Laura Bailey on Critical Role, The Last of Us & Finding Your Voice

In this heartfelt and hilarious episode, acclaimed voice actor Laura Bailey joins the show for an unforgettable conversation about gaming, animation, creativity, and the emotional power of storytelling. Best known for her work in Critical Role, The Last of Us Part II, Dragon Ball Z, Fruits Basket, and countless major video games, Laura brings warmth, honesty, and humor as she reflects on the journey that shaped her career. The episode kicks off with stories about childhood impressions and fake British accents at shopping malls and wineries, immediately showcasing Laura’s playful personality and improvisational spirit. Those early experiments with characters eventually became the foundation for one of the most recognizable voices in gaming and animation. Laura opens up about her lifelong love of video games and how surreal it can feel to play a game featuring her own voice. Sometimes she instantly recognizes herself, while other times she becomes so immersed in the story that she forgets she was even part of it. That immersion, she explains, is the ultimate compliment to the work. One of the episode’s standout moments is her discussion of The Last of Us Part II. Laura describes being a massive fan of the original game before being cast in the sequel and reveals how stressful the audition process became once she realized what project she was reading for. She even recruited Troy Baker—Joel himself—to help rehearse the audition scenes, calling it the ultimate “cheat code.” The conversation also dives deep into Critical Role and the unexpected phenomenon it became. Laura reflects on the joy of seeing characters she created around a tabletop gaming session evolve into animated series, merchandise, graphic novels, and a passionate global fanbase. She speaks lovingly about the collaborative nature of the project and the incredible team behind the scenes that helps bring the world to life every week. Laura shares thoughtful advice for aspiring voice actors, emphasizing that impressions alone are not enough to build a lasting career. She encourages performers to study acting seriously and develop the ability to read scripts cold—sometimes with no context at all. One of her favorite training exercises? Reading books out loud to practice character transitions, timing, and emotional delivery. The episode becomes especially personal when Laura discusses Fruits Basket and how voicing Tohru Honda genuinely changed her outlook on life. She explains that the character’s kindness and optimism influenced her own mindset during a formative period in her career, making the role one of the most meaningful she’s ever played. Fans of gaming will also love hearing Laura talk about dream projects like Dragon Age, her outrageous experiences recording Saints Row, and the evolving artistry of performance capture and cinematic storytelling in modern games. The episode balances comedy with sincerity, including donut tastings, cold-read voice acting challenges, and a surprisingly emotional closing discussion inspired by a question from John DiMaggio about hope and humanity. Laura’s answer—that most people genuinely want better for the world and that optimism still matters—perfectly captures the spirit of the conversation. Whether you know her from anime, AAA games, or tabletop adventures, this episode is a celebration of creativity, friendship, and the voices behind the characters that stay with us forever. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices