The actor behind Baldur's Gate 3's beloved Karlach has shared some wisdom surrounding the character herself, as well as the auditioning process and how secretive roles and projects can harm acting.
In the new Q&A, actor Samantha Béart fields viewer questions, and one topic delved into the secrecy of the video game industry. Béart speaks of how she didn't know the role - or even the game - she was auditioning or putting herself forward for the role of Karlach, and this ultimately harmed her audition for the character.
"First audition was a bit different - she was a bit of a fighter class, and she certainly hadn't been sold into slavery," Béart says. "But she had a background of fighting so she was a little bit greyer. She was probably a little more Lae'zel, and I look back at it and think the audition was a little bit weak."
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Béart thinks her audition for Karlach was "weak" because she didn't know the role or the game she was going for. Earlier in the Q&A video above, Béart highlights how when she's auditioned for movies in the past, like Marvel projects, the non-disclosure agreement she's signed will tell her what movie she's going for prior to the audition.
This isn't the case with some video game auditions. Studios will say this is to stop games leaking, Béart says, but the actor also says this likely aids developers and publishers to stop actors from negotiating for better rates - if an actor doesn't know the gravity of their part or the significance of a game they're signing up for, they can't negotiate for better pay and protections.
"But then 2022 comes around - this time last year - and I know who this is, and I know D&D so I know the tone of it, I suppose, the genre, and I know the fact that it's large and it's fantasy," Béart continues. The actor added that she gained confidence in her performance once she knew the full details of her role as Karlach and her place in Baldur's Gate 3.
This, Béart reckons, is why indie games often get better performances out of their actors than huge AAA games - because they give the entire script and all the accompanying details to actors ahead of time. Béart would also love to see video games do the classic "table read" for scenes, where actors gather together and read their lines before shooting, which the actor thinks would only help performances.
Elsewhere in the Q&A video, Béart revealed she's been loving Karlach's "ride or die" romance with Minthara, which sadly a lot of people won't have seen because of Minthara's place in Baldur's Gate 3. Béart advises people to do a Dark Urge playthrough to find out more, which sounds like a recipe for chaos.
Baldur's Gate 3 was the Ultimate Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick 2023 Awards last week, so it's safe to say the performances from Béart and her fellow actors have been warmly received.
