are what helps bring up the bottom line: our energy, our art, our expression, our creativity. All of that is completely unique to each of us as individual humans and artists. AI can’t take that away from us, so I really hope that companies do rally around to protect us all as artists.
Q: You’ve been in video games for quite a long time. What would you say to someone who is looking into getting into the acting side or even the development side of the industry but maybe they’re intimidated by the layoffs, by the threat of AI? What would you say to them?
A:I would say, if you are a developer, if you are a creative, don’t let anyone stand in your way. Don’t let anyone tell you no. Start the game from the computer in your bedroom and build a team of people around you who you know, love, and trust to support your vision as that developer, as that creator.
And I always say to get actors because I think actors bring things to life. Even if they’re actors at a local theater company or maybe they’re 17/18, still in high school in a drama club, get those actors to perform those parts. If you’re usingheadgear, facial cameras, and things like that, there is no reason you should be stopped from telling your story. Get out there and tell it. Make it happen.
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