The actor who played famous characters in games such as Nikolai, Nemesis and Astarion, tells his story
Actor, voice actor, director and producer, the British Neil Newbon has specialized in motion capture and over time has played several characters in important games, such as Nikolai and Nemesis in Resident Evil 3, Karl Heisenberg in Resident Evil Village and more recently Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3. Acclaimed by the audience of BGS 2024, and much appreciated during his short stay in Sao Paulo, the actor found time to speak with Terra Game On, take a look:
Active game: First of all, I would like to thank you for hosting us and granting us this interview. To begin with, how do you feel here in Brazil? Is this your first time here?
Neil Newbon: In fact, this is my first visit to Latin America. It was really interesting, it’s a shame I can’t explore more because I have to go back to work in Europe so my time here is quite limited. Sao Paulo is a very interesting and lively city, the people here were very kind and welcoming, I really liked it.
Active game: How did you start your acting career and what was the first game you worked on?
Neil Newbon: I started as an actor, with drama, when I went to the National Theatre, with Ed Wilson, who sadly passed away a long time ago. Some people who have left, like Tom Hardy and Daniel Craig, have become immensely important actors. From there I was noticed by an agent and started working, that’s when I realized I had to train, so I practiced method acting for many years, I developed my skills a lot, I learned a lot about acting… I still train, in In many ways I still consider myself a student.
And about 15 years ago I ran out of options in terms of casting, as I had to compete with celebrities I couldn’t beat in a movie audition, simply because I wasn’t famous and it didn’t matter how good I was. I was. I was about to give up on acting when I got a job in video games, around the same month I was ready to give up on acting. The first video game I played was Ghost Recon Future Soldier, by Ubisoft, in 2009 or 2010. And through games I could “remove my face”, I can play any type of character and play any character, a new guy, a an old man, a wizard, an elf… it was quite liberating, it allowed me to have fun playing the characters.
Active game: And in this sense, what was it like discovering acting through MOCAP? Does it have to be very different from, say, traditional acting?
Neil Newbon: Hmm, yes and no. I see it as an amalgam of cinema and theatre, so I use techniques from both disciplines, and I actually find it quite liberating, because things are near and far at the same time, so you don’t really need to know where the cameras will be, what that means that you can be yourself, be the character without worrying about the environment around you, like I said, it’s quite liberating, I really like it.
Active game: What was it like working for Larian Studios?
Neil Newbon: It was sensational! I think it was one of the best companies I’ve ever worked with. It’s a great company, because it thinks about the player first. They actually spent hours and hours working on things that the game “don’t need” but that they chose to do for the players, I think that’s awesome. From start to finish I had a great experience at Larian, it was one of the best companies I have ever worked with and if I am lucky enough to be asked to work with them again I will definitely go. Everyone has the same culture of affection and support and they managed to create a masterpiece.
Active game: Do you remember any funny anecdotes when you worked for Larian, during the filming of Astarion?
Neil Newbon: Yes, there were so many funny things, so many stories, but I can’t tell them because they are confidential! (laughs) I had a lot of fun there, I made a lot of friends, I also directed, I did consulting, I made MOCAP creatures, I also consulted for the studio, I went to Quebec to teach the animators the MOCAP show, that was it Fantastic… .
Active game: What are your plans regarding new games, film projects, acting…
Neil Newbon: I have some projects I can’t talk about, confidentiality issues. I am participating in 8 projects as an actor, I am also in one as a director, there are projects as a producer, as a consultant, in addition to the acting part which is separate. I’ll also be doing workshops again, which I plan to expand into Canada, as well as the UK, the production company is doing well… so I’m pretty damn busy! (laughs) Oh, and there’s the Twitch channel too!
Active game: So you’ve been a gamer for a long time?
Neil Newbon: YES! My first video game was a ZX Spectrum, I used to buy those magazines with programming lists on how to make a game, it was really cool.
Active game: So, to conclude, would you like to leave a message for the Brazilian gaming community, for your fans?
Neil Newbon: Thank you all so much for your support and interest in my work. Thank you to everyone who enjoys my characters, I’m grateful that they made them fun and I hope to continue to do so for many years to come. I hope people still have many characters to love or hate, depending on their tastes (laughs). So I’m grateful to be accepted into so many fan communities. Thanks Brazil!
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
